Stuffed Animal
by Adri Mars
Summary: (AU) 17-year-old Sakura Kinomoto has been waiting for seven years for her childhood sweetheart, Syaoran Li, to return before her father finds her a suitor to marry in the near future. Then, news spread of a movie crew visiting the Tomoeda, including a certain popular teen idol. Upon his arrival in Tomoeda and his meeting with Sakura, he begins to feel that he has been here before.
1. PROLOGUE: The Book of Keroberos Excerpt

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**PROLOGUE: The Book of Keroberos Excerpt  
**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

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**QUICK NOTE:** I write all my author notes at the end of each chapter, so please, don't forget to read them once you reach the end of this page. :)

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_Once upon a time in this here town named Tomoeda_  
_There was a little boy and a little girl, filled with so much love_  
_Their love for themselves, their love for one another, their love for their home_  
_Ever since infancy, the whole town knew_  
_That someday, sometime, and in someway_  
_This here little boy and this here little girl_  
_Will marry one day, and to live together for eternity_  
_This boy and girl, so inseparable, filled with friendship and true love_  
_Some say, "Oh, they're just the best of friends!"_  
_Others say, "They don't know what they're doing because they're so young."_  
_But only this boy and this girl knew what the words "true love" meant._

_Then one fateful day at their tenth year of togetherness,_  
_The mother and father of the little boy have found luck and wealth,_  
_To the city, they decided, they should settle for life_  
_Along with their daughters and their only son_  
_To the city, they said, they shall continue to live._  
_Their children learned of this wonderful news_  
_But as for the little boy, this news not so wonderful at all._

_This boy spread the word to the girl he loved so much_  
_And tears and woes, the girl expressed_  
_Knowing they may truly never meant to be_  
_The boy and the girl, both sighed filled with woe_  
_As the days pass by till the fateful day comes,_  
_This boy and this girl, themselves, they have planned_  
_There is only one way, they said, for them to be one again_  
_Along with their hands and their creative minds_  
_They knitted and sewn and stuffed- oh, how adorably sweet!_

_That fateful day has finally arrived and it was all cheers and woes_  
_The boy and the girl, amber and emerald, they gazed_  
_Along with a final, simple, yet sweet special kiss_  
_Two little teddy bears- brown and blush - they exchanged_  
_The boy said to the girl, "My love, please don't cry,_  
_For someday, somewhere, somehow, I shall return for you..."_  
_And alas, dear friend, melancholy has come_  
_For the boy and his family sailed away_  
_This little town of Tomoeda has never been the same_  
_Especially for this little girl, now all alone and in sorrow_

_But don't fret, my friends, there is no end to true love_  
_For this little girl has something to remember the boy by_  
_This little cute teddy bear that her love have given her_  
_Legend has it that love will last in a special STUFFED ANIMAL_  
_The story goes like this, "When two lovers filled with love for each other_  
_Were to part in such a sorrowful way_  
_These two lovers exchange these STUFFED ANIMALS of Tomoeda,_  
_Signifies that someday, somewhere, and somehow, they shall be together_  
_For always, for ever, for eternity, for life."_  
_This little girl has true faith in this sweet little teddy bear_  
_She named it, "Chiirou," which means "little wolf"_  
_Her love, she said, has a character of a wolf_  
_But despite of all that, she loved him so_  
_Therefore this is the only thing that she will do for the rest of her life_  
_She will wait patiently here in this town of Tomoeda_  
_Till her "Chiirou" will finally come home._

_Seven years have passed and still no sign of the "little wolf,"_  
_Hounds of these suitors have been pining for her fairness_  
_But even so, despite of these hounds,_  
_This little girl, now as a beautiful and fair young woman_  
_Still waits, hopes, and prays for that one sweet day_  
_That one sweet day where her "Chiirou" will come_  
_And sweep her away..._  
_Forever, and ever, and for eternity._

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** Hello! I'm Adrimarie. I'm actually NOT a new fan of Card Captor Sakura/CCS (or if you still follow the botched up Kids WB-aired "Cardcaptors"). In fact, I'm a "reborn" fan after re-watching the series and the movies.

This would be my third CCS fanfic. My first two are located in my old account (~daidoujitomoyo), starting with **Study Buddy** and **Fall Play**. I lost my access to this account as the email I used for that account no longer exists and the FFnet Tech Support is unable to help me with this problem, so please, if you have time, be sure to check those out. Those fics (and even this third fic) are over 10 years old, so they're ancients classics I guess LOL.

Let me explain regarding this third CCS fanfic. I started working on this back in 2001 but because of writer's block and then loss of interest in CCS (I discovered a brand-new interest so that really triggered it), I abandoned it. It was going to be a "musical play script" style of fic, but because I'm re-reading the original documents and it looked really lame, I decided to just bring it back in to its standard novel format. **I attempted to rewrite Stuffed Animal** as my first **Kodocha** fanfic, however looking back, it's not really working very well, so I decided to discontinue that and then rewrite this back in its original CCS format. This is an AU fic, so forget about the Clow Cards and the Sakura Cards on this one and forget about the scenery being in Japan. Let's just say, it's still Tomoeda, but it's in a different world. Yeah. :)

I'm not going to go in to further detail regarding this story until the next chapter is up, so for now, enjoy this little prologue ditty. It should give you a bit of an idea, somewhat. :)


	2. 01: Brotherly Brawl

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

__**CHAPTER 1: Brotherly Brawl  
**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

**QUICK NOTE:** I write all my author notes at the end of each chapter, so please, don't forget to read them once you reach the end of this page. :)

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The next-door neighbor spotted Professor Fujitaka Kinomoto, Doctor of Archaeology, at the front porch area of his home, typing his words away on his laptop while soaking in the beautiful Sunday morning sun. These were the words of the upcoming university thesis that he had been working on for a year now as his final required assignment to submit for his second doctorate in the field of Anthropology. Though summer vacation just started, university still had the summer quarter and it was his turn to be a doctorate student full-time. No more teaching and lecturing undergraduate students for this quarter. That can wait until the fall.

Soun Tsukishiro, a retired former university professor in his own right and currently a restaurant owner and manager of the famous Mooncastle Diner, passed by the front and waved at the younger teacher. Fujitaka took notice and waved at him in return. "Mr. Tsukishiro, good morning!"

"And a good morning to you too, Fuji-kun," Soun Tsukishiro gave his signature grin. "This Sunday is just way too beautiful for anyone to stay cooped up inside. I see you decided to take advantage of the summer sun by working on your thesis, eh?"

Fujitaka closed his laptop and headed towards the fence. "Yeah. I'm almost finished with my thesis. I'm writing my analysis report on the nature of the Qin Emperor's tomb, most especially the theories behind the famous terracotta army sculptures. It's not just scholarly research paper that I'm turning in, I'm also including a slideshow presentation of the Qin Emperor's tomb photos from the China expedition trip I went to last year. It's going to be amazing."

Soun gave a nod. "Maybe before you do your presentation to the faculty, share your presentation with me first. I could give you a bit of pointers, but then again, you're so used to being a lecturer at the university that you may probably need any."

The two academically-minded men broke in to laughter until both found the time to stop. Soun then changed the subject with a soft cough. "So, any progress regarding your daughter?"

Fujitaka was silent at first, but then promptly answered. "I'm not sure, actually. Last night, the Sakamotos arranged to have their son, Takuya, to take my daughter out on a date." He then sighed in relief. "I really don't like much of our town's traditions, but I really have no choice but to save face for my family name."

"I know how it feels like, being a father to two daughters myself. Once our daughters turn fifteen, it was time for them to gain some experience with boys, ne?"

"Sakura just turned seventeen not too long ago and up to now she still have not chosen a suitable boy for her. Every single boy I tried to arrange with her always end up in failure. I would know that when my son starts hounding for them and… well… you already know…"

Soun patted the younger father on the shoulder. "Fuji-kun, Touya-kun is still playing the role of the big brother protector to Sakura-chan, you know, even if he's already engaged to marry the lovely Kaho Mitsuki. My grandson Yukito isn't that different from Touya-kun, except for the violent part. I was so overjoyed to learn that Yukito and the Akatsuki's eldest daughter Nakuru found each other and eventually fell in love. I didn't need to go through the hassle of finding a fellow townsfolk to set up their kids to go on dates with your own."

Fujitaka sighed. "Touya was not a problem when it comes to love. Kaho Mitsuki was a former student of mine and joined my independent study group at home one day and that was when she and Touya met. Then the rest was history."

"Not so easy for daughters, I guess."

"You're telling me. Sakura insisted she didn't want to marry and didn't want to go through Tomoeda's custom of having the parents arranging dates for their daughters if they haven't found one at age fifteen. As mentioned, Sakura is still seventeen and still not interested." He placed his hand on his forehead. "I just hope her date with the Sakamoto boy would turn out well and start hitting things off for the two of them."

"You're still young to worry about those things, Fuji-kun." Soun patted him on the shoulder once again. "I'm heading to the diner now. Gotta have to prepare and then open up. Good luck in your thesis."

"Thanks, Mr. Tsukishiro."

Just as the elderly neighbor was about to make his way, a group of teenage girls dashed their way through the street and then spotted both of them. He immediately recognized them as 17-year-olds Chiharu Mihara and Rika Sasaki with panicking expressions on their faces.

"Professor Kinomoto!" Chiharu called out the young professor's name. "Thank goodness you're home!"

Fujitaka simply grinned. "Well of course. It is Sunday, you know."

"Professor Kinomoto, no time to explain, you have to come to the town square really quick!" Rika quickly grabbed his hand, as Fujitaka hesitated at first.

"What's the rush, girls? What's happening?"

"It's your son, Touya-san," Chiharu cried in panic. "He's brawling with Takuya Sakamoto!"

"What the— that unruly…" Without any more questions asked, Fujitaka exited the fence and ran his way towards Tomoeda Town Square. The two girls and even Soun Tsukushiro followed him from behind.

#

The two men and the two teenage girls arrived at the town square after three minutes of running through the roads towards the main boulevard. When they got there, a huge crowd was already encircling the incident, with three other familiar figures standing at the front: Touya Kinomoto's fiancee, Kaho Mizuki, his best friend and Soun's grandson Yukito Tsukishiro, and his fiancee, Nakuru Akatsuki.

Touya and the younger Takuya Sakamoto had been exchanging fists at one another for the last three minutes. Rather than someone trying to break up the fight, the crowd only made things worse by provoking them to get in to this brawl. For the past six months, Touya had earned the reputation and title of "The Suitor Killer of Tomoeda," where he was known as the one to hunt down any particular young man who tried to do harm on his precious little sister Sakura, no thanks to all the arranged dates that his father had been involved with his fellow neighbors and townsfolk here and there. Last week, he just beaten up two boys that pretty much sent both of them to the hospital for the broken jaws and the broken ribs. The first boy he brawled with tried to spread nasty rumors about Sakura's purity simply because she flatly rejected him to go out on a date at night, while the other attempted to kiss her after a night out when Sakura clearly said no several times.

This case with Takuya Sakamoto may probably be similar to the rest of the boys he got in to fights with at the town square. Sure, last night, this young man had a chance to take Sakura out on a dinner date. Unfortunately for Sakura, it turned out to be some kind of a humiliation fest when the boy's buddies and even some girls made fun of her because the ungrateful jerk revealed her personal secret about her high beliefs of the town's legendary stuffed animals. Even if the town's traditions are still alive and well, most kids nowadays just don't dig the whole stuffed animal myth. They called her a baby, a foolish dreamer, and a hopeless geek. Sticks and stones may not break her bones, but words shouldn't hurt Sakura. Because of this major shocking turn of events in a supposedly quiet dinner between the two, that's what really stabbed her within. She came back home early with tears in her eyes and eventually told Touya the entire story.

"Touya! Get back here this instant and leave that poor boy alone!" Kaho shouted right at his fiancee. "Will you ever stop being like a hungry wolf? You're making another scene in front of the entire town here!"

Yukito also began shouting out: "Don't let him get away, Touya! He doesn't deserve to get away after what he did to your sister!"

"Stop encouraging him, Yukito, you're not helping!" Nakuru frowned, glaring at her fiancee. "My god, the mayor's gonna be pissed off again…"

"The only thing that would seriously stop Touya from getting in to fights like this is to get rid of that stupid tradition," Yukito sighed. "I feel really bad for Sakura. I don't understand why parents would go so far as to arranging their daughters to go on dates with random goons. This is probably the seventh time that Sakura is going through this entire mess."

Just as the brawling becomes a whole lot more intense, Fujitaka crawled himself through the crowd until he finally got to the front. Quickly he stepped in the middle and with his two strong arms, drew the two brawlers away from each other.

"Alright, enough with the brawling!" Fujitaka shouted and turned to the two. "What on earth is going on here?"

Touya, struggling to release himself from his father's grip, shouted right at the now heavily-bruised young man. "What the hell is wrong with a girl clinging in to a stuffed toy, huh? You got a problem with that?"

Takuya, wiping off the dripping blood from his lip, simply gave a smirk. "I can't believe that one of the town's most eligible girls still thinks like a child! My parents must be drunk or something to actually agree to hook us up! Sorry, but I don't date little girls who don't have the courtesy to let gentlemen like me be allowed to hold her hand or even give her a kiss—-"

"Yeah? And what the hell is wrong with taking a girl out on a date without holding hands or even kiss, huh? Scum like you don't deserve to even be with real girls like my sister! My sister would never lie to me, especially when she comes back home crying her eyes out, and you— you're like the rest of them! I've warned you before last night— hurt my sister and your ass is mine!"

Fujitaka continued to restrain his hotblooded son. "Touya, that's enough! Calm down! You're making a scene here! Do you want the mayor and the police to come here and then arrest you again for disturbing the peace?"

Kaho ran to the Kinomoto father and son and then faced her fiancee. "Touya, stop it, please. You're gonna get yourself in to trouble again if you don't calm down…"

Touya sighed deeply, dropping his head and finally getting his composure back. Quickly, the young man Takuya Sakamoto stood up, turned around, and ran off away from the scene. The scenario was already over and the rest of the crowd broke out and continue on with their own personal businesses.

#

Minutes later, they arrived back at the Kinomoto Residence. Fujitaka went ahead and provided First Aid for his son's wounds as he, his fiancee, and his two friends sat at the sofa, watching over him.

"This has got to stop, Touya," Fujitaka sighed, gently cleaning away his wounds with a ball of cotton. Touya gasped softly from the sting. "I don't want our family to hold the record of having the highest number of arrests of the same person simply because of this unnecessary brawling."

Touya gritted his teeth, holding his fist tightly. "Be a father for once, Dad. Be a father for Sakura. I know you're really busy trying to get your doctorate thesis done but Sakura's suffering from all these… traditions."

"How many times have we gone through this, Touya? I also want Sakura to find a good man on her own, but it's been two years since she became eligible for the traditional matchmaking and up to now she still hasn't found the right one yet…"

"I still think this whole matchmaking and arranged marriage thing is stupid, Dad," Touya rolled his eyes. "Although I admit that I really don't want to see Sakura having a boyfriend at this age, I'll have to accept that she really deserves to be happy when that time comes. I'll just deal with it."

Yukito patted his best friend on the shoulder. "Nothing's really gonna change if she finds someone special, you know. I mean look at you and me. We now have Nakuru and Kaho and we're still best friends, ne?"

"He's right, Touya," Kaho gave a nod. "And Sakura and I have been getting along so well for the last two years now. I can't wait for us to become real sisters, you know?"

"I know, I know," Touya said, then gave a sigh. "But still… it's different when you have a sister… I mean obviously, it's normal for me because eventually I'll be the new head of the family when Dad's time arrives, but… when that time comes, I'll be the only one left to take care of Sakura."

"And what happens when your time comes early, Son?" Fujitaka frowned as he began wrapping his son's wounds with bandages. "Who will take care of Sakura then? That's why it's important for her to find a special someone now. There's not very many of us Kinomotos left in Tomoeda, Touya, so that's why we need to be prepared. That's the only reason why we have this tradition and all of us must follow it."

"All of that, Touya, only because Sakura still clings on to a stuffed toy? All of a sudden she's so uncool now? That's just pathetic," Yukito frowned, shaking his head. "And on top of things, she had to get humiliated by it on their date night? That bastard deserved what he got earlier today."

"Yukito, please!" Nakuru said with a frown. "What's wrong with a teenager still clinging on to a stuffed animal, huh? I think it's normal…"

"And one more thing, Touya," Kaho said, "you can't always play the guardian and protector for Sakura any long now. I'm willing to be Sakura's protector too so we can also protect Sakura together, but beating the hell out of him isn't the answer."

Fujitaka finished patching up his song and then give a loud sigh, leaning himself against the cushion of the couch. "Why am I having such bad matchmaking skills… I really can't tell people's motives and personalities at all."

"That's because you're so used to facing a entire lecture class in university, Dad," Touya said. "You mostly interact with fellow professors and lecturers and students and all you talk about is archaeology and anthropology and not much social matters. If you want, I'll find the right guy for Sakura even if it pisses me off—"

"Don't even try, Touya," Fujitaka glared. "Knowing you, you're only going to give your sister a hard time."

Nakuru softly cleared her throat. "One thing I noticed about Sakura though. Of course, I'm not trying to be nosy or anything like that."

"What's that, Nakuru?" Yukito asked.

"Well, I have a theory that maybe the reason why Sakura isn't making herself progress on finding the right guy is because… well… I think there's something that's holding her back from doing so."

"Oh? What are you talking about, Nakuru?" Kaho asked curiously.

"Well, you did mention about Sakura clinging on to a stuffed animal, right?"

"Yeah? So?" Touya became curious as well.

"Well, do you guys remember the old Tomoeda legend about the special stuffed animal?"

Yukito blinked in surprise. "Now that you mentioned it… Nakuru, are you saying that Sakura's teddy bear may be what's holding her back?"

His fiancee gave him a nod. "There's no other explanation I could think of, you guys. Remember how the legend goes?"

"Yeah I do," Yukito nodded. "How does it go again?"

There was silence among them for a bit. Then moments later, both Yukito and Nakuru spoke the same words simultaneously:

"_When two lovers filled with love for each other_

_Were to part in such a sorrowful way_

_These two lovers exchange these STUFFED ANIMALS of Tomoeda_

_Signifies that someday, somewhere, and somehow, they shall be together_

_For always, forever, for eternity, for life._"

Kaho gasped and placed her hand on her mouth. "Oh my… now I remember. That was mentioned in the Book of Keroberos, right?"

"That's right," Nakuru grinned. "What do you think, Touya?"

Fujitaka shrugged his shoulders. "Well, her teddy bear 'Chiirou' was given to her by a childhood friend when he moved away some ten or so years ago, but I thought that was just a part of their home economics project in school. She also gave that childhood friend her teddy bear as well. Ever since then I've always seen her bringing her Chiirou bear along with her even up to now in high school."

Touya gave a soft chuckle. "Wait wait… so you're saying that the only reason why Sakura isn't making an effort to find herself a new man is because of some raggedy stuffed animal she's been carrying around? What the hell is wrong with that girl…" He shook his head and slowly crossed his arms.

"Touya," Kaho interrupted. "I think what Nakuru is saying isn't just about the teddy bear itself. What she's trying to say is that she's saving herself, her mind, heart, body, and soul, to the one who gave her the Chiirou bear." She turned to the professor. "Professor Kinomoto, we're assuming that the one who gave Sakura that teddy bear was a boy, isn't it?"

"That's nonsense," Touya rolled his eyes. "What on earth kind of boy would wanna like her that way at age ten, huh? That's just dumb."

"Obviously there's a lot of things you still don't know about your sister, Touya," Kaho rolled her eyes in return. "Now I know where Nakuru is trying to point at."

Nakuru nodded. "I really think Sakura has high hopes and has high beliefs that the one who gave her that Chiirou bear will come back here to Tomoeda so they can be together. That's why she hasn't been giving the effort of finding herself a new man all this time."

Fujitaka sighed, lowering his head. "Oh Nadeshiko… being a father of a son and daughter at the same time is no easy feat. I'm on a roll with me thesis and all these sorts of problems just have to get in the way. What am I gonna do with her now…?"

Touya shook his head. "That doesn't do any good. Sure, it's a legend and not very many around Tomoeda is lucky enough to experience exchanging stuffed animals when one of them has to move away. Who on earth kind of a kid would easily fall in love with another kid at such a damn young age anyway?"

Yukito coughed softly. "Um, Touya, you just happen to be a good example. Didn't you start having a crush on Kaho when you were only in fourth grade before?"

"Shut up, Yukito, that's… that's different!" Touya began his denial. "Besides, I didn't move away. Kaho didn't move away, so we didn't have to do all that crazy stuffed animal business."

"You oughta take some time to read the Book of Keroberos one of these days, Touya," Kaho chuckled. "All of Tomoeda's ancients old folktales and legends are all written in that book. Each Tomoeda family has at least one copy. Sakura isn't exactly stupid, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Touya pouted.

"Hm, speaking of Sakura," Yukito changed the subject. "Where is she right now?"

"Oh!" Fujitaka exclaimed. "She's somewhere at the meadow forest, babysitting the neighbors' kids right now. She'll be back home soon."

#

Sakura sat down underneath the huge cherry tree, reading a book while cradling her Chiirou stuffed bear against her chest. From time to time she continued to watch two children, a boy and a girl, she was asked to babysit playing tag with each other while looking at all the flowers they can see on the way on the grassy fields. After the rather shocking event she had to go through with that pompous jerk Takuya Sakamoto, she needed to be alone for today. She did not want to see any trace of Takuya Sakamoto around town or anyone else who would be harassing her because of her devotion to the one who gave her the Chiirou stuffed animal. Taking over her bookworm friend Naoko Yanagisawa's babysitting job to keep an eye on the children while she was away on a creative writing camp trip was the best way for her to get over the incident and then walk back home with her head up.

While she kept an eye on the two children, now swinging round and round with both their hands held together, she began to give a chuckle. She pushed her tousled chin-length mocha hair behind her ear just when the breeze was beginning to get a little chilly. With Chiirou bear sitting against her chest, she began reminiscing the old days.

The very spot that the two children were playing now happened to be the same spot where she first met Syaoran Li, the first boy, and most likely the only boy, who captured her heart. She was heading out on a hiking trip to the forest with her father and her brother at age six when she first spotted Syaoran and his father intensively training in martial arts. She already knew Syaoran as the boy living next door to her house and even back at elementary school but never really spoke to each other. With his fluid movements and his precise strikes, Sakura fell under his spell without being aware of things. Though Syaoran was always alone and never made that many friends with the exception of another boy named Takashi Yamazaki since he came in to the picture, Sakura became the first female friend he ever made.

It was Sakura's curiosity of his martial arts training that made Syaoran open his heart to her. Since then she would often come to that very same spot, not because she wanted to watch him and his father go through their usual martial arts routines, but simply because she just wanted to see the chocolate-haired, amber-eyed boy. During nighttime, the two would often talk to each other through their side windows and at times, Syaoran would use the sturdy branches of the cherry blossom tree standing in between their homes to climb over from his window to Sakura's window, just so they can spend some time together in secret and vice versa. He vowed to be a champion in martial arts when he grew up and Sakura gave her promise to support him all the way. It wasn't that long that both discovered that they were simply meant to be inseparable and before they knew it, they established a brand new level of their relationship.

Syaoran was everything to Sakura, always first at everything. He was her first partner in their couple bonfire dancing during sports days, her first boy partner in school projects, the first boy who ever held her hand, touched her hair and her cheek. Not to mention that he was the first boy to stand up against her against other unruly, immature boys and most of all, he was the one whom she shared her first kiss.

Oh how much she treasured that one special kiss, so much that she can't afford to give her lips to any boy unless his name happened to be Syaoran Li. Her heart still beat for Syaoran even if he and his family no longer live in Tomoeda. A sad mystery simply came to her when all of her letters to him suddenly returned back to her by the post office, saying that there was no such person or no such address. She vowed to hire a private detective should she ever have enough money just to search for him. Even Takashi Yamazaki, now her next-door neighbor since Syaoran's family moved out, even had bad luck in reaching out to his best friend.

While contemplating her past memories with her beloved Syaoran, the two children approached her with a homemade flower wreath on the boy's hand. The flower wreath was that of white, red, and yellow peonies, which also gave Sakura another memory of Syaoran. Peonies just happened to be Syaoran's favorite flower.

"For you, Sakura-san," the boy said, placing the peony wreath over her head.

"Oh!" Sakura laughed and began helping the boy securely place the wreath around her head. "Thank you! You made this?"

The girl nodded. "Kyo-kun and me found so many flowers nearby and so we decided to make a wreath for you."

"Aw, you guys… thank you so much!" Sakura grinned and embraced both the children tightly.

The children then released from her as the boy spoke to her. "You look really lonely, Sakura-san, so we thought that maybe we would cheer you up."

"Aw, thanks so much. You didn't need too. I'm fine, really."

The girl blinked. "You know, the neighbors were saying that another boy hurt you again. Kyo-kun and I really like each other and are the best of friends. Why would boys want to hurt you, Sakura-san?"

"It's not that," Sakura said, patting the girl gently on her head. "It's just that… I already have someone now."

"Oh? Really? Who?" The boy asked.

"He… well.. He doesn't live here in Tomoeda."

"Oh." The two kids frowned sadly. The teenage girl simply chuckled at their reactions.

"Come on now, you two, no reason for you to be sad for me, ne? Don't give me that look. I want to see your smiles, come on."

The two children flashed a smile and the three of them burst in to laughter. At this point, their laughter was interrupted by a familiar angelic voice, calling out her name.

"Sakura!" She turned to see who was calling her and found a slender, long raven-haired, doll-faced young lady all of Tomoeda knew as the undisputed beauty queen. Seventeen-year-old Tomoyo Daidouji, the town's teenage angel, the queen of fashion, heiress to the Sonomi Daidouji Couture, a world-known fashion design owned by her mother, and all-around best friend to all, appeared before her in one of her stylishly custom-designed dresses. Even though Sakura knew that there was no way she can compete against her long-time best friend and partner-in-crime, Tomoyo always made sure her shoulders are always available for Sakura to cry on whenever she has her troubles.

At this point, Sakura found the angelic Tomoyo waving right at her. She turned to the children. "Look, kids! Tomoyo's here! Maybe she'll treat us out for ice cream again like yesterday."

"Yay!" The children quickly dashed to greet Tomoyo, as Sakura eventually caught up to them. Once she did, Tomoyo gasped in awe to see her best friend wearing a short-sleeved white lece dress that she especially designed for her last year.

"This is why you are my favorite model for all my designs, Sakura," Tomoyo chuckled. "Even on bare feet and sitting on the thick roots of the cherry blossom tree, you still look so breathtakingly beautiful!"

Sakura chuckled nervously. "Thanks a lot, Tomoyo."

"It's almost time for the meeting, Sakura," Tomoyo reminded her with a wink.

"Meeting?" Sakura slowly backed away. "Oh no, after what happened last night, I rather not…"

"No, silly, not about meeting some other random jerk now. We're talking about the Club Wolfpups!"

"Club Wolfpups?" Sakura gently scratched her head. "What is… Club Wolfpups?"

Tomoyo giggled and locked her arm around hers. "Don't you remember? The Club Wolfpups— the official fanclub of popular teen idol Li Xiaolang! Oh, and they'll be having a joint meeting with the Club Moonies!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Club Moonies? Who are they?"

The four began walking back in town, with Tomoyo chuckling. "Earth to Sakura! Where have you been all this time? Everyone in school know the tandem of Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa in a series of action movies for kids for some time now. The Li Xiaolang fans are called the Wolfpups and the Eriol Hiiragizawa fans are known as the Moonies."

"Whoa. Strange names," Sakura chuckled. "So, what are they got to do with us, Tomoyo?"

"Remember last week? I told you before, Sakura. We promised Chiharu and Rika that we'd go to the meeting, since Chiharu's the president of the Tomoeda Branch Wolfpups and Rika is the president of the Tomoeda Branch Moonies. This is really important, so we have to go."

Just as they were nearing town, Sakura halted herself, which forced Tomoyo to stop as well. "W-wait a second, Tomoyo. Important? But you know as much as I do that we don't even watch teen movies or even watch celebrity TV shows and… well, we don't even watch TV!"

"I know, I know, but you know, Chiharu said—"

"And… well… I'm gonna end up falling asleep over there since I'm not really in to—"

"This is the perfect opportunity for you to forget about last night's incident, Sakura. That's another reason why I want you to be there."

Sakura knew that whenever Tomoyo Daidouji was around, there was no way she could ever escape from her. She turned to the two children. "Do you guys want to go to the Wolfpups and Moonies meeting?"

The boy exclaimed happily. "Wait. Did I just hear Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa? They're like the coolest stars I've ever seen on TV and the movies! They're like blood brothers who can fight evil and save the world all the time! I wanna be like them, especially Li Xiaolang! He makes all of his martial moves like it's the real deal!"

"Um, I like Meiling Li," the girl said. "She's always Li Xiaolang's partner in most of the movies. My big sister is a huge fan and she said that the next movie they're gonna be having isn't gonna be adventure anymore. It's gonna be one of gross school romance movies. Aww…"

Sakura sighed and gave a slight grin. "Alright kids. Let's all go to the meeting then."

"Yay!" The four proceeded to town until they reached the town square area. So far, nothing out of the ordinary was occurring since the brawl earlier this morning. It was a good thing that news about her brother getting in to another fight with one of her suitors didn't reach her earlier today and attending some idol fanclub's meeting would definitely help her get her mind off of her humiliation.

Sakura then turned to her teddy bear, with its head sticking out from her shoulder bag. "Well, Chiirou, there's always the first time for everything. I'm going to attend my very first fanclub meeting for Li Xialolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa. I don't really know how they look like since I rarely watch TV or go to the movies but, well, guess we'll know how they look like soon."

"We'll be having our meeting at Mooncastle Diner. Mr. Tsukishiro closed early to reserve the entire space for the fanclubs. Still, his waiters and cashiers and cooks still have to work though."

Sakura sighed. "That means Oniichan will be there."

"I heard that your brother took the day off. Um… he wasn't feeling very well…" Tomoyo chuckled nervously.

"Oh? Not feeling well? What exactly do you mean?"

"Um… well, I just heard it from my mom. She and your dad met up at the library earlier today and… yeah."

"Poor Oniichan. I hope he feels better."

"Oh, after the meeting, I was wondering if you can come over my house tonight really quick."

Sakura gazzed right at her doll-faced friend's dark purple eyes. "Oh?"

"I've written a couple of new songs that we can perform in the upcoming festivals, but I want to run them with you first, since you're our keyboardist and all!"

"Wow, sounds great! I'm looking forward to that!"

"Aaaand—" Tomoyo squealed with excitement. "I also wrote a song just for you!"

"Really? You wrote a song for me, Tomoyo? I can't wait to hear it!"

The chirpy beauty grinned. "Now you have a chance to have your own solo song!"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wait… solo?"

"Yup! It's a song that you will be singing solo one day!"

"Eeeehhh…" The chestnut-haired girl moaned. "You mean I'm singing that song?"

"But of course! I wrote a song for you to sing to the world!"

"But… But I can't sing that well—"

Tomoyo simply placed her arm around her. "No complaints, Sakura. You and I sound good together whenever we do our duets. It's your turn to have your own solo now!"

"But… Tomoyo…" And once again, when it came to Tomoyo, Sakura knew there was no escape.

* * *

**A/N:** And here we have our first chapter, so yay! Just a couple of things to point. Originally, I was going to mix and match the names of the characters from the original Japanese to the character names from "Cardcaptors" as stage names, however I decided to just omit all that and stick with the original names. I didn't want to confuse all the fans so I'm taking the "original" route.

Regarding honorifics, I'm going to use them sparingly because it'd only make things a whole lot more confusing than it is unless you're fluent/proficient in the Japanese language. I'm also not going to use any overused Japanese phrases and words such as "kawaii" in them because that's not going to make the fic become "authentically Japanese." I think the environment and atmosphere is what makes the story "authentically Japanese" and I'll be trying to focus more on that, rather than just throwing out random Japanese words that don't even make sense if you know what I mean.

Please do read and review. Don't forget to read my old CCS fanfics from 11-ish years ago under the ~daidoujitomoyo username. FFnet doesn't read links/URLs so it'll have to be just the username.

Thank you for all your support!


	3. 02: Secret Trek

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 2: SECRET TREK**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

The joint meeting of the two fanclubs already began when Sakura, Tomoyo, and the two kids arrived at Mooncastle Diner, the Tsukishiro Family's business in Tomoeda's main square. Lucky for the kids, the boy's aunt happened to be on the scene and the two of them ran to her instead. This, of course relieved Sakura off of her substitute babysitting duties. They found an empty table at the corner and decided to sit there.

The girls' two friends, Chiharu Mihara and Rika Sasaki, were already behind the pedestal presiding the meeting. They just finished with the introductions of the officers from both fanclubs including themselves, the presidents of, respectively, Club Wolfpups and Club Moonies.

"We are all gathered in this meeting for a very special upcoming event," Chiharu presided. "Rika and I had a meeting with the mayor and the city council yesterday afternoon regarding this important announcement that will take place here in Tomoeda."

Rika then picked up from where Chiharu left from. "As you know from last night's celebrity news, our favorite idols, Eriol Hiiragizawa and Li Xiaolang will be starring in the upcoming movie _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_, their very first non-action movie ever! Instead of portraying fierce powerful warrior heroes like they always do in their past movies, they'll be playing sweet, gentle, and tender young men experiencing their first loves! We finally get to see a different side of both Eriol and Xiaolang and their acting skills will definitely be tested in this particular movie!"

"But that's not why we're having a joint meeting here today, everyone!" Chiharu continued from where Rika left off. "We're holding a meeting here because of something that's related to the production of the movie. The famous director, Yoshiyuki Terada, and the screenwriter, the ever-renowned Mika Nekoi, have found the perfect place to shoot the movie…"

"Right here at our very own town of Tomoeda!" The two presidents called out simultaneously with the ones present screaming and cheering and squealing for joy.

"Oh wow!" Tomoyo giggled and turned to Sakura, who was sitting right across from her. "Did you hear that? A movie crew— and Li Xialang and Eriol Hiiragizawa— they're gonna be here in Tomoeda!"

"Wow indeed," Sakura chuckled along. "That's just amazing! How lucky we are, ne, Tomoyo?"

Chiharu and Rika began to hush their fellow fans present. "Okay, listen up. We're not done yet with all this, okay? Here comes the important part." Immediately, everyone fell silent once they heard Chiharu's commanding voice. "We had a meeting with the mayor, along with all other fanclubs of the other stars involved in the upcoming movie. As a celebration, we will be having a Tomoeda-only welcome celebration for our stars. It's not going to be televised or filmed or anything like that, however there will also be a live press conference. The entire world shouldn't know where they are, therefore to the eyes of the public, they can't know that they're in Tomoeda territory. We're just gonna be known as the locals if we do get our faces caught by the media. And for privacy reasons, please don't reveal your names to the public, alright?"

Rika gave a nod. "Chiharu's right, guys. We won't just be a fanclub to Eriol Hiiragizawa and Li Xiaolang, we're also going to be their hosts, so we also have to protect them from the really aggressive paparazzi and other wandering rabid fans too. Here's our chance to show all the other fanclubs how Tomoeda Branch Moonies and Wolfpups are true and dedicated to the safety, security, and privacy of our beloved Eriol and Xiaolang!"

The crowd roared as Tomoyo turned her head right back at Sakura. "Wow. Both the Wolfpups and the Moonies sure are pumped up today!"

"Well, they have to be, Tomoyo," Sakura giggled. "After all, their beloved Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa will be coming here to Tomoeda and… who knows how long they'll be here, you know?"

"True. But I wonder if they'll be allowed to… you know… mingle with the locals…"

"Tomoyo, are you serious?" Sakura chuckled. "They're only going to be here on business, so I don't think they'd have the time to mingle. When it comes to making movies, you can't afford to waste time."

Tomoyo sighed. "You're right, Sakura. Who are we kidding?"

The meeting continued on, with the members asking questions. Most of them turned out to be just unconfirmed rumors about their favorite idols, such as their love life or their rumored girlfriend and what not. Sakura didn't catch anything from Chiharu and Rika regarding the date of the movie crew's arrival and then raised her hand.

"Wow! You're here, Sakura! Welcome!" Rika chuckled, giving her a wave. "What's your question?"

Sakura simply gave a humble grin. "I was wondering, when will they be arriving?"

"Ah!" Chiharu gasped. "I can't believe we neglected the date they'll be arriving! Actually, the news said they'll be arriving here this weekend, but in reality, they're actually arriving in two days—"

"Two days?" Sakura gasped in shock. "Is this so they can elude the media and the paparazzi? So that means this whole celebration thing will actually take in two days?"

"Correcto!" Rika winked. "We're about to get to that. I'm glad you and Tomoyo came to the meeting. We really hoped you would."

"Anything for our best friends, you know," Tomoyo giggled.

"Well, the press conference and our little welcome celebration will happen in the same day. The press conference comes first and then our special Tomoeda entertainment will come right after. The mayor said that the director would like to have a special welcome performance from some of Tomoeda's best talent. And when I heard that, I thought about the Cool Rascals!" Chiharu exclaimed.

"Eh?" Sakura and Tomoyo blinked. "Cool Rascals— you mean _our _band?"

"But of course!" Chiharu winked. "You, Tomoyo, my Ta-chan, your brother, and of course, Yukito-san. You guys really rock, you know?"

"Wow!" Tomoyo chuckled nervously. "That's… that's quite an honor. You want us to perform in front of Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa and all those famous stars?"

"I… I don't know…" Sakura muttered, knowing how much nerve-racking to be given such a prestigious honor to perform in front of a group of A-list celebrities.

"Oh come on, you guys! It's better that non-fans would be the ones performing because it'd be easier that way. They won't have to feel all nervous and all that in front of their favorite idols, you know?" Chiharu begged.

"Plus," Rika added, " the fact that you and Tomoyo don't watch TV or the movies or even read celebrity magazines, it's a whole lot smoother, you know?"'

Sakura lowered her head. "Oh no…"

"So, will you guys do it?" Chiharu begged once more. "Tomoyo? Will you?"

"Hm," Tomoyo began to ponder to herself. "Well. We'll think about it."

"This is great!" Rika quickly embraced the two non-fan girls. "This would be good opportunity for you girls to forget all your troubles. Sakura, you can forget about those bastards you ended up having boring dinner dates with, most especially the recent one. And Tomoyo, you can completely forget about that jerk of an ex-boyfriend when you guys do this."

"Y-you think so…?" Tomoyo gave a faint smile.

"Absolutely!"

The meeting continued on, but this time, both Sakura and Tomoyo opened their ears to listen to the club presidents. Sakura even brought out her Chiirou bear and cuddled it close to her.

#

The media announced throughout celebrity news that this coming weekend is the arrival of the movie crew to their unnamed location where the upcoming teen romance movie _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ will be taking place. The mayor and the fanclub presidents were informed by the producers of the movie that they will be arriving in Tomoeda in Tuesday, two days from the day the two fanclubs held a joint meeting to inform their fellow fans of their arrival. The movie cast and crew, namely lead by the famous director Yoshiyuki Terada, were already traveling in a caravan with two recreational buses and two truckloads of props at the highways, making their way towards Tomoeda today. Yesterday was Sunday and today was Monday.

Two of the popular main cast members of the movie, dark-haired, indigo-eyed Eriol Hiiragizawa, and their female co-star, dark-haired, brown-eyed Meiling Li, sat across from each other watching their fellow co-star, the alluring mocha-haired, amber-eyed Syaoran Li, more known to the public as Li Xiaolang, sleeping peacefully in his seat. On one arm, he was cradling on a slightly raggedy creamy pink-colored stuffed animal that gave Eriol a bit of curiosity.

"He looks so peaceful when he's asleep," Meiling smiled happily.

"Yeah," Eriol gave a slight sigh. "It's rather out of character to see him with a pink teddy bear like that…"

Meiling turned to Eriol and softly hushed him. "It's important that he should bring that stuffed animal with him, Eriol. His mother insisted, even if Xiaolang felt really embarrassed about it."

"Crazy. His mother may be in intimidating but she can have some crazy ideas for her son sometimes. Seven years of therapy back when he used to live in Hong Kong and until he moved back here to Japan to start his showbiz career… and now a stuffed animal."

Meiling moved from her side and invited herself to sit next to Eriol. "Eriol, you've become Xiaolang's best friend since he moved back here in Japan during your training. I guess his family never really told you about what happened to him that he had to go through all this therapy."

"Your family is closer to his family so I'll assume you already know."

Meiling gave a nod. "Just about three months right after they moved back to Hong Kong briefly he and his father got in to a major car accident. Luckily both of them survived, however, his father is forever wheelchair bound and couldn't walk anymore and Xiaolang had a massive concussion and he lost quite a huge amount of his memories. Luckily he was able to restore most of them overtime during his time in Hong Kong. Taking on this movie project with him being the lead character should be the final piece of the puzzle that can finally complete the restoration of the memories he lost from that accident."

"So, let me get this straight, Meiling," Eriol answered. "His family sent him back here to Japan from Hong Kong… just so he can restore the final piece of his memories?"

"He started his showbiz career as a child star in Hong Kong. Then when he reached thirteen, his movies that he appeared in— all action martial arts, of course, became so popular in Japan that the showbiz industry here wanted to cast him in their future fantasy action movies. And of course, it was there that you two met in the agency his family signed him up for."

"Well I know about his career history but I didn't know anything about his childhood before he entered showbiz."

"His manager and butler Wei came along with him, and of course, his sisters also came along with him when the parents sent him back here. His mother and his sisters tried everything to restore his memories through childhood pictures and the old school uniforms he had to wear when he was a kid here, everything. His mother said that the teddy bear he's holding right now is the most important key in to restoring the final piece of his memories, but it won't trigger in unless he actually goes to the actual environment and atmosphere of the place of his missing memories. Well, I really do hope his mother is right about this…"

Eriol fell silent at first to contemplate. Moments later, he continued. "So, is that why you broke up with him, Meiling?"

Meiling turned her head towards Syaoran, and then right towards Eriol. "It's only been two months since we broke up. We both decided to break up because he admitted that he just doesn't feel any type of romantic love for me even way before we started going out. He simply just wanted to try us dating to see if his feelings for me were real love or not. And besides, for six months that we've been dating, we never kissed at all except for the cheek."

"What? You two never kissed on the lips? Or anywhere? Except the cheek?"

"Well, somehow, it's both of us. We both avoided the kissing on the lips part. I guess for me, I just didn't feel the mood coming from him. Him, on the other hand, just didn't really want to kiss me."

"Ouch. That must be painful for you."

"But as for me, along with that, I know deep in my heart that he loves someone else."

"But Meiling, how can you say that? He loves someone else? He's never been serious with other girls aside from you! And I don't think he's ever met other girls I've never met before. Whenever he's interested in a particular girl he would always introduce me to her."

"He wasn't being serious with me either," Meiling chuckled. "Well, it's partially my fault too. I've been selfish whenever we were together and I was even selfish way before that. Besides, his parents, especially his mother, never really enjoyed seeing him bringing in some pretty girl in to their household. Of course, his mother and I got along and became friends eventually, but she was also honest that she just doesn't have the heart to accept our relationship. She was willing to give us a chance, but the more I spent more time with Xiaolang, the more I was beginning to realize that his mind and heart was somewhere else. And then eventually we just became honest with each other regarding our true feelings and we agreed to break up."

"I understand all that but you didn't exactly answer my question. What makes you think that he's in love with someone else?"

"Well, his mother said, the answer lies in his pink stuffed animal."

Eriol turned his head towards the sleeping Xiaolang, then gave a grin. "The answer lies in his stuffed animal, huh…"

Meiling placed a finger on her chin. "Hm, I bet you, it's not just the teddy bear that we're talking about here, Eriol."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"I think Mrs. Li and his sisters were possibly referring to how Xiaolang got that teddy bear in the first place?"

Eriol fell silent and began to contemplate. Seconds later, he snapped his finger. "I bet you, someone may have given him that stuffed animal. I'm sure of it. Knowing Xiaolang's overwhelming masculinity there's just no way he'd pick up some random pink teddy bear and say that he wants to have it and not do anything with it, you know? It's just… not like him."

Meiling giggled. "That's why I also wanted to be part of this cast too, Eriol. I promised Xiaolang's family that I would help him cure of his amnesia and regain all of his memories again. That teddy bear and his entire childhood here in Japan is the last piece of memory that needs to be restored."

"That reminds me too, Meiling," Eriol changed the subject. "I met up with one of his sisters just two days before we left. She mentioned something about this place we're going to."

"You mean Tomoeda? It's a really small and secluded town that not very many people have heard of. I've only heard of it from Mrs. Li and his sisters. They were really sad to leave but they had no choice. It's a very special place to them and it's always been that way. Can you believe that?"

"I'm guessing they used to live in Tomoeda long time ago?"

"And even though Xiaolang doesn't want to believe it, his mom said that he even named that pink teddy bear too. Aww, he's got a really cute and tender side too, ne, Eriol?"

Eriol softly chuckled. "A name, huh? What'd he name that stuffed animal?"

"Ying Fa," Meiling joined in the soft chortling.

"Ying Fa. Very Chinese."

"It's Chinese for 'cherry blossom.'"

"Ohhhh," Eriol snickered. "Because of the pink color, right?"

"Ha ha ha, could be," Meiling snickered in return. Quickly, Eriol reached for his cellphone in his pocket and took a quick snapshot of a sleeping Syaoran cuddling his pink stuffed animal. "Awwww, so cute! I wanna pinch him so much… and his stuffed animal too!" The two began to giggle when a few of their fellow teen stars took notice of their

"Hey, what are you giggling about?" One of the female teen stars, a dirty blonde-haired beauty named Mai Hirashiki, sat close to the two. "Why is it that the three of you always keep things to yourselves and not share anything with the rest of us?"

Meiling snickered. "Listen, Mai, just because you are now the leading lady opposite Xiaolang, that doesn't give you the right to declare to the entire world that you and Xiaolang are a couple in real life!"

"Hmph!" Mai rolled her eyes. "You and Xiaolang already broke up. Why are you still hanging out with him? He's already free and readily available!"

"Ugh," Meiling tightened her fist and glared at the co-star. "You don't know anything between Xiaolang and I, so back off, will you? We agreed to stay as friends and that's more than enough for me to be happy with him. He may be available now but that doesn't mean he's ready to give his heart to some pretty girl who is ready and willing to give herself to him. Jeez, get a clue, Mai!"

Mai raised an eyebrow right at Meiling and then shifted her gaze towards Eriol. "Why Eriol, how about you? Word says that you too also broke up with your ex-girlfriend not too long ago. What happened?"

Eriol raised an eyebrow. "Too dedicated to our work. That's all there is too it. I care more about my career than my lovelife and she felt the same with her modeling. Why are you so nosy anyway?"

"You know… if things don't work out for me and Xiaolang, you know… you're next in my list…"

Eriol burst in to laughter. "What makes you think I'm interested in you, Hirashiki? Enough daydreaming now."

"Hmph. Well, I was just reminding you, that's all."

"I'll keep that in mind," Eriol answered with the obvious sarcasm in his tone. At this point, he and Meiling remained silent, obviously waiting for Mai to walk away. Just their luck, Mai's manager called to her up front.

"Well then, my manager is calling me. I'll be back!" Mai winked and walked her way at the front where her manager was waiting for her.

Eriol and Meiling sighed in relief. "Ugh, that Mai Hirashiki… she's so damn nosy, even way before Xiaolang and I started dating…"

"You're telling me," Eriol frowned. "It seems you and I are on the same wavelength of not continuing to talk about Xiaolang's amnesia problem in front of her. Who knows what that girl could do…"

Meiling crossed her arms along with a frown. "So, Eriol, aside from working on our usual lines and shoot the movie on the set, do you have any ideas on how we can help Xiaolang regain his final pieces of his memories?"

Eriol shook his head. "Well, one thing I can tell you. Ideas will definitely come to my mind once we arrive at Tomoeda, plus that pink stuffed animal of his is really getting to me also."

"You're right, Eriol. I guess it's a good idea to wait."

Just as they were about to continue on with their conversation, they heard Syaoran squirming in his sleep. The two snapped their heads at the back to find him slightly moving from his sleep and then suddenly cradled his pink Ying Fa teddy bear tighter to him. Meiling simply smiled, feeling delighted at the sight of a domineering martial arts action star like Li Xiaolang show his innocent and tender side at sleep.

"Mmmm…" Syaoran moaned softly, still trapped in his peaceful travel sleep.

"Shhh…" Meiling and Eriol faced each other, hushing to lower their silence. Then the two ended up chuckling in a whisper.

"Sakura…"

"Eh?" The two teens turned their heads towards Syaoran, only to find him still sleeping. For sure, they recognized his rich and young masculine voice murmuring the name.

"Sakura…?" Meiling whispered to Eriol with a perplexed look in her eyes.

"The cherry blossom trees?" Eriol shrugged his shoulders.

At this point, Meiling sighed. "You know… when Xiaolang and I were still together, there was one thing that I noticed about him."

"Oh?" Eriol asked curiously.

"It's just that… whenever we go to the park and… during spring we would go to the park for Hanami… well… he would always have this really sad and lonely look in his eyes whenever he gazes at the cherry blossoms."

"Hm," Eriol blinked, rubbing his chin. "Now that you mentioned it… I noticed that about him too."

"Really? You too? So I guess it isn't just me then…"

"I even confronted him about it. All he said was that he just loves the sakura trees, especially during spring, because it gives him peace, tranquility, and somehow just by looking at them, all his stresses and troubles simply just melt away from him. He even denied me when I mentioned that he always had that sad look on his face whenever he looked at them as if he was going to cry."

"Yup, that's what I noticed too," Meiling sighed.

"Speaking of sakura trees," Eriol changed the subject, "that also reminded me one thing, Meiling."

"What's that, Eriol?"

"On that day I confronted him, he said that he knew a place where the cherry blossoms were always in full bloom all year long. It's general knowledge that cherry blossoms only last during the first few months of spring, like March and April and then it'll be green and bald for the rest of the other seasons. I've never heard of sakura trees always in full bloom all year long, so I thought he was messing around with me or something."

"You're right about that, Eriol," Meiling chuckled. "Although I wonder… I wonder if there is such thing as a sakura always in full bloom all year long…"

"Who knows…"

#

This particular Monday late morning also happened to be the first Monday of their summer break. The residents of Hoshiten Drive, Sakura and Touya Kinomoto, Yukito Tsukishiro, and the Kinomotos' next-door neighbor, Takashi Yamazaki, arrived at the gateway of the Daidouji home just across the street from theirs. This particular residential road was a lot different from the rest of the town's neighborhoods, where homes for the wealthy and for the middle class were integrated together. Among this small group, the Daidouji Home and the Yamazaki Home were the palatial types of the neighborhood, along with their own iron gates and a fancy-designed front fountain and porch.

Although in the case of the Yamazaki Home, seventeen-year-old Takashi Yamazaki was merely a housekeeper as the house he was currently living in belonged to another wealthy family who used to reside in Tomoeda. For Sakura, her beloved childhood love, Syaoran Li, used to live in that particular home. The Yamazakis made a deal with the Li Clan to take care of their home as they will be serving it as a vacation home in case they wanted to visit Tomoeda again. Because the Yamazakis live far south from their neighborhood, they allowed Takashi to live in the house so he can be closer to his classmates, most especially with his long-time girlfriend, Club Wolfpups president, Chiharu Mihara.

Sakura pressed the intercom button at the gate. "Yes? Who is this?"

"Hi, this is Sakura from across the street? My brother, Takashi Yamazaki, and Yukito Tsukishiro are here to see Tomoyo?"

"Ah, that's right! Miss Tomoyo has been expecting you. Please come in." The electric gate slowly opened as the guests entered the Daidouji premises.

They approached the door, and just as Sakura was about to press the doorbell, the door opened, with Tomoyo greeting them. "Hey guys! You're just in time! Come on in!"

"Where to, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked with a grin in her face.

"To the basement where we can practice what we're gonna perform for this weekend when the stars and the movie crew arrive," Tomoyo answered. "I got the instruments all set up already."

"Cool! The Cool Rascals will be making their debut by performing in front of the coolest starts in all of Japan!" Yamazaki exclaimed happily.

"Lead the way," Touya shrugged.

Seconds later, they reached the basement. The basement was designed to look more like a studio. Tomoyo just didn't have a penchant for fashion design but she also had a penchant for filming and producing videos and recording some audio for her music. The Daidouji basement only showed any musician or movie producer that this would be the perfect place for them to get creative.

Sakura stood behind the keyboard, while Yamazaki picked up his bass guitar and Yukito with the lead guitar. Touya headed for the seat in front of the drum set and began doing his drumstick warm ups. Tomoyo went inside the control room, picked up a folder, and then handed out four packets to the other four while the fifth copy stayed in her

"So, over the weekend, I wrote eight songs straight. I was thinking of just performing at least three or four of them. Right now, the packet that I gave you guys are music sheets of the first four songs I came up with."

"Wow, Tomoyo-chan," Yukito chuckled. "After that nasty breakup with that Ken Bunchin guy you were dating for three months, you sure are on a roll…"

Tomoyo sighed. "I just had to distract myself and… well… get over the entire breakup. But let's not talk about that now. I'm over it."

"Good to hear, Tomoyo," Sakura smiled, patting her best friend on the shoulder. "You're way better than that jerk anyway. We all think that way."

"Thanks, guys!" She cleared her throat so she can change the subject. "Anyway, first song that we'll start learning is called 'I Won't Cry.' It's a pretty upbeat song, so there's no way people are going to fall asleep when we perform it. Let's go through a run-through of the music sheets now, shall we?"

The band members took the top music sheet with the title written "I Wont Cry by Tomoyo Daidouji" on top. They took the time to look through the scale and even the words typed underneath. Sakura hummed the tune by reading through the notes while Yukito and Yamazaki gently tapped their foot to capture the core beat of the song.

Touya, on the other hand, cringed when he began reading the words to the song. "Tomoyo-chan, what the heck is this? Is this a breakup song?"

Tomoyo blinked. "Well, I wrote that after I learned that Ken Bunchin was cheating behind my back, and rather than just shedding tears over it, I decided to lash out all my frustrations through this song. And I believe it worked well."

Touya began to scratch the side of his head with his finger. "Oh… kay…"

"Well then, let me sing it for you so you can be familiar with the melody." She made a countdown and began snapping her fingers:

_I have a boyfriend_

_He isn't true_

_He's gonna leave me_

_I don't know what to do_

_No, I won't cry_

_I won't cry_

_I won't cry over someone_

_Who doesn't really love me_

_He always tells me_

_Things are alright_

_But if he meant it_

_Where is he tonight?_

_No, I won't cry_

_I won't cry_

_I won't cry over someone_

_Who doesn't really love me_

_He doesn't understand_

_The way that I feel_

_He's gotta hold my hand_

_And let me know that our love is real_

_As if it would be easy_

_I always tell him_

_Now he's gotta tell me_

_He's gotta say I shouldn't cry_

_Shouldn't cry_

_Shouldn't cry over someone_

_Who doesn't really love me_

"Hey," Yukito grinned, "I like the tune and it is quite upbeat. We should play the instrumental and see how it'd sound like."

"You see?" Tomoyo giggled. "I may look fragile on the outside but I refuse to lose to that jerk. Who on earth does he think he is? Don Juan? I will have my revenge on him one day. I swore to myself that the next boy who approaches me will be someone way better than him." She tightened her fist and expressed a very determined Tomoyo to her band members.

"That's the spirit, Tomoyo!" Sakura cheered. "And that should go the same for me too! I won't shed a single tear for the next boy Dad would try to set me up with. This is a personal promise."

"Huh," Touya raised an eyebrow. "That Sakamoto brat was a total bastard though. I wouldn't mind ripping his head off if I wanted to. He deserves to be laughed up while getting beaten up to a pulp!"

"Now now, Touya, no violence in the Daidouji Household," Yukito teased.

"Well, why don't we practice our parts by ourselves first before we get together and play the entire song together?" Yamazaki suggested. "I think it'd be easier that way."

"Good idea!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Maybe the guitarists can go at the backyard to practice. Sakura and I can go to my room to practice. I have a keyboard in my room upstairs so we don't have to carry that there. You can stay here, Touya-niichan."

Touya shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever works."

"Great!" With that, the band split up to their own practice spots to work on their music.

When Tomoyo brought Sakura in to her overly spacious bedroom, she led her to another set of keyboards right against the wall facing Tomoyo's neatly-organized dresser. Sakura took a seat behind the keyboard and placed her sheet music on the stand. With just her right hand, she began to play the melody repeatedly so her hands can get used to the correct keys.

"Guess what, Sakura," Tomoyo giggled. "I finally borrowed the special Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa editions of _Swag Starlets Magazine_ from Chiharu and Rika earlier today and we can finally see how their idols Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa look like!"

Sakura returned the soft giggle. "You can't be serious, Tomoyo!"

Tomoyo scooted herself gently at the seat next to Sakura. "Let's look through these really quick."

She released her hands from the keyboard and relaxed her straight body. "Alright, which magazine should we look through first?"

"Well, we have the Eriol Hiiragizawa edition on top first. Let's look at his."

"Okay."

Tomoyo placed the Eriol Hiiragizawa magazine on the stand right over the music sheets. Sakura grinned once she spotted her best friend blushing. "Wow!" Sakura chuckled. "This Eriol guy is pretty handsome! I love the color of his eyes. They're so… cool and… deep…"

"You should see Li Xiaolang's eyes, Sakura," Tomoyo snickered. "But let's check out Eriol's first."

"He looks so dang cool with his hair being styled all messy-looking but still neatly maintained. That smile sure is to die for, that's for sure."

Tomoyo flipped the covers to see more of Eriol's solo poses. There were articles and such completely dedicated to Eriol, but they stumbled upon a fast fact sheet section.

"Let's see here," Tomoyo began. "Eriol Hiiragizawa… he's the same age as us."

"Okay."

"And… oh! He was born in England? He's half-British?" Tomoyo gasped. "That explains the cool deep blue eyes and his first name being Eriol."

"Wow! Why do all the half-blooded kids have to be so good-looking…"

"You're telling me." Tomoyo continued to read along. "Wow, he's quite tall, at 5'11". And he sure has a lot of hobbies. A very well-rounded entertainer. He can play the piano, can sing, can dance, can cook, loves to read as well as play video games… wow! He is fluent in Japanese and Chinese in addition to his native English. He spends much of his time between Japan and and the UK. He's an Eton College student— hey, a lot of the British Royals and aristocracy graduate from that school, you know…"

"Wow… an overachieving teen idol…?" Sakura muttered in awe. "I wonder how he's able to juggle between being a celebrity in Japan while being a student at such a prestigious school in England…"

"It also says here that one of his goals was to become a Rhodes Scholar and attend college at the University of Oxford!"

"So he plans to stay to England for good when he graduates high school…"

"Nope!" Tomoyo giggled. "It said that Oxford has a special online program for overseas British students, so that means Eriol can study through a specially customized online studies program, so pretty much he can be at home or on the set that has internet connection and study while he does his work!"

"Wow, that's really cool!"

"And the qualities for his ideal girl: Someone who isn't afraid to be herself at all times, someone who is goal-oriented, fate-fearing— not sure what he meant by that— someone who believes in friendship first before love, someone… someone who would accept him inside and out…'"

"Eriol must have very high standards!"

"I think I like him already…" Tomoyo gave a soft chuckle.

"Eh?" Sakura chuckled, nudging Tomoyo on the side, as the two began to laugh. Right then, she changed the tone of her voice. "I envy you so much, Tomoyo."

"Hm? What for?"

"Well… you're always calm and… so … everything. I mean, a breakup with one of Tomoeda's most popular rich guys like Ken Bunchin… that must be… I mean…"

Tomoyo simply shook her head and smiled. "It's not the end of the world, Sakura. It was all my mother's idea anyway to try out and go out on a date with one of those society boys in the Tomoeda Elite Circle. You know I'm in the same position as you, Sakura!"

"Oh, right," Sakura sighed. "The whole tradition of parents setting up their teenage daughters to some random guy for potential future marriage. I wish we didn't have to go through this…"

The best friend placed her arm around her shoulders. "Don't forget our childhood promise together, right? Both of us are going to find the right guy and both of us are going to have a double wedding. It'll be the best wedding celebration the entire Tomoeda has ever witnessed! Just because my previous relationship was serious epic fail, that doesn't mean that I've become worthless. And you, my little cherry blossom girl, should always keep your chin up and look forward. Don't let those idiots bring you down simply because you've got uncommon habits. So what if you love your Chiirou stuffed animal more than a boy? I think it's really adorable!"

Sakura flashed a slight grin. "Well… it's not just about Chiirou… it's…"

"I know, Sakura. It's about… him…" Sakura nodded shyly.

"I believe in everything that's written in The Book of Keroberos, Tomoyo. That's why I put all my heart, my soul, in to making the pink stuffed animal for him before he left." She sighed deeply and began to murmur. "Tomoyo… I miss Syaoran so much…"

Tomoyo placed both her arms and embraced her sisterly friend. "Oh Sakura… I know he will return. Syaoran-kun will return. He has your stuffed animal… and you have Chiirou, ne? Don't let some dumb tradition bring you down. Just keep on believing, Sakura. He'll come. And you're not the only one who misses him. I miss him too, and so does Yamazaki-kun…"

"Thanks so much, Tomoyo…" They released each other from their embrace and decided to move forward. She closed the magazine and took it down from the stand.

"Let's take a look at Li Xiaolang now, shall we?"

Sakura swallowed nervously. Now that she had seen the rather prince-like half-British Eriol Hiiragizawa, it was time to meet the much talked-about alluring Chinese martial arts teen cutie. Tomoyo finally placed the second magazine on the stand with a very alluring cover.

Tousled chestnut hair. Deep amber eyes. With just one look, her heart immediately skipped a beat for a few seconds or so. Jeez, Sakura thought to herself while being unaware of the intense blushing appearing on her cheeks. Tomoyo never jokes around when it comes to boys. If anyone thought Eriol Hiiragizawa's cool indigo eyes was something to die for, Li Xiaolang's dangerously powerful, intense, and enticing amber eyes finally trapped her heart in a cage.

"What… intense… beautiful… eyes…" Sakura murmured as she gently traced her fingertips on the cover.

"Didn't I tell you?" Tomoyo giggled. "Sure, Eriol Hiiragizawa's a complete prince, but Li Xiaolang… just one look in those jeweled eyes and you are completely entrapped in his mesmerizing charm without even making an effort."

Sakura had been silent all this time once she caught his eyes. Sure, any person would have amber-colored eyes, but the eyes of Li Xiaolang somehow gave a different vibe towards her. She had always loved amber-colored eyes mainly because of…

"Syaoran…"

Tomoyo blinked in surprise. "Eh? Syaoran? That's… out of the blue there…"

"Those eyes… and the color of his hair… but mostly his eyes…"

"You're talking about Li Xiaolang's hair and eyes?"

"His eyes reminds me so much of Syaoran. Somehow, the intensity of the gaze he was giving when he was facing the camera. It's like… how Syaoran would look at me whenever we played and hung out together back then…"

"Really? Syaoran has amber eyes too? Well, I can't say that I noticed them since I'm not as close to him as you were, Sakura."

Sakura swallowed nervously once more and then proceeded to flipping the cover. Just like the Eriol edition, it also have a fast fact sheet section. Since Tomoyo was the one who read Eriol's fast fact sheet, she decided to return the favor.

"Li Xiaolang, born in Hong Kong. It looks like at age two, he and his family moved to Japan for the attempted expansion of their business empire in Tokyo, but lived a very quiet and modest life at an unnamed rural town to get away from the bustling city life," Sakura read. "He's tall too… at 5'10". He's an inch shorter than Eriol. And he's about three months older than us, Tomoyo."

"He seems really mature but he looks like he's a little younger than Eriol," Tomoyo made her comments.

"His family also has a long history of martial arts as well. His ancestors held specialized martial arts classes and had passed these teachings and practices from generation to generation. At age fifteen, Li Xiaolang finally earned the title of Grand Master and is the heir apparent to the Li Clan empire. He likes martial arts, reading, art, soccer, and oh! He also likes music too!" She continued on with the fact sheet and then changed her cheery tone.

"Hm? What is it, Sakura?"

"Poor Xiaolang," Sakura sighed sadly. "It said that at age eleven, he and his father got in to a serious car accident back in Hong Kong that left his father paralyzed forever and him suffering a heavy concussion that caused him temporary amnesia. However, according to the fact sheet, Xiaolang said that he can always create new memories to live by and is progressing real well through therapy and that he almost recovered most of his memories."

"Wow… that must be very traumatic for him, but he's also amazing at the same time. He continued to walk forward and created his own path to success. I wonder what made him decide to enter showbiz though…"

"Wow, like Eriol," Sakura continued, "Xiaolang speaks more than one. He speaks fluent Japanese along with his native Chinese and is currently learning English from his fellow best friend idol, Eriol Hiiragizawa."

"They really are the best of friends, ne?" Tomoyo giggled. "Those two are like us!" Quickly she placed her arm around Sakura once more.

"Wh-what? Xiaolang and Eriol? Like us?"

"Yup! Best friends forever! We teach new things to each other and, you know, always tight like that."

"You're crazy, Tomoyo." The two girls laugh again as they continued on.

"He is currently being home schooled through Hong Kong's and Japan's finest independent tutors but plans to eventually attend an actual school campus here in Japan. After graduation from high school, he still has to decide whether he will be returning to Hong Kong and attend a prestigious university there or stay in Japan and attempt to get himself admitted to Todai. Whoa, Todai…"

"He must be really smart and studious, that's for sure, Sakura."

"Finally, here we are!" Sakura exclaimed. "Xiaolang's ideal girl!"

"Let's see it!"

"The magazine even quoted him, Tomoyo. 'There can only be one girl for me and she is out there.'"

Tomoyo blinked in surprise. "What? That's it?"

"Yup. That's it."

"Wow. So mysterious…" Tomoyo murmured. "So… so… mysterious."

"He's teasing his fangirls, Tomoyo!" Sakura giggled as the two gave each other high-fives.

"You're so cute, Sakura," Tomoyo grinned. "With the way you reacted towards Xiaolang's picture, I'll definitely assume that you like him."

Sakura quickly placed her hands on her cheeks to cover the blushing. "I… well… um… I… I was just… well… his eyes captivated me… so yeah. I like his eyes!"

"Uh huh…" Tomoyo snickered.

"But it's true… I mean… look at those gorgeous amber jewel eyes, Tomoyo. Who wouldn't be mesmerized by them?"

Tomoyo closed the magazine and then handed it towards her friend. "I'm keeping Eriol. You can keep Xiaolang."

Sakura gulped nervously and slowly reached for the Xiaolang edition magazine. "I… I hope Chiharu wouldn't mind…"

"That's actually an extra copy," Tomoyo giggled. "Chiharu has some perks being fanclub president, you know. She gets to have two copies of every single issue that heavily featured the idol. This Eriol one is actually Rika's extra copy."

Without being aware, Sakura suddenly cradled the magazine like she would with her dark gray Chiirou stuffed bear. "Tomoyo… I… um… thank you!" She continued flipping through the pages of the Li Xiaolang magazine until she spotted a section of photos with him and a very alluring pretty girl standing next to him. One look and Sakura found her heart gradually shattering in pieces.

"Oh!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "You won't have to worry about the girl next to him. This is an old magazine, it was released early around January this year."

"H-huh? What do you mean?"

"That's Meiling Li. For the past two years they're always paired together in those martial arts action movies in the past. They started going out for awhile but they recently broke up two months ago. Chiharu told me about it." She then nudged Sakura on the side along with a wink. This upcoming movie has the two of them still, but Meiling is now being paired up with Eriol and another popular girl idol, Mai Hirashiki, is now Xiaolang's new partner."

"Oh. I see." In her mind, Sakura couldn't understand why she didn't sound enthusiastic with the Chinese martial artist idol's pairings with other girl actresses in his movies, let alone his love life outside showbiz, but for sure she could feel gradual pain within her heart.

"But nevertheless, Sakura, they're both single— and they're coming to Tomoeda tomorrow! For sure, Sakura, together, we'll win their hearts and get close to them! For sure!"

"Ehhhh?" Sakura quickly scooted away from Tomoyo while clinging on to the magazine. "Wait… win their hearts? You're joking, right?"

"Ohohohohoho!" Tomoyo laughed. She then took the magazine and then pointed her finger at the tiny print captions just underneath the photos.

"Well, I really love their outfits here. They're so… coordinated and… super stylish and… oh, and I love Meiling's blazer here! I wanna have one of those!"

"Sakura, take a look at where I'm pointing at here!"

"Hoe?" Sakura read the small print to herself. It only provided credits to the stylists who did their hair and makeup at the first part. The second line mentioned the credit regarding the very hip and cool fashionable outfits the starlet couple were wearing in this photo shoot. "Eh? Daidouji Couture?"

"Yup!" Tomoyo grinned.

"Your mother designed these? They're wearing your mother's designs? Oh my— how come you didn't tell me, Tomoyo?"

"They have a five-year contract with Daidouji Couture that many of thieir public attire as well as their photo shoot clothes and movie set fashions will all be designed and provided by my mother's creations. This year is their second year that they'll be endorsing Daidouji Couture fashions! Eriol is also included too!"

Sakura reached for the Eriol magazine from Tomoyo's arms and flipped through the pages to admire the attire Eriol wore throughout the entire photo shoot. The small print also mentioned Daidouji Couture regarding his fashions. "Your mom is so awesome! She gets to have these three as her clients."

"Ohohohoho, you don't know my mother's clientele," Tomoyo snickered. "Half of her clientele consist of some of the world's top celebrities. Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, SIngapore, Indonesia, Philippines, France, Italy, Germany, UK, America… she's got a huge list of clientele of famous people!"

"That's just… that's just amazing, Tomoyo!"

"And that's why there's just no way that you could ever make some lame excuse for being so negative, Sakura?"

"Hoe? Negative about what?"

"Your chances with Li Xiaolang, of course. No matter how far away they may be from Tomoeda, we've got high chances of actually meeting them and getting to hang out with them. Mom says that their managers and even their families are so close with mom and her staff now that they may even want to extend their client contracts from five years to forever! When we have a chance to go to the city to visit my mother's design center, there's plenty of chances that we'll be able to meet them behind the scenes!"

"But… well, Tomoyo, you're one of the upper-class elite here in Tomoeda, so it's obvious that you'll always be present. Plus you're a future fashion designer yourself so you can always tenure under your mom when the time comes. But me… well… I don't know anything about fashion, let alone the goings on with Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa or even Meiling Li and… well you know…"

"Nonsense, Sakura! Tomoeda is the true home base of the Daidouji Couture. There is a special studio within the house where Mom works with her designs, as well as a small photography studio. Sure, you never notice the activities going on at my house since we're always in school and such, but a lot of things do happen here at home. Of course I never told anyone because I don't really have any interests in what my mom does or who Mom associates with."

"So, Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa and Meiling Li have been here before?"

"You're so funny, Sakura! No, tomorrow will be the first time they'll be visiting here. And since they'll be doing a movie shoot and such they'll be here for awhile. I'm so excited!"

There really was no escaping Tomoyo, Sakura thought. Thanks to the overflowing enthusiasm her best friend just displayed this entire time, even she found herself anticipating for the arrival of the hot cast and crew of _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_. "I can't wait, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo grinned as they placed the magazines on the side. Sakura began memorizing her part of the first song while Tomoyo aided her by singing the song at the same time.

#

Two hours on the road later and it looks like the driver and the navigator of the lead bus took a wrong turn. If getting lost was one of the worst things that's ever happened to a traveling cast and crew of a movie shoot, the gas on the second bus also got depleted. They had their stop an hour ago and yet the driver of the second bus became too confident that he didn't need to fill up his bus for the next three hours. At this point, they had no choice but to make a stop in the middle of the open meadow and camp out for the rest of the night.

The good news though was that they were getting close to Tomoeda. Just fifteen more minutes to go and they will reach the entrance towards town. Almost the entire cast and crew panicked of their situation, most especially the fact that none of them even had experience being in some kind of a remote wilderness before. Yoshiyuki Terada, the director, the very renowned screenwriters Toshifumi and Taeko Kashii, and a few of the crew focused more on how they were going to find help with the second bus. It would have been easy for them to just call for help via cellphone, but because of location, there was no mobile signal existing in the wilderness at all.

While majority of the cast decided to remain in the bus for their fear of the wild, the three of the four main characters of the movie, namely Syaoran Li, alias Li Xiaolang, his best friend Eriol Hiiragizawa, and his former girlfriend-reverted-back-to-friend Meiling Li, it seems that the wilderness was just a second home for them. Somewhere nearby the buses, right up at the grassy floral fields, the three were practicing Tai Chi, facing the sun at the west side while soaking in the very cool and gentle breeze blowing through their hair.

After they finished their first Tai Chi routine, Eriol and Meiling sat down on the grass while they watched Syaoran continue with his Wushu pattern exercises. "You sure had a really long sleep on the road today, Xiao," Eriol made his comment with a grin on his face.

"I didn't get enough sleep last night," Syaoran said, completely focused on his exercise while still keeping his ear open for conversation.

"So we heard," Meiling chuckled. "Your sisters were saying that you kept waking up from a dream that you can't explain."

Syaoran felt that he had done enough stretching and exercise and decided to stop. He approached the two and sat on the grass facing them. "This feels so weird. We got lost and we're stuck in this place… wherever we may be."

"Yeah. The driver took the wrong turn, plus the second bus ran out of gas. Unbelievable…" Meiling crossed her arms, frowning.

"I mean… the meadow that we're sitting on right now. It looks exactly the same setting as the dreams I've been getting lately," Syaoran sighed, stretching his arms upright.

"By the way, Xiao," Eriol began. "You've been talking in your sleep too while we were on the road earlier."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yup. You murmured 'Sakura' several times now," Meiling chuckled. "Come on now, we always know that you love seeing cherry blossoms in full bloom. Too bad it's summer…"

Syaoran placed his arms over his knees and hid his face. "Sakura… well… in my dream… somehow… all year long except winter, there's also sakura that was always in full bloom. I don't know how to explain this clearly but… ah…"

"Slow down, take it easy, Xiao," Eriol calmed him down. "Okay. Slowly."

"Sorry." Syaoran cleared his throat and then began. "I was standing here… in a flowery meadow like where we are now… there were cherry blossom petals flying all over and… it was nighttime and there was a full moon and so many bright stars… and then across from me is a mysterious girl about my age. I couldn't see her face but she was wearing a white dress. There were something sparkling flying from her face so I thought… they were tears… and… she was trying to reach to me. I had the urge to reach out to her and hold her hand but whenever that happens, the dream just ends like that."

"Whoa… that's… that's intense, man," Eriol blinked in surprise. "How long have you been having these dreams?"

"For about two months now… it's weird… it started… two weeks before Meiling and I broke up." He then gazed his amber eyes right towards Meiling. "Wouldn't you wonder now that you decided to break up with me right after I started having those dreams…"

Meiling reached out to Syaoran and placed her hand on his. "I just had this feeling and realization around that time. I felt like it was the right thing to do. This was the first time you've told Eriol and me about these dreams right now. I know you've forgiven me already but still…"

Syaoran simply gave a smile towards her. "We understand each other Meiling, so… it's no big deal anymore."

"You're right, Xiao," Meiling grinned. "You know… I've been thinking about what your mother and your sisters have been telling me before we headed out today… about Tomoeda… about your Ying Fa pink stuffed bear… and that book that your mother lent to you…"

Syaoran's eyes widened and gasped. "The book… that's right!" Quickly he stood up, dashed right towards the bus where he spotted his backpack. Inside of it was a rather old and almost worn out thick book with engraved text that said "The Book of Keroberos."

He reached Eriol and Meiling after he retrieved the book. There was a bookmark right after the very first few pages of the book and then presented it to his two friends. "Before I left home, my sister handed me this book. It was sent on a package from my mother all the way from Hong Kong on an Express Delivery. All it had was a note saying 'Bring and read this book when you travel to Tomoeda for your movie shoot.' I don't understand anything at all…"

Eriol reached for the book and then read the cover. "The Book of Keroberos: The Magical Prose of Tomoeda" He then grinned. "Whoa, Xiao, this is really cool! Who would have thought your family does have strong connections to the place we're heading to!"

"My mother can be puzzling sometimes," Syaoran frowned. "The first four or five pages were nothing but a bunch of random drabbles. I'm not getting anything at all."

"Well, let's see what the book has," Meiling said. Eriol opened the book and found the table of contents. Meiling scooted closer to Eriol so she would be able to read.

"They sure got strange names here," Eriol said. He then flipped the pages right towards the first page. He and Meiling began to read it aloud.

"_Where's the magic in this magic town?_

_Where's the good life they said could be found?_

_Where's the magic to make all our big dreams come true?_

_I gotta find it before I send for you_"

"Okay…" Eriol and Meiling gazed at one another while Syaoran shrugged his shoulders.

"See what I mean? They're so… random…"

"Huh…" Eriol gently scratched the side of his head with a finger. He then continued by flipping through the pages right on to the bookmark that Syaoran placed. He and Meiling began to read it aloud.

"_Life has begun_

_This here, O Land of the Rising Sun_

_When the sun continues to shine through all three-sixty-five_

_Where the moon and the stars always visible and alive_

_All four seasons still continue to bloom_

_From a speck of a pin drop to a loud sonic boom_

_Cherry blossoms come one, come forth_

_Bloom, one and all, from the south to the north_

_Forests and meadows always be fruitful_

_All souls living always be truthful_

_Here through Clow Reed's land_

_Earth, sea, and all through the pearly white sand…_"

Once again, Syaoran shrugged his shoulders. "I don't understand… I don't understand any of all this…"

"Xiao, maybe your mother didn't want you to just read the entire book. Maybe certain parts of these drabbles or poems or whatever you call them may be related to you somehow," Eriol said. "Your mother stated, your sisters stated, even your therapist stated that you almost have your past memories restored and somehow Tomoeda is definitely connected to your life somehow."

"Let me borrow this really quick." Meiling gently took the old book from Eriol and she began flipping the pages back to the table of contents.

"How can an old book and that pink stuffed bear got something to do with me?" Syaoran shook his head, displaying a discontented expression. "Why can't my family try to just tell me straight out? They're making things a whole lot more complicated for me."

"Xiao, they already tried but nothing's triggering," Eriol reminded him. They all felt that maybe by actually be in the place where your memories were created would help trigger your mind in to restoring these lost memories naturally.

Just as they were about to continue with the conversation, the fourth main cast member, Mai Hirashiki, appeared at their area, calling out their names.

"We're going now! The director said!"

"Already?" Meiling looked up as she gently closed the book. "They fixed the second bus?" She and the two male idols stood up and approached Mai Hirashiki, who shamelessly invited herself in to hooking her arm around Syaoran's.

"Will you walk me to the bus, Xiaolang?" Mai giggled.

Syaoran slowly gave himself space between himself and this new co-star of his. "You already have my arm around mine so do I got a choice?"

"Aw, don't be so mean now, be a gentleman, Xiaolang!"

"It's Li to you, Hirashiki," Syaoran glared. He followed Eriol and Meiling from behind until they reached the buses.

Once they got there, the director, Yoshiyuki Terada, whistled everyone to gather around the front of the first bus. "Alright. It's almost dark and we only got fifteen minute drive to Tomoeda. The first bus has enough gas to move forward but eventually it'll be empty. So, the heads and I decided to do this. For now, we will have to split in to two groups: one who will be in town and the rest will stay here with the buses."

"Eh?" Random commotion broke amongst one another as Syaoran hushed everyone.

"Everyone be quiet! Let the man talk!" Eventually, silence fell as Terada was able to continue.

"Those who will be going to town will have to walk from here. The ones in town will ask someone there to help us tow the buses to town so they can be gassed and repaired. In that way, there won't be any nosy media accidentally spotting our buses being broken down and then hound us immediately with all their annoying questions. Remember, the media knows that we'll be heading to Tomoeda this weekend and not today, so we have to keep that promise."

Eriol raised his hand. "Yes, Eriol?"

"Terada-san, how long is the distance from here to Tomoeda?"

"By foot, I would say thirty minutes? It'll only be a fifteen minute drive if we rode through bus, but because the first bus is almost out of gas and the second one… well you know already… it's best that if some of us would be willing to walk a long distance to get to town so we can get some help here so we can all have room and board for tonight at Tomoeda."

The others made their own commotion once again as Syaoran hushed everyone once more.

"Alright," Terada continued. "Now, for those who are willing to walk a long distance from here, I would like to see hands. Those who can't stand walking, well, stay here."

Mai immediately turned to Syaoran. "We can just stay here and you know… keep ourselves company in this rather chilly late afternoon—"

Just as Mai was about to finish her statement, the chestnut-haired cutie raised his hand. "I'll go."

"Eh?" Many of the other cast members gasped in shock to see that their leading actor would be willing to trek down the road to reach Tomoeda.

Adding to Syaoran's volunteering, Eriol and Meiling also raised their hands. "Walking thirty minutes from here is nothing," Eriol said. "I'll go with Xiaolang to town."

"Me too!" Meiling said. "All three of us have run four miles around the track before as part of our training, so walking for thirty minutes is peanuts to us. No problem!"

Syaoran's manager and butler, Wei, also raised his hand. "They would need adult supervision when they get there, therefore I too volunteer. I'll keep watch of our three young stars here."

Mai frowned in disappointment and turned to Syaoran. "Why, Xiao— I mean Li-kun? I mean… it's dangerous and scary out there with no people or buildings around and…"

"You said you wanted to walk with me, ne?" Syaoran snickered towards the demanding teen actress. "Would you be willing to walk with me to Tomoeda for thirty minutes?" The girl quickly shook her head and slightly backed away from him. "Heh. Thought so."

"Alright then. We'll be heading off!" Terada said as he walked ahead, standing next to Wei.

"Oh?" Eriol blinked. "You're going with us to, Terada-san?"

"But of course, Eriol! I can't stand staying here in one place when there's no civilization. I'll be walking along with you kids."

With that, Syaoran, Eriol, Meiling, Wei, and Director Terada bade farewell to the rest of the cast and crew remaining at the buses for the time being. They began their long trek down the road to reach their destination.

* * *

**A/N:** For sure, in the next chapter, our long-lost lovers will finally meet. Hopefully. For sure. :)

In the original Stuffed Animal draft from 13 yrs ago (I kept forgetting it's 2013 already and the original draft was back in 2001), I used the "Cardcaptors" English names for Eriol and Meiling as their monikers/professional name as celebrities, just like many celebrities do, but in this case, I decided to leave it to their original Japanese so the "newer" generation of CCS fans who have never seen the "Cardcaptors" adaptation won't be all confused.

I just want to keep everyone in mind that this is an AU fic and it's already mentioned in the summary, so I don't want to receive any reviews saying "You're wrong, according to the manga/anime..." I'll repeat again. This is an AU fic.

I don't think I explained this in my previous author's notes, so here goes. The nickname "Chiirou" is actually an alternative reading of Syaoran's/Xiaolang's name in Kanji. "Chii" (小) is one of the kun readings for the "small/little" Kanji character, while "rou" (狼) is the on reading fo the "wolf" Kanji character. It's pretty complex to explain for those who aren't familiar with the Japanese language, but just to let you know why I named Sakura's dark gray stuffed bear "Chiirou."

Awrighty then. That's it for now. Thanks to those who left a review and decided to follow the story. I'll update as much as I can when time permits me. I too have a busy life as well you know. :)

Till next time!


	4. 03: A Night Berry Arrival

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 3: A NIGHT BERRY ARRIVAL**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

One of Tomoeda's indigenous treasures is the night berry. Night berries are one of Tomoeda's staple fruits known for their naturally sweet and tender flesh and its juice simply burst with a lot of flavor, perfect for desserts, ice cream, beverages, and in some cases can be used for local stews. Night berries are white with a star-shaped burgundy red bottom and because of the purity of its white color, are almost invisible to the naked eye when faced against the sun. During harvest, night berries are openly visible, glow in the dark, at the night sky. In addition as to why nighttime was the best time to harvest them was also because it would be easy to determine the difference between the edible red-starred night berries from the poisonous dark purple-starred night berries. During daytime, the star marks are invisible to the naked eye.

All the harvester needed to do was to look at the color of the star-shaped mark underneath the fruit. If the mark is deep burgundy red, that would be the edible one. If the mark is dark purple, almost mistakenly for black, that would be the poisonous kind. The poisonous night berries are useful also, but obviously not edible. They are used by the town folks to poison any type of vermin that tried to invade and destroy their farm crops.

Every single Tomoeda folk were being trained to harvest night berries. Every night, it was the duty of each Tomoeda resident to go out to the fields near the entrance to harvest the edible night berries ready to be eaten raw, as well as used in their delectable dishes. At the town's bulletin board was the official schedule of the residents, by family name, scheduled to harvest night berries for their household and even for their businesses they support, such as the Tomoeda fruit stand and of course, Mooncastle Diner.

Tonight on the schedule board, the names appeared: Atsushi, Chinatsu, Daidouji, Kinomoto, Yamazaki, and Yanagisawa. Sakura and Tomoyo stood right in front of the bulletin board to see their family names mentioned for tonight's routine night berry harvest.

"Dad will be working late at the university today for his second doctoral thesis," Sakura murmured. "And Oniichan has the night shift at the Mooncastle Diner tonight. Guess I'll be harvesting alone tonight."

"No worries. I'll be harvesting alone too," Naoko Yanagisawa, their bookworm friend, sneaked behind them, surprising them with her appearance.

"Naoko!" Sakura and Tomoyo embraced their bespectacled friend excitedly. Naoko had been away on a writer's retreat trip for the last three days and revealed that she recently came home earlier in the afternoon.

"I miss you girls!" Naoko chuckled. "Say, I heard about this whole hoopla going on with the Wolfpups and the Moonies. Is it really true?"

"You better believe it, Naoko!" Tomoyo chuckled. "The news said they'll be arriving here this weekend, but actually they'll be arriving here tomorrow. There'll be a press conference tomorrow along with a special performance from yours truly!" She then placed her arm around her best friend, indicating to Naoko about their local band, Cool Rascals.

"Wow! I can't wait! I'll be sure to be there at the press conference! Here's my opportunity to write stories and articles for the Tomoeda Youth Official Blog! This is gonna be so awesome!" The three girls jumped happily, showing their enthusiasm for the upcoming events to come.

"Well, anyway," Sakura laughed. "Looks like the night berry patrol just arrived with the baskets. Time to pick some delicious night berries!"

As the girls approached the patrol booth to gather their baskets, Takashi Yamazaki, their friend Chiharu's boyfriend and the Cool Rascals lead guitarist, caught up to them. "Wait for me, ladies!"

"Hey there, Tak-kun," Tomoyo chuckled. "So, did you get to meet up with Chiharu?"

Yamazaki sighed. "I did… but all she talked about was Li Xiaolang this and Li Xiaolang that. Seriously, I know he's a popular teen action martial arts actor but seriously… what's so good about him?"

They finally grabbed their baskets and were now heading out to the fields. The sun finally disappeared and darkness was about to arrive. This was definitely the perfect time to find the right kind of night berries for tonight's harvest.

"Don't be jealous now, Yamazaki," Naoko snickered. "She's the president of Club Wolfpups, the official fanclub of Li Xiaolang. Of course she'd be so excited that her idol will be arriving here at our beautiful town!"

"Did you know that Li Xiaolang has a hidden evil side of him?" Yamazaki suddenly began bursting out random statements.

"What evil side?" Naoko raised an eyebrow. "Don't be making up stories about people you don't know."

"Sure, he's currently dating Meiling Li, but whenever she's not around, he actually likes to flirt around pretty girls that he sees—"

"Huh?" Sakura blinked. "But… but that can't be true, can it…?"

"Oh Tak-kun," Tomoyo chuckled. "You're so cute when you're jealous… but it's really bad that you make up false stories about famous people like Li Xiaolang."

"He… doesn't seem like a flirt to me based on what I read in the magazine earlier," Sakura said. "Well, we'll never know what type of person he's like until we meet him, ne?"

"But get a load of this, guys," Tomoyo immediately gave a snicker. "Sakura seriously fallen head over heels on Li Xiaolang the first time she's seen him on the cover of the Li Xiaolang special edition of the _Swag Starlets Magazine_!"

"Am not, Tomoyo!" Sakura frowned. "I… I just like his eyes, that's all…"

"His eyes, right," Tomoyo winked. "If you only like his eyes, then why did you insist on keeping the Li Xiaolang edition to yourself, hm?"

"It was your idea, Tomoyo! You're the one who said you'd keep the Eriol Hiiragizawa edition."

"You could've said no…"

"You tricked me, Tomoyo!" Sakura pouted as Naoko laughed.

"Oh come on now, Sakura, there's no denying it," Naoko said. "Li Xiaolang is drop dead gorgeous… even I've fallen for him too and I'm not even a fan of action martial arts teen movies!"

"Waah!" Yamazaki screamed. "Don't tell me you girls also started falling for him too! Now I'll lose Chiharu once he arrives here…"

"Don't be ridiculous, Yamazaki, that's not gonna happen," Naoko rolled her eyes. "Calm down, okay?"

Once they got to the fields outside the main entrance, the harvest group easily found the night berry bushes, where they spotted the glow-in-the-dark fruits with the deep red star mark underneath the berries. They approached the area where there were the most fruit. Good thing that the red-starred berries were separated from the poisonous dark purple-starred berries at this point and that they can stay at one place rather than going on both sides of the main street leading in and out of town.

The teens began gathering their share of the night berries when Yamazaki brought up the subject of the Cool Rascals' rehearsal at Tomoyo's house earlier. "Daidouji, why on earth are we going to perform depressing breakup songs for tomorrow?"

"They're not depressing, they're upbeat," Sakura protested.

"Well sure they sound upbeat but the words are just depressing. I don't want to be reminded of breakups…"

Tomoyo sighed while she examined the night berries in front of her. "Are you still going on about that? Chiharu is very devoted to you, you know that. Besides, idols need level-headed presidents like Chiharu to run their fanclubs. In that way they can keep the rabid fangirls under control."

"Well… okay… I know that bit, but… I'm a bit scared that she might invite Li Xiaolang to like… sleep over at her house or something for the time being. You know it's dangerous to have boys sleeping over at a girl's house during their stay like that…"

"Yamazaki sure does love Chiharu, ne?" Sakura gave a soft chuckle. "I'm happy that there are still devoted and caring guys like Yamazaki existing here in Tomoeda. I really do think Tomoeda's running out of good guys, you know?"

"You're telling me," Naoko said. "I actually hoped I'd meet a cute boy during my writer's retreat trip but all the nice guys at the retreat all have girlfriends already. Well, there was one cute guy I met but he was a major player, flirting around the prettier writer girls. I can't deal with guys like that."

"I wish my mom would stop setting me up with spoiled rich brats," Tomoyo sighed. "I mean, I can date any guy regardless if they're wealthy or not, as long as they love me for me…"

"I just wish my dad would stop setting me up with any guy at all," Sakura sighed along. "I've told Dad many times that I'm completely dedicated to Syaoran Li… I'll be glad to die an old maid if I have to if I don't succeed in seeing and reuniting with my little wolf."

"Wow, such dedication, Sakura," Naoko gasped. "I don't think my patience can last that long at all, especially when it comes to boys."

Interrupting their conversation, two of the night berry patrol members came by with a pushcart where the berry-filled baskets may be placed. There were empty baskets also in the pushcart so they may use them to harvest more berries.

"The pushcart's here, kids!" The adult male called for them.

"And there's more empty baskets here," the adult female standing next to the male added.

"Thanks, Mr. Atsushi, Mrs. Chinatsu!" The teens acknowledged them with their thanks as the two adults headed back in to town. The teens brought their berry-filled baskets in to the pushcart, grabbed the empty baskets, and then headed back to their night berry picking.

"Hm, that reminds me," Yamazaki broke his silence. "I didn't want to tell Chiharu this, but there are at times that I do take a peek at all of her collection of rare and new Li Xiaolang pics never before seen on magazines or on TV or on the ads. He reminds me of someone…"

"Me too, Tak!" Sakura exclaimed. "He has this beautiful, alluring, deep, and hypnotizing deep amber eyes…"

"Hey, you noticed that too, Kinomoto?" Yamazaki became curious. "That's the first thing I noticed about him too! Those deep red eyes that look like its ready to hunt its prey like a wolf, you know? Reminds me a lot of Li-kun…"

"Then… you haven't forgotten about Syaoran also, Tak?"

Yamazaki stood up from his berry picking to place his newly-picked night berries in his basket. "Of course I haven't forgotten about him, Sakura. He's my best friend and I'm currently living in the house he and his family used to live in seven years ago."

"I can't believe he's not keeping in touch with us anymore… I hope his life back home in Hong Kong is a whole lot better than living in this very quiet, very secluded little town…"

"Maybe he got busy or something… or maybe he lost our contact info, like address and phone number, you know?"

Sakura shook her head as she reached for her basket to collect her night berries. "No way. I received a few letters from him two weeks right after they moved out. And then about two months later or so, all of my letters kept returning back to me with stamps saying no such person or no such address. It really broke my heart and cried for so many days because of it. Dad even tried finding the Lis himself when he was invited as a guest lecturer at the University of Hong Kong many times but… no luck…"

"Same with me," Yamazaki said. "He wrote me letters too for the first two months…" He trailed immediately when he came to a realization. "Hey, Kinomoto…"

"Hm? What is it, Tak?"

"You said… he stopped writing to you two months after he moved out…?"

"Yeah. He did."

"Weird… he stopped writing letters to us at the same time."

Sakura swallowed nervously. "What if… what if something really bad happened to him…?" At this point she found herself shaking with worry, thinking of what her long-lost love Syaoran's fate might have been that made him stop writing to them after two months of being gone from Tomoeda.

Tomoyo moved from her spot and headed to where Sakura was sitting down. "Ah, Sakura, don't think of things like that! Remember the wise words from The Book of Keroberos. He has your stuffed animal. As long as he has it, he'll always be protected from harm. Come on now…"

"Are you sure, Tomoyo?" Sakura gave a faint smile.

"Positive." Tomoyo grinned, placing her arm around her best friend. "I know how we can lighten the mood up!"

Naoko arrived at their spot to grab more of the night berries. "Why don't you guys sing a song? You two always sounded so good and so heavenly when you guys sing a duet! Come on Tomoyo, Sakura."

Tomoyo giggled. "How about it, Sakura?"

At first, Sakura was hesitant, still not confident with her singing voice. She knew that she would only sounded really good if she and Tomoyo were singing together in a duet. She already received Tomoyo's special solo song for her earlier today and she still had no confidence with singing that particular song along. But just for this night, plus it was only Naoko and Yamazaki present anyway, she decided to surrender.

"Okay, sure thing, Tomoyo."

"Let's sing a capella on the song we did earlier."

Yamazaki's eyes widened. "Oh come on… not another breakup song, please…"

Despite his complaints, he was flatly ignored when Tomoyo began to snap her fingers to simulate the beat of the song. Simultaneously, the two best friends began to sing duet:

_You cheated, you lied_

_You said that you love me_

_You cheated, you lied_

_You said that you want me_

_Oh what can I do_

_But just keep on loving you_

Yamazaki frowned once more. "Oh you gotta be kidding me. Come on now Daidouji, Kinomoto…" Still, the girls continued on with their duet.

_Love is something you know nothing about_

_Love is something you can't throw about_

_So please try to love me_

_Love me like I love you_

"Daidouji… Kinomoto… you're gonna remind me of my soon-to-be breakup with my Chiharu… please sing something happy…"

_Oh please try to love me_

_Love me like I love you_

"Please… change the song… I beg of you girls…"

_You cheated, you lied_

_You said that you love me_

_You cheated, you lied_

_You said that you want me_

_Oh what can I do?_

_Oh what can I do?_

_Oh what can I do?_

As their short song ended, Naoko cheered and applauded with delight. "Waah, you girls sounded so good as always! You two should be a duo in the J-Pop business. You girls are so gonna rock if you do!"

"Nah, just a way for us to serve the wonderful community of Tomoeda, that's all," Tomoyo smirked. "Ne, Sakura?"

"Sure thing!" Sakura gave a sheepish grin. "Let's sing another one, Tomoyo!"

Yamazaki interrupted again. "How about that song that Daidouji just gave you, Kinomoto? I'll sing along with you guys since I sing back vocals too, right?"

"But… I haven't memorized the entire song yet…" Sakura made her excuse. "I don't want to sing my song all tone-deaf and all that…"

"Well, here's a good time to practice, Sakura, what else?" Tomoyo giggled, nudging her on the shoulder. "Come on now, you'll have to perform this tomorrow in front of a lot of people, most especially with Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa!"

"Hoe…" Sakura suddenly dropped her head with a huge sigh. "I… I'm gonna mess up… that's for sure…"

"That's why we'll be singing it together. It's not so we can have a lively mood on our nighttime harvest picking or to entertain our dear bookworm friend Naoko, but to also practice, right?"

Just as Sakura was about to answer, they heard some trembling noise behind them. They turned to their backs to see what was making all that racket and spotted two individuals pushing their night berry pushcart away from them, leading out of the Tomoeda vicinity. The four stood up and then shouted and ran after them.

""Hey! That's our pushcart— get back here, you thieves!" Even though they shouted as fast as they can, the pushcart thieves ignored them and continued their escape.

Sakura then turned to her friends. "Tomoyo, you go and get Mr. Atsushi and Mrs. Chinatsu. Naoko, you stay here with our baskets. Tak and I are gonna go right after the thieves."

"But Sakura, isn't that dangerous?" Tomoyo cried her concerns.

"Don't worry, Daidouji," Yamazaki said. "Kinomoto is the fastest runner among the girls in town, remember? I'm gonna be with her."

"Okay. Be careful, guys," Naoko warned them. The group then split up to their duties. Tomoyo headed back to town to call for help, while Sakura and Yamazaki began dashing right after the thieves, but not before Sakura grabbed a few pebbles on the ground near the main road while they were at it.

#

"Are we there yet, Director Terada…?"

Meiling muttered in exhaustion while being carried in to a piggy back ride by the tall and broad-shouldered Director Yoshiyuki Terada. It seems the long walk from their buses to Tomoeda took whatever energy she had left. Just fifteen minutes right after they left their camp, she felt immense pain on her left foot that she couldn't walk anymore. Syaoran, Eriol, and Wei, who both took supplemental First Aid classes during their idol training at their agency, examined Meiling's foot to see if she twisted her ankle or something else. It turned out that she wore the wrong pair of shoes and that she earned a few blisters instead. Because they neglected to bring any First Aid kit, they settled in taking turns giving Meiling a piggy back until they reached Tomoeda.

Syaoran was the first to carry her. Five minutes later, Eriol took his turn. Tonight was Terada's turn.

"How are you feeling, Meiling?" Eriol asked her with concern.

"I feel a little relaxed, but I really don't want to walk with these blisters on my foot. I should have worn my sneakers instead…" Meiling sighed.

Just as Eriol was about to continue, they noticed Syaoran halting from his trek. They thought that he too may became exhausted as well at this point that Wei suggested that they take another rest. Instead, Syaoran shook his head.

"Hang in there, Meiling, we're almost there," Syaoran said. "Just a little more…"

"How do you know that, Xiaolang? I mean, we've been walking on this same road as if we weren't even moving forward… you know?"

Syaoran turned to her and gave a confident smile. "I'm sure of it. I can sense it…. Somehow…"

"You can sense we're nearby, Master Li?" Wei asked curiously.

"Just a few more… just a little more… we'll be there…"

"Lead the way, Xiao," Eriol shrugged. Syaoran proceeded as the others followed him from behind.

He couldn't exactly tell the others of this very strange and familiar aura suddenly coming over him. He also wondered how this inner phenomena happened to him but ever since they began their long trek on foot and how all of a sudden the atmosphere and the environment around him now became so familiar to him. It was if he had been to this scenery before. He decided to ignore this strange aura and continued on the long walk.

Even as he kept his pace, the more he moved forward, the more the familiar visions coming on to his mind until everything became crystal clear. No doubt, the voice inside him spoke. He had been in this place before. In fact, it was one of those secluded, mysterious places that only those who dwell within these grounds would know the way here and about without even looking for any specific landmarks for them to remember. By the time he finally got his clear picture, the faster he walked.

"Xiao, you're walking too fast right there, lad! Wait right there!" Eriol called out for him, but Syaoran was so entranced by this aura of familiarity that his best friend's voice was nothing but a faint sound carried on by the breezy night wind. At this point, he was no longer aware that he was all alone, leaving his two fellow idol friends, his manager and butler, and the movie director far behind.

As the aura continued to surround his soul with so much familiarity as if it was welcoming him to this land, another strong force jolted within him. It was then that he stopped with his speed walking and then gazed all around and about to see what was about to happen at this point.

_Someone's coming… coming fast…_

Syaoran prepared himself for this upcoming new force. He kept his eyes and ears open and kept his guard up. Or so he thought.

"Who are you…?" he muttered softly to himself as he kept his amber eyes shifty in all directions, just like how a hungry wolf would be searching for its prey.

Just as he thought that he kept his guard up, an unfamiliar presence immediately rushed right at him. Before he even realized it, he found another human being with palms flat against his upper chest. All this human being could mutter to him was:

"Help… please, help me… I'm being chased…"

Syaoran quickly pushed her away but not abrupt enough for this figure to fall down on her back. He then found his hands on to her waist. "Hold on, wait a minute—" Once he took a good look at the one who simply ran to him, his eyes spotted the others of the other.

Eyes like emeralds. No. It's gotta be jade. Well, whatever it may be, they're green— his favorite color and green looked so good on this girl. Not only that, the red that was blushing on to the troubled girl's cheeks somehow complimented her pure, innocent beauty. His heart began to beat rapidly.

"Hurry, please… he's coming…" she begged with so much fear in her eyes.

"Oh Sakura! Come out, come out, wherever you are! Come to Papa! Come on now, I just wanna talk to you!" Another intimidating-sounding male voice called out towards their direction.

"Please…" The green-eyed girl quickly hid behind him. Syaoran knew that he just walked himself in to trouble. If this were a fangirl who only acted as if she was some kind of a damsel in distress he would normally just ignore her. But after hearing that voice out for a kill, plus his entire movie cast and crew are already lost in the middle, he could simply help her in exchange for aid.

"If I help you," Syaoran whispered, "will you help me in return?"

"A-anything… just… get that guy away from me… please…"

Before anyone knew it, the hunter already arrived. Sakura quickly released herself from the mysterious handsome amber-eyed young man and hid herself behind him.

"Well well, look at what we got here," the tall and slightly skinny young man, almost the same height as Syaoran, gave his threatening tone.

"I… I have nothing to do with you anymore, Sakamoto, so please, go away and leave me alone!" Sakura protested while hiding behind Syaoran.

At this moment, Syaoran finally found an opening to get himself in this situation. "Is there a problem here…?"

The young man pointed right towards his and Sakura's direction. "I searched all over town and I can't find that turd-faced punk-ass brother of yours, Sakura, so I'm gonna have to deal with you now as revenge!"

"Revenge?" Sakura cried. "Against my brother? What on earth did he do to you?"

"Ehem," Syaoran interrupted again once more, restraining himself from breaking in to laughter. "Who the hell is this idiot?"

Sakura quickly replied: "He's Takuya Sakamoto… he was… one of my suitors…"

"Ha! I've got no interest in you little girlie, I'm right after that punk-ass turd who did this to my face!" He pointed right on his bandaged face. "But then again…"

"Wait a minute here," Syaoran gave a slight smirk on his face. "So, dude, are you saying that her brother kicked your ass real good and because of that, you wanted revenge?"

Sakura muttered. "He… he and my brother got in to a fight yesterday… all because he and his friends humiliated me at our supposed dinner date because I have a habit of consoling on my favorite stuffed toy… he couldn't find my brother anywhere so he and another friend of his tried to lure him out by stealing our pushcart filled with night berries… my friend and I came after them, and I ended up throwing a pebble on his head… and then… he saw me as the culprit and he started chasing after me… I didn't know about the entire fight until just now, please believe me…"

_How can I believe you? I don't even know you… _Syaoran's voice spoke in his mind. _But somehow… the way you clung on to me… your small hands on my chest… why did I like it…?_ He decided to ignore that thought and focus on the current situation.

"So, you can't get your revenge on her brother and now you're going after her instead? You're not only a moron but you are a whiny little coward too."

Takuya's eyes widened with a huge shock on his face. "What did you say? Just who the hell are you anyway? Get out of my way if you know what's good for you!"

Syaoran turned to Sakura, who was now rolled herself in to a ball with her face hiding and crying in fear. Since everything was going by fast, there was no time to prod for more questions on things he shouldn't be involved with.

"And if I refuse?" Syaoran asked curiously, but now his guard is back up again.

"Then I guess you'll have to suffer the same misery as I am right now—" Immediately, Takuya dashed full-speed towards Syaoran, but with a gentle movement, the teen idol stepped aside just a few inches from the mad boy's fist. Takuya found himself eating dust on the road.

"You're too slow," Syaoran smirked. "Get up."

Takuya quickly got up, still with the rage on his face. "Why you— you're gonna pay for that!"

Syaoran broke in to laughter. "You idiot, I haven't even laid a finger on you and you're already eating dust!"

"Butt out, pretty boy, this ain't your business! I just want the girl and you're free, got that?"

"Heh," Syaoran snickered, slowly removing his backpack and then taking off his olive green blazer, revealing a black sleeveless cotton tank top, showing off his perfectly contoured muscles. He placed his backpack aside and then placed his blazer around Sakura. "Hang on to this, will you?"

"Y-you don't have to do this…" Sakura warned him as she held his jacket tightly around her to keep herself warm from the cool breeze. "You're gonna get hurt easily! Takuya Sakamoto is one of the strongest fighters around and—"

"Just stand back," Syaoran simply winked at her. "He'll go down in a few seconds without even laying a finger on him."

"But…"

Takuya overheard the rather cocky tone from Syaoran's tone and he began to approach him again with full speed. "You bastard! You don't know who you're messin' with! I'm the most feared hot guy all of Tomoeda has ever seen! Now you're gonna get it!"

Just as the teen idol expected, Takuya was using all his might and energy to throw a series of random fists and kicks. Thanks to his lifetime martial arts training and discipline, Syaoran was able to read every single of his attempts and simply dodged them with his precise body movement. Takuya haven't touched Syaoran from his attempts and Syaoran himself had no intention of touching the pig-headed fool either.

While Sakura witnessed the hit and miss match between the boy who humiliated her two nights ago and the stranger who offered to help her, she couldn't help but notice the form, movement, build, and the facial expression of the stranger. Her heart began to beat rapidly again with thoughts flowing through her mind.

_Syaoran… is that you…? Look how fast and precise you move…_

No way, she thought. She placed one hand on her chest to calm down her rapid beating. _Am I… seeing things…?_

Some three minutes later, Takuya found himself out of energy and ended up collapsing on the ground, breathing heavily. No matter how much he combined all of his best moves to take any opponent down to their knees, he was unable to touch the stranger who protected Sakura from his clutches. If this stranger was even able to dodge all of his best moves and combinations, he wouldn't even want to imagine how he would be like if he were actually going for the counterattack. Because of the dark sky, he couldn't get a clearer look of his face, but he knew one thing. This was one stranger he would not even want to mess with, even for a burly-minded guy like him.

"Get up," Syaoran commanded him, this time his cocky expression turned in to the wolf-like hunter mode. Takuya reluctantly followed him, knowing he did not have enough energy to stand up against him. Once he was finally on his feet, Syaoran didn't end it there.

"If I see you aiming at Sakura again— even with just one look— you better start saying your prayers because you'll never know who would be tapping on your back shoulder."

Takuya could not say any more words to throw right at him at this point. Rather, he gave him a glare instead. He did find an opportunity to lighten things up in this scenario. "A little warning, buddy." He began. "That girl you're protecting? She's nothing but a little goody-too-shoes child who still clings to her teddy bear thinking it'll transform in to her very own prince or something, heh. Who on earth would want a girl who prioritizes stuffed toys over real men? She'd dump you instantly before you can even confess to her!"

"So?" Syaoran answered flatly. "What's the problem with that? Her teddy bear obviously has more manners than your imaginary girlfriend."

The pigheaded teen gritted his teeth, and without any more words to throw out, turned around and ran. Syaoran then turned to the girl, who was now standing up from her cowardly shivering. Once they faced each other, Sakura immediately fell right in to the richness of those amber eyes.

_Those eyes… they're… they're like Syaoran's and… just like Li Xiaolang's eyes from the magazine… and… why can't my heart stop beating so fast…?_

As for Syaoran, those sparkling emerald eyes that can also convert to jade just by the movement of the moonlight entrapped him right on the spot. Without even aware of their surroundings, they found themselves drawing towards each other.

Closer… and closer… and closer… and…

"Oh no! I'm sorry!" From out of the blue, Sakura snapped back to reality and quickly backed away from the stranger who saved her from the heated clutches of her former suitor. "I… I'm sorry!" Quickly she bowed as low as she can to show how much she meant with her apology.

"H-huh?" Syaoran blinked and slowly approached her. "Wait… um…"

"I… I'm sorry I got you in to this mess! Forgive me!" Sakura exclaimed, still in that same bowing position. "I'll… I'll make it up to you… I-I mean, I'll gladly repay you for saving me from Takuya Sakamoto…"

"Okay… calm down… relax…" Syaoran gently placed his hands on to her shoulders. Somehow with those hands, Sakura found herself getting relaxed. "I don't particularly care what happened with that pea-brained dweeb there, but I do know that you're in trouble, so… it's natural that I should help you out."

"And I… I… I really do thank you for that…" Sakura studdered nervously. "But I… I mean… I feel really bad that you had to go all the way in to challenging him in to a fight. I mean he could've really killed you with those killer punches and kicks he's got."

Syaoran gave another smirk. "Oh?"

"I mean... .my brother had quite a number of bruises on his arms and even on his face and…" Sakura slowly dropped her head. Right then, Syaoran couldn't help himself but to fall for the unintentional humor from this girl and broke in to laughter.

"You're funny. I needed the laugh!" The girl couldn't respond in words at first. But in the end, she joined in the laughter.

"I'm sorry… It's just that… I've never really… um… it's very rare for me to encounter someone I'm not quite familiar with so…" Sakura flashed a shy grin, trying to refrain her heart from beating rapidly once more.

"By the way," Syaoran interrupted. "That idiot you're warning me about couldn't even touch me, so I don't see why I should be threatened of losers like him." He then gave a wink at her. "Seems like fate has brought you to me, ne?"

Sakura gasped once she found her entire face completely flushed red. She then quickly covered her cheeks with her hands and then swallowed with nervousness. "W-well… um… you had me worried and… yeah!"

Syaoran chortled quietly again, then finally changed his tone. "Right. Your payment for saving you."

"R-right." Sakura swallowed again while she waited for him to respond.

"I heard that idiot say Tomoeda… perhaps you wouldn't be from Tomoeda, are you?"

"I am," Sakura nodded. "I can tell you're not from around here yourself."

"Well… um…" Syaoran found himself scratching his head nervously. "I know I'm not from here, but… it feels like… I've been here before… I… I'm not sure if that makes sense…"

The green-eyed girl simply grinned. "I understand a bit… I think…" Quickly she turned her head and cleared her throat while Syaoran also ended up looking away from her. Still, both just couldn't help themselves but to gaze at each other's jeweled eyes once again.

"Sakura…" Syaoran murmured her name, feeling that this familiar aura surrounding his mind forced him to call out her name.

The girl stared at him in bewilderment. "H-how did you know my name?"

Syaoran blinked his eyes. "Oh… well… isn't that what that loser called you before…?"

"Oh… that's right…" Sakura sighed in relief, followed by a soft chuckle. "But that's not fair… I don't know your name…"

"Well, I'm—"

"Well well, we finally caught up to you, Li Xiaolang!" Another voice interfered with this short one-on-one moment. The girl quickly backed away from him, realizing who she just ran in to, begged for help, and then protected her from the former suitor.

Syaoran turned to see Eriol, Wei, Terada, and Meiling still on riding Terada's back. "Ah. Eriol, Meiling. Wei and Terada-san."

Just by hearing the names, Sakura continued to back away in fear. It wasn't just the irresistible Li Xiaolang who just appeared right before her, but Eriol Hiiragizawa and Syaoran's ex and fellow co-star Meiling Li also. Looking at herself in her standard gray white-flower print t-shirt, denim shorts, and dark blue canvas sneakers, she obviously did not look presentable enough to face them.

"First you take off away from us, Xiao, and now we find you flirting with a lovely local lass here?"

"Eriol, I wasn't flirting!" Syaoran raised an eyebrow while glaring at his best friend.

Meiling giggled. "I have to admit that you and her do look cute together, Xiao!"

"Shut up, Meiling!" Syaoran gave a second glare to the girl on the piggyback.

Eriol grinned and then turned to Sakura and bowed. "Lovely evening to you, Miss!" Sakura only returned with a grin, still completely stunned by the sudden arrival of the ones who wasn't supposed to arrive in Tomoeda until tomorrow.

"Um, hello," Sakura gave a shy nod.

Terada then stepped forward and turned to the nervous-racked girl. "Miss, you happen to be from Tomoeda, aren't you?"

Sakura nodded quickly. "Y-yes, I am."

"I was wondering if you could help us and—"

"Sakura, there you are!" Another interruption came when Sakura heard three familiar voices coming from behind her. She turned around and waved right at Tomoyo, Naoko, and Yamazaki already approaching. Once they finally arrived, Tomoyo quickly embraced her.

"Oh, we were so worried! I thought you got caught by that jerk Sakamoto and who knows what harm he may have done to you…" Tomoyo cried.

"I'm… I'm okay… I was saved… by… um…" Sakura found herself blushing again as she turned right towards Syaoran.

"Hey there," Syaoran gave a slight wave. Once Tomoyo spotted him, she gave a loud shriek.

"Oh my god! Sakura! Am I hallucinating?!" She began to shake her best friend like a mad girl and then turned her head right towards Syaoran. "Do you know who you think you are?"

"Huh, what?" Syaoran chuckled. "Do I know who I am… what? I don't think your Japanese makes any sense…"

"Gah! I mean… I mean…" Tomoyo quickly turned around to see Naoko already fainted under Yamazaki's arms.

"They're here… aren't they…?" Yamazaki sighed, carrying the fainted Naoko with her. "I can't believe we are looking at Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa in the flesh in the middle of a night berry harvest…"

#

Moments later after this rather interesting meeting, the night berry harvesting group of the night, along with the three hot teen celebrities, Syaoran Li, alias Li Xiaolang, Eriol Hiiragizawa, and Meiling Li, right at the outskirts area where they were harvesting the night berries. Before that, everything was cleared up by Terada regarding their reasons why they arrived a day early instead of tomorrow. Naoko gave the good news to Terada that her uncle owns a local auto repair shop and that she was sure that her uncle and his crew may be able to tow the buses from where they stopped all the way back in to town. Terada also informed the four teens that no one in town should know of their early arrival tonight and that they need to provide room and board for Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling somewhere else other than the local Tomoeda Motel to keep them safe and secure from any nosy fans and any paparazzi nearby. As part of the Tomoeda hospitality, the four teens guaranteed them that they will keep silent about their early presence in town until the press conference tomorrow.

When the four teens finally introduced themselves then, Yamazaki was rather shocked that Syaoran recognized him and even knew his name. Syaoran simply explained to him that he has all the photos of the all the regional officers of the Wolfpups, his official fanclub. When Chiharu Mihara, the president of the Tomoeda Branch of the Wolfpups, she sent her photo to him with Yamazaki in it. This also meant one thing. He already knew that Yamazaki is the president's boyfriend before Yamazaki decided to become man enough to warn him that his Tomoeda Branch Wolfpups president is already taken.

While Naoko escorted Terada and Wei to his uncle's repair shop in town, the three idols remained with the other three local teens at the night berry bushes, where they actually continue to harvest more of these night berries. Meiling rested on the cool grass barefooted to rest her blister-filled foot and didn't need to do some work. Instead, Sakura and Tomoyo gave her a small basket of freshly-picked night berries as their welcome gift. Syaoran and Eriol didn't need to do anything but remain with Meiling, however for their hospitality, they decided to help out with the harvesting anyway.

"So, these are night berries, huh," Eriol curiously gazed at a night berry he just picked from one of the bushes. "I've never seen a berry like this before."

"Only grown in Tomoeda!" Tomoyo grinned. "It's also Tomoeda tradition that we give a small basket of night berries to visitors as our welcome gift. Try one!"

"Really? Can I?"

"Yup! They're lightly touched by the night dews and they make the berries tastes so much sweeter and gives a lot of flavor!"

"I shall," Eriol smiled. He gazed at the berry he just picked and popped it in his mouth. He slowly chewed it to savor the juicy sweetness within. "Wow… this is… really refreshing…"

"They're a perfect snack for the summer season. It cools you right inside of you instead of the other way around."

"Ah, I see!" Eriol grabbed more of the berries from the basket and ate some more. "Who would have thought that the daughter of the great designer Sonomi Daidouji of the Daidouji Couture could be so…"

Tomoyo gazed right at the half-English idol with her amethyst eyes flashing right at him. "Could be so… what?"

"Um… well… small town…" The raven-haired beauty chuckled as her reaction.

"A small-town girl, I see," Tomoyo chortled. "Fair enough, Hiiragizawa-kun."

He took one berry from the basket and then offered it to Tomoyo. "For my gratitude…"

"For me?" Tomoyo giggled softly.

"Say aah!"

She couldn't help but giggle but freely opened her mouth. "Aaaaah…" Eriol gently placed the berry inside her mouth as Tomoyo began chewing on the berry. "Delicious! Thank you!"

"Always welcome, my lady."

Just a few feet from them, Meiling called out to them as she nibbled on the night berries endlessly. "Hey guys! Would it be okay if you could just give Xiaolang and Eriol two separate bowls of night berries for their welcome gifts instead of us three sharing one bowl? Because I'm about to finish this…"

Eriol raised an eyebrow and glared at the blistered girl. "Greedy!"

"Oh come on, Eriol, there's plenty of night berries here. You're already picking them!" Meiling stuck her tongue at him.

"Well, if you run out, Li-san," Tomoyo called out, "we have more here if you like."

"Eee! Please gimme some!" Meiling giggled happily. "Oh, and you can call me Meiling. You don't want me and Xiaolang get mixed up since we have the same surname, ne?"

"Haha, alright then, Meiling!" Tomoyo grinned. She then turned to another area of the night berry bushes where she spotted Sakura, Yamazaki, and Syaoran picking the berries. "Hey you guys! How's it going there?" Yamazaki and Sakura simply raised their hands and gave Tomoyo a thumbs up. "Great!"

In the meantime, Sakura, Yamazaki, and Syaoran continued on choosing and picking the best night berries when Yamazaki broke the awkward silence from one another. At the moment, due to Sakura's extreme shyness around someone as famous as the strikingly handsome Li Xiaolang, Yamazaki sat between them.

"The Book of Keroberos may be puzzling, but everything written there is always true!"

"Oh?" Sakura asked curiously. "Why mention The Book of Keroberos?"

"Heh," Yamazaki smirked, "just giving our guest Li Xiaolang a bit of an overview on how awesome our town is, even if it's secluded from civilization and all."

"I… I don't think he would be interested in—"

"I'd like to hear more, Yamazaki." From out of the blue, Syaoran joined in the conversation. "I'm having a bit of a personal crisis and… this would definitely beat me thinking about it."

"Oh… then… um… please, continue, Tak!" Sakura chuckled nervously.

"Okay. You see these night berries? According to The Book of Keroberos, the night berry can also be used as an aphrodisiac! It said that if a girl gives a guy night berries for the first time, they are definitely going to be destined to be together in the near future—"

"Eh?" Sakura blinked. "I don't remember hearing _that _in The Book of Keroberos. Are you making up stuff again?"

"Oh? But there's just no way you can prove it. No Tomoedan folk would be able to memorize everything that's written in The Book of Keroberos. A lot kept on ignoring the night berries section, you know."

"So… it's true then…?" Sakura blinked in confusion.

Syaoran gave a slight chuckle. "You two are hilarious." He turned his head right towards Yamazaki. "You remind me so much of my very old childhood best friend."

Yamazaki turned to face him. "Me?" Syaoran nodded. "How so?"

"He had a penchant of making up these crazy stories. I was pretty naive back then and believed everything he said. Seriously, he'd make a good fiction writer one day, you know?" Right then, he changed the tone and sighed, feeling the nostalgic aura surrounding him. "I miss the guy… I really miss him…"

Yamazaki swallowed nervously. At first he thought that he wanted to be the real man by telling off someone as good-looking as Li Xiaolang of his love for Chiharu, but now it felt as if he was getting along way more with the teen star than his fanclub president would. "You know… speaking of familiarity…"

"Yeah?"

"Sakura and I… well, there were four of us best friends. Me, Sakura, Daidouji, and one more who no longer lives here with us. I gotta admit you've got really intimidating, hypnotic red eyes. It's like one look at your eyes and you know you'll be dead on the spot. You know?"

"Uh, thanks… I think…" Syaoran gently scratched the side of his head with a finger.

"You have the eyes of a hunter, Li Xiaolang."

"Am I really that scary?"

"Well, it's a compliment, Li-kun. Your deep red eyes really remind us of our long-lost childhood friend, you know? He was always silent most of the time but we got along with him really well." While Sakura was busy picking up more berries, Yamazaki leaned over to the stars. "He's the one Sakura is deeply in love with, you know."

"Ah…" Syaoran gave a surprising gasp. It wasn't because he was shocked to hear that Sakura was in love with a certain guy in general, but because that same aura of familiarity he had been experiencing while they were walking on the road returned to him again. That aura also made his heart beat fast once more. "So… she has a long-lost love…"

Yamazaki nodded. "We have this… town tradition… guys are mostly free and can date whoever they wanna date, but as for the girl… when she turns fifteen—"

"What?" Syaoran gave another curious look. "Are you saying that when a girl turns fifteen, she has to find a man or else her family is going to set her up with some random guy potential to be her future husband or something like that?"

Yamazaki then gave a gasp. "Wait… how did you… how did you know that, Li?"

Syaoran simply shrugged his shoulders. "Just… a… lucky guess…?"

"Well, Sakura is seventeen now and she still hasn't found the right guy. In fact she even refused to be with anyone—"

"What about your other friend who no longer lives here? You said she loves him, right? What happened to him?" Right then, a quick realization came to him. Knowing himself, he couldn't care less about the problems of common people at all, knowing he has his own life and his own world to deal with. But somehow, why did he care about this stranger town girl Sakura in just an hour and a half?

_Why would I care about all this? They don't mean anything to me… she doesn't mean anything to me… but…_

He turned around to find Sakura, who still continued to pick berries. She then turned her head towards his direction and then gave a shy smile. He returned the smile with his own along with a wave. At that moment, that same aura came to him again, and this time, not only that it's making his heart beat so rapidly, but he felt this powerful warmth within him for her.

_God, help me… how can she have such beautiful emerald eyes? It's killing me inside…_

Just before Yamazaki becomes suspicious of his reactions, he shook everything off and turned back to him. "Well… does that explain… the guy she was being chased earlier? What's his name… Sakamoto or something?"

"So, you already know about her situation," Yamazaki sighed. "That bastard was so hell-bent for her brother, who literally beat the crap out of him in public yesterday for humiliating Sakura on their dinner date."

"Was that about some stuffed animal she was clinging to?"

"So you know the entire story already?"

"A… a little bit… that moron has a big mouth."

"Sakamoto is one of Tomoeda's richest families, but not exactly on the same level as the Daidoujis or even our long-lost friend's family. Her father is an archaeology professor at Clow Reed University, just three towns over from here, and since he spends a lot of time in the university doing research and going through expedition trips, he doesn't spend as much time as he does with his family. Her mother died when she was only three or four years old. So technically all her life she always lived under the care of her older brother Touya. Touya-san may be hotheaded and stubborn, but he is a good man. He would do anything to keep his sister safe from the wrong clutches, you know? He only respects those really nice guys. He doesn't really dig bad-ass guys like Sakamoto… or even our long-lost friend."

An invisible lightning somehow stroke Syaoran inside, making him swallow. "His brother didn't like the boy she's in love with?"

Yamazaki shook his head. "He was so disciplined, strict, especially with his martial arts training and everything else that Touya assumed that he would grow up to be those rebellious bad-ass types, you know? Those are the types of guys he does not want to see his sister to fall for. But you know at the same time, he has to learn how to accept his sister's happiness too. Well, that's Touya-san for you!"

"Wow, what a devoted brother," Syaoran said. "She's definitely in good hands."

"Well, it won't be long now though. Touya-san's engaged to the lovely Kaho Mizuki, high school teacher. They're both grad students working on their masters and they're graduating next spring. Touya-san's taking masters in business and management, Mizuki-san is studying for her masters in education. After they're finished, they can get married and settle down. There's even a possibility that they may move out of Tomoeda too…"

Syaoran nodded. "I understand now why her father's desperate for her to get a man. She won't be living with the newlyweds then?"

"That's the hard part, Li," Yamazaki continued. "A Tomoeda girl can't be set up with some random guy. The guy has to be a Tomoeda resident. What I mean to say is that at some point that the guy lived in Tomoeda for at least five years or more. She can get set up with some guy from the next town, as long as the guy was either born in Tomoeda or had lived in Tomoeda for five years or more. The town registry has all of the names of the residents listed, old and new, so for example, you lived in Tomoeda for five years, but then you had to move out. Your name and the time of your residency here is officially recorded in the town registry. When a parent sets a girl up with some guy, they're required to check through the town registry to see if the guy was either Tomoeda-born or a past Tomoeda present. And another thing, the guy's family must also prove to the town council that they were Tomoeda residents by showing them their copy of The Book of Keroberos."

"I see. I guess The Book of Keroberos is pretty much like the Tomoeda Constitution, ne? It seems to rule over this town."

"Well, um… I really don't know to be honest… but Tomoeda is a very mysterious town. Some say it used to be ruled over magic and all sorts of enchantment, and that the Book of Keroberos is sort of like a diary of prose from the founder himself."

"Founder?"

"Clow Reed. He was a very famous scholar and educator that many believed possessed immense magical powers. That university that Sakura's father is currently working used to be called Tsukisora University, but after his death, they changed the name to Clow Reed University in his honor. He founded this town, Tomoeda, several hundreds of years ago, originally as a town for dedicated scholars and researchers to do their research work, but eventually the town flourished when these scholars eventually got married and then raised their own families and moved them here. They really did a lot to make this town as homely as they can. They discovered a lot of indigenous species, like the night berries and a whole lot more. Everything is recorded in The Book of Keroberos. It's not just about town customs, but the history and background were written here too. Of course, in weird prose and poetry or whatever you called it. Clow Reed did get married eventually and together, they made this town flourished with so much richness. You know they had children too, but sadly their current descendants no longer live here in Tomoeda…"

As far as Syaoran goes, the more Yamazaki explained the history and background of Tomoeda, he began to feel a few slight contractions within his head. He remembered suffering this before since his fatal car accident at age eleven whenever her family tried all they can to restore all of his past memories while creating new ones. He hadn't had these contractions for many years now until today. He then began to place his hands on both sides of his temples, which made Yamazaki worry.

"Hey, are you okay Li?"

Syaoran closed his eyes while giving a soft hiss to ease a bit of his pain. "I… I'm alright… I must be really tired…"

From behind, Sakura arrived back at their spot. "What's going on…? Oh no! Li-kun, what's wrong?"

Finally the contractions stopped and Syaoran gave a soft sigh. "I'm… I'm okay now… sorry about that…"

"Dude, maybe you need to lie down and you know, rest," Yamazaki said.

Moments later, two tow trucks drove past them, exiting the town and heading out. The tow trucks had the name "Yanagisawa Auto Repair" on them and those who spotted it already knew they were there to tow the two buses back in town. Naoko arrived just in time and waved at everyone.

"Hey everyone!" Naoko called out. "The night berry harvest patrol said that we can stop harvesting now. We have more than enough."

"Ah, finally!" Yamazaki exclaimed as everyone stood up. "You need any help getting up, Li?"

Syaoran then got himself up. "No, I'm alright."

"So, Terada-san and Wei-san had a meeting with the mayor," Naoko updated them. "It was a good thing the mayor was at the auto repair shop getting his son's motorcycle repaired, so they had a meeting inside the office. It's been decided as to where Li Xiaolang, Eriol Hiiragizawa, and Meiling Li can board throughout their stay here for the movie shoot."

Tomoyo headed towards where Meiling was resting and eating the night berries away. "Here, let me help you up, Meiling."

Quickly, Meiling got up with a grin on her face. "Wow, looks like my feet doesn't hurt as much anymore! And somehow my feet feels so good if I walk barefooted. I still have the nasty blisters but somehow they don't bother me as much anymore!"

"Ah, it must be because of the night berries!" Tomoyo grinned. "See, night berries have medicinal powers too. That's another reason why we give them to visitors as our welcome gift. Not only do they taste refreshing, but they're very healthy for your body and can cure any kind of pain."

Meiling giggled and began to twirl around with her left foot on the grass. "I feel great! I have to admit the berries really made me feel so refreshed!" She then turned right towards Syaoran. "You should eat some night berries, Xiaolang. This should be our snack during the movie shoot so we don't get tired easily when we do the shooting, ne?"

Syaoran simply smiled. "Thanks, Meiling."

Naoko cleared her throat again. "Anyway, after much talk, they decided that you guys should stay at someone's house."

"Really?" Sakura asked curiously. "I… I hope they stay nearby our houses and…"

Tomoyo and Naoko suddenly giggled. "Aww… for someone who's not a fan, you sure want to have Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa very close to you, ne?"

"Th-that's not it, Tomoyo!" Sakura protested. "I meant to say that… it'd be best if they stay at a house that's closer to us, since we're the first four people they've met upon their arrival here in Tomoeda, right?"

"Hm, you got a point there, Kinomoto-san," Eriol chuckled. He then nudged a heavily blushing Syaoran. "How about it, Xiao?"

"Uh… um… right…" Syaoran quickly nodded nervously.

"Oh that wouldn't be a problem, Sakura," Naoko winked. "You see, there will be two houses. Li-kun and Hiiragizawa-kun will be staying at one house, while Meiling-san will be staying in another house across the street. Wei-san will be staying with the boys and Terada-san had no choice but to sleep at the Tomoeda Inn with the rest of the cast and crew."

"Well? Then whose house?" Yamazaki asked in anticipation. "Come on, Naoko, so we can bring our guests in already!"

"Well, the houses that Li Xiaolang, Eriol Hiiragizawa, and Meiling Li will be staying at will be…"

#

Two hours later, Sakura arrived next door to the Yamazaki Residence with a glass pot on her hand. It was decided by the mayor and the director that Syaoran, Eriol, and Wei will be staying at the Yamazaki Residence, knowing that Takashi Yamazaki lives by himself in such a huge house anyway. Meiling Li was to stay ating the Daidouji Residence right across the street from the Yamazakis knowing that it's inappropriate for a girl to be alone in a house full of boys. Besides, being a model of the Daidouji Couture fashion, she wanted to get to know more about the alluring world-renowned fashion designer Sonomi Daidouji, her hometown, and of course, her family, in particular the daughter her age named Tomoyo.

Naoko was right, Sakura thought. _Li Xiaolang is my temporary next-door neighbor! Keroberos must be on my side today!_

As a welcome celebration, the four teens decided to have a potluck dinner. The three teen idols did mention that they haven't eaten for several hours and have been starving all this time. Because no one in town was supposed to know of their early arrival in Tomoeda just yet, treating them out to Mooncastle Diner was out of the question. Instead, Sakura, Naoko, Tomoyo, and Yamazaki decided they will be preparing one dish for tonight's welcome dinner potluck. Sakura decided to make her best dish, simply known as Vegetable Shrimp Fritters. Tomoyo would be bringing in Tomoeda Salad, a local salad with the freshest, organic ingredients, imitation crab, thin strips of chicken, and a special salad dressing that only the locals would know the recipe. Naoko decided to make homemade no-bake cheesecake that only took thirty minutes to prepare.

When Sakura rang the doorbell, to her surprise, Syaoran answered the door. At first she was taken aback, but then she realized that Yamazaki may be busy in the kitchen that one of them would have to answer the door. Luckily there was an electronic peephole installed in the Yamazaki home that helped the teen star identify the face of the one behind the door.

"Li-kun!" Sakura gasped.

"Hi, Sakura. Come on in," Syaoran grinned, as he opened the door, letting Sakura enter. She appeared in another white dress, this time a short-sleeved long dress that reached just below her knees. "Wow, I like your dress!"

Sakura blushed and gazed at the dress that Tomoyo made for her last Christmas. "Tomoyo designed this dress herself and gave it to me last Christmas. I felt like dressing up for the occasion so…"

"Here, let me take that." Syaoran slowly took the glass pot from her as Sakura quickly removed her shoes and slipped in a pair of slippers.

At this point, Sakura noted the attire Syaoran was wearing: An olive green long t-shirt and black sweatpants. Looks like he easily made himself at home since their arrival in their neighborhood. She followed him towards the kitchen, where she passed by Eriol at the living room, reading through the movie script.

"Hello there, Hiiragizawa-kun!" Sakura greeted.

Eriol placed the script down and looked up. He donned a pair of eyeglasses, which really surprised Sakura. "Good evening, dear damsel from next door!"

"Don't listen to him, he's always like that with the ladies," Syaoran warned her. "He likes to sweet talk girls, you know."

"Ha!" Eriol snickered. "At least mine were just words. You, on the other hand, had to have some action along with your sweet words, Xiao."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Eriol." He proceeded to the dining room, where he placed Sakura's dish on the table. He even reminded Yamazaki at the kitchen that Sakura just arrived.

"Well well, don't just stand there, Kinomooto-san, come join us here!" Eriol then patted the empty seat next to him. Sakura was nervous at first, but because she was invited, she approached the sofa and sat next to him. "My, you look a whole lot more radiant than you were earlier, now that the light has shine upon your pretty face."

Sakura couldn't help but chuckle. "Th-thanks, I think. But night berries are only good for harvesting during the night, so that's why we're still hanging around at night, you know?"

"You know, you have quite an interesting town," Eriol answered. "Have you heard of anyone who goes by the name of Kashii?"

Sakura began to contemplate. "Well, there is a family named Kashii here. I don't know much about them but my father knows them quite well. I think their youngest son is one of my dad's students back at the university."

"The screenwriters for the movie we're shooting, _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_, is written by a married couple, Toshifumi and Taeko Kashii. I heard that Toshifumi Kashii had been here in Tomoeda which was why he chose this location for the movie shoot."

"Wh-who knows!" Sakura chuckled nervously. "M-maybe they're related to the Kashiis here in Tomoeda. I'll have to ask my dad but he'll be working in the university late today. I wish my brother can come here too but he's got the night shift at Mooncastle Diner, so… it's just me now!"

Few seconds later, Syaoran appeared at the living room and immediately claimed his spot on the space right next to Sakura. "It's only a few hours and you're making moves already, Eriol?"

"Hah!" Eriol smirked once more. "I'm merely trying to start a good conversation between new friends, Xiao. Besides, if you're wondering about the new desirables, I've already set my eyes on one already."

"Psh, whatever, Eriol. I don't believe you." Immediately, Syaoran switched his position and sat quickly between Eriol and Sakura. The girl couldn't help but laugh at the situation while Eriol stuck his tongue at his best friend.

"Always the party pooper, are we, Xiao?"

Right then, the doorbell was heard as Eriol quickly stood up. "My turn this time. That must be the lovely ladies Meiling, Daidouji-san, and Yanagisawa-san!"

Syaoran continued glaring at his best friend while Sakura couldn't help but to simply laugh nervously. Once Eriol answered the door, he greeted Tomoyo, Naoko, and Meiling, along with their dishes and a huge case that shaped like a guitar on Tomoyo's other hand.

"A guitar?" Eriol chuckled.

"Yamazaki's acoustic guitar," Tomoyo smiled. "He plays guitar in our band, you know."

"Is that so?"

"Yup. Maybe we can have a bit of entertainment right after dinner."

"Good idea, Daidouji-san. I look forward to it."

At that point, Yamazaki appeared at the living room, still with his apron on.

"Alright! Just in time, everyone!" Yamazaki waved. "Time for dinner!"

The table was already prepared and all the guests had to do was to sit down at their seats. Yamazaki sat at the end, while Sakura, Tomoyo, and Naoko sat on one side. Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling sat across from them, respectively.

"Itadakimasu!" After that familiar gesture, they all dug in to eat. Over dinner, they complimented each other's home-cooked meals, with the three teen stars indulged themselves in such delicious homely meal as if they never had this particular meal ever in their lives. Sure, it wasn't exactly gourmet cooking, but it was indeed local Tomoeda dishes and with the company of newly-formed friends, this was one dinner they would never forget.

After dinner, Naoko noted that she had to leave soon as she was needed back home by her family. She did inform the teen stars that she will be attending the press conference tomorrow for the Tomoeda Youth Official Blog website and will be asking some questions herself, and thus she excused herself. Yamazaki thanked her for joining in the potluck party and Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling thanked her for being one of the first few people in Tomoeda to welcome them.

In the kitchen, Yamazaki and Sakura washed the dishes, while Tomoyo excused herself to entertain the teen stars. Among the three though, only Syaoran who volunteered to help clean up the dinner table. Although the three are also from high-class families, somehow Syaoran felt like doing some self-labor around someone's house felt like it was just the right thing to do.

"Somehow," Syaoran began, while placing all the dirty dishes over the island counter. "The dinner we had earlier felt very… nostalgic… to me…"

"Nostalgic?" Yamazaki chuckled. "You mean you've had these Tomoedan local dishes before?"

The chocolate-haired, amber-eyed cutie nodded. "It's really strange. The fritters that Sakura made for today's dinner… somehow… I've had it before."

"Interesting," Sakura grinned. "Have you been to Tomoeda before, Li-kun?"

The young actor sighed. "That's what I've been trying to figure out these past few days." He began to scratch his head lightly. "I'm not so sure. I know this is the first time I've been here, but somehow, some weird force within me is telling me that I've been here before…"

"Well," Yamazaki said, "maybe Sakura and I can help you refresh your memory for a bit."

At that point, Sakura remembered reading the Li Xiaolang magazine she received from Tomoyo earlier today. At age eleven, he got in to a fatal car accident that left him with a concussion that resulted in amnesia and that his father paralyzed forever. She may have figured if his amnesia was causing all this. Although it was already public knowledge, she didn't want to bring up his condition and instead, just went along.

"So, what's your favorite Tomoeda dish then, Li-kun?"

His amber eyes widened. "My favorite? Whisperjay Stew."

Immediately, the girl gave a shocking, astonished expression on her face, so much that even Yamazaki also found himself at awe. "Whisperjay Stew… wow…"

"Why?" Syaoran softly chuckled. "Something wrong?"

"N-no," Yamazaki muttered nervously. "It's just that… Whisperjay Stew has got to be the most difficult dish to prepare and… it's also very rare as well. We only serve Whisperjay Stew on special occasions, you know?"

"Is that so?" Syaoran's eyes blinked in curiosity. "My mother, although she just let our family chefs do all the cooking, on special occasions, she would prepare Whisperjay Stew for me whenever I feel down or if there's a special celebration. It was one dish that she's very good making at by herself."

"Ah!" Sakura gasped once more. "Your mother? Then that must mean that… your family has lived here in Tomoeda before? Maybe you have lived in Tomoeda before yourself also?"

Syaoran slightly lowered his head. "That's… one main reason why I decided to take this role in this upcoming movie. When my parents heard that the movie shoot will take place in Tomoeda, they pushed me in to taking the role. I wasn't interested at first because the movie happens to be a high school romantic comedy and as you know, I'm a martial arts action star. They also said… well… they also said that if I take this role and come here to Tomoeda… that I will finally find my true whole self again."

Later, Sakura and Yamazaki finished washing the dishes and the three began fixing the dinner table. "Here's one question I would like to ask," Yamazaki continued.

"Sure, Yamazaki. What is it?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"Do you have a copy of The Book of Keroberos?"

"Huh?"

"The Book of Keroberos."

Syaoran gulped nervously, then cleared his throat. "Yes… yes, I do."

"Oh my!" Sakura gasped in shock. "Then… that means that your family has lived here in Tomoeda for a period of time."

"I'm not sure where you're getting at…"

"Li, every Tomoeda resident family is given a copy of The Book of Keroberos by the town council. The keyword here is given. The Book of Keroberos isn't for sale at all. When a family reaches their fifth year as Tomoeda residents, they receive one copy of The Book of Keroberos."

"Look," Syaoran began his reply, "I only found out about The Book of Keroberos a few days ago. My family lives in Hong Kong and my mother sent me that book via express delivery in a package. I only got a note saying that while I'm here at Tomoeda that I should start reading the book."

"No doubt about it though, Li-kun," Sakura smiled. "Maybe that's why you seem to be familiar with all of Tomoeda, somewhat. I even noticed the way you eat the night berries reminds me of someone I knew before… and even Whisperjay Stew? No outsider would be able to know about the Whisperjay Stew, let alone eating it, ne?"

Syaoran couldn't respond to everything that these two local teens just informed him, however deep within, he discovered that he can trust these two. They didn't exactly act like rabid fans once they first saw him anyway, plus he remembered that Sakura owed him after he rescued her from her small trouble with that airheaded goon. "Can I trust you…?"

Sakura and Yamazaki looked up to face him. "What is it, Li?"

"Can I trust the both of you… regarding my life…?"

It was a good thing that Tomoyo was already entertaining Eriol and Meiling at the living room by playing Yamazaki's guitar and singing for them, meaning they wouldn't be able to hear their conversation at the dining table. Sakura and Yamazaki approached Syaoran, being aware that secrecy and privacy are very important to celebrities like Syaoran.

"I want to help you, Li-kun," Sakura said. "You said so yourself earlier when you helped me get rid of Sakamoto. I promised in return that I would help you with whatever help you need."

"Then," Syaoran said, facing Sakura's green eyes. "Will you help me remember…? About my life here in Tomoeda?"

Sakura gave a nod. "Thank you for sharing this with us. I'm sure Yamazaki and I— and Tomoyo too, for sure— would be more than happy to help you. Ne, Tak?"

"Thank you. I really appreciate it," Syaoran bowed at them to show his gratitude. "And Yamazaki… a favor… please… not a word to your girlfriend or the entire Wolfpups Fanclub. Please?"

Yamazaki gave a slight chuckle. "It's bad enough that we just had dinner with you and I didn't even invite my girlfriend along. She's gonna kill me big time if she finds out."

"I'll deal with her if she asks, Yamazaki."

"Then sure. I'll make sure that I keep my mouth shut whenever Chiharu starts opening her big mouth and mentions your name in there."

"Thank you." Right then, he and Yamazaki shook hands. "Well, I know that I'll be spending most of my time in the set, but I want to keep in touch." He reached in to his pocket for his mobile phone.

"Sure thing," Yamazaki said and also reached his phone. He placed his mobile phone against Syaoran's mobile, and then two beeps coming from the two phones sounded.

Syaoran then turned to Sakura. "May we exchange phone numbers?"

Sakura gulped and swallowed. "I… I'm sorry! I don't have a cellphone!"

"No cellphone?" Somehow Syaoran responded with a rather sad tone.

"Well… it's just that… I mean I had one, but it broke and… my father was too busy to get my phone fixed and my brother simply refused to have my phone fixed." She sighed and dropped her head. "I'm hopeless, I know…"

Yamazaki snapped his fingers. "She does get her phone calls from Tomoyo's phone, so maybe just ask her for her number instead if you want to call Sakura."

"Hm. I guess it'll do." The two boys placed their mobile phones back in their pockets.

"Well, shall we join the others then?" Sakura grinned. "Tomoyo's at her singing sessions again. She's such a wonderful singer! You should listen too, Li-kun!"

"Haha, I'd like that."

The three teens left the dining area and right at the living room, where Tomoyo, Eriol, and Meiling have been busy being entertained.

#

Two hours before midnight arrived and Wei, Syaoran's manager and butler, arrived at the Yamazaki Residence. He reminded the three stars that they will be waking up early tomorrow morning for a breakfast briefing regarding their upcoming schedules for the movie shoot. Tomorrow afternoon is the press conference and performance by the local Tomoeda artists, meaning that the party among the teenagers at the Yamazaki living room was over.

Eriol decided that he would escort Tomoyo and Meiling across the street, just for courtesy. Syaoran, letting his pride take over him, saw this gesture as some kind of a competition on the gentleman category and volunteered to take Sakura home, even if it was just next door.

"Li-kun," Sakura chuckled as she exited the fence first, with Syaoran following her from behind. "It's only next door over there. I'll be fine."

"Well.. It's just that… after earlier today with that Sakamoto bastard I feel like… I'm obliged to protect you," Syaoran said, gritting his teeth in nervousness. _Why on earth did I say that?_

"After the way you tired him out earlier, Li-kun, I don't think he'll ever look at me or come near me ever again," Sakura answered in confidence. "But thank you so much for taking me home. That's very sweet of you."

They exchanged their goodnights to Tomoyo, Eriol, and Meiling as Sakura and Syaoran walked their way next door. Once they got to the fence, she spotted the living room lights on through the window. That only meant one thing.

"Looks like my father or my brother's home," Sakura gave a slight grin.

"That's good," Syaoran said. "If not I would've stayed with you until one of them comes home."

Sakura gasped and without thinking, placed her hands right against his chest. "Y-you don't want to meet my brother, Li-kun. Well, not yet anyway. My father is a very open and friendly man. I'd rather have you meet him than meeting Touya."

Syaoran gave a soft chuckle. "Considering what your brother did to that loser that made him want to get his revenge on him, I'm already aware about your brother's wrath."

"He's paranoid, Li-kun, so don't pay attention to any of his threats should he ever threaten you."

"Don't worry, I can deal."

Sakura gave a huge sigh of relief. Right then, silence fell between the two, with both find themselves blushing. Just as things were about to get awkward, both attempted to break the silence.

"Li-kun, um…"

"Listen, I…"

Sakura gasped. "Go ahead."

"No, ladies first."

"A-are you sure?" Sakura blinked.

"Please."

"Um… okay. Well… Li-kun… I know this is… awkward and a little early, but… this entire time I feel like… I mean… it's just that… when I accidentally ran in to you… and then we hung out at Yamazaki's house for dinner and then… the singing session and the chatting and… I felt as if… I mean… I feel as if…" Sakura found herself stammering, finding the right words while trying to restrain herself from blushing anymore.

"You felt as if we've known each other forever?" Syaoran assumed the continuation, which made Sakura gasp.

"Y-yes! That's it! And it's not just that… it's just… well…"

"You remind me of someone close to you?"

"Ack!" Sakura quickly covered her face to hide her embarrassed expression. "H-how… how did you…"

"Relax… Yamazaki told me—"

She dropped her hands quickly and glared immediately towards Yamazaki's house. "Why that blabbermouth…"

"I… I'm sorry about that." He bowed his head as his sign of apology.

"No, it's… it's not your fault. I was just shocked that you would mention about it…" She gave another sigh and then dropped her head. "I'm hopeless, I know…"

"Hey." Right then, Syaoran moved closer, just a few inches to where Sakura was standing. "I trust you with my life, remember? You and Yamazaki. I… well…" He turned his face away to hide the blushing. "I hope that… you'd trust me too… with your life."

Sakura gasped and slowly lifted her head towards him. "Li-kun… you have no idea how honored I am that you would trust me with your life. I… of course, I will trust you with mine. You already showed how trustworthy you can be earlier with the whole Sakamoto thing, so…" Once again, she bowed again. "Thank you so much, Li-kun!"

He returned the bow as well. "I thank you as well, Sakura."

When the two got up, Sakura couldn't help herself but flash a happy grin. "If you're wondering… my bedroom window's over there at the side, facing Yamazaki's side of the house." She pointed towards a huge window at the side of her house, right through a tall and fully-bloomed white cherry blossom tree standing between the Kinomoto Residence and the Yamazaki Residence.

"Well, is that so?" Syaoran smirked. "The room I'm staying is the window just across from yours."

"Eh?" Sakura gasped in shock. "You're staying at…" She pointed to the window at the Yamazaki's side facing her own window.

"Yup. Right there."

Sakura gulped nervously, knowing that the room where Li Xiaolang would be staying for the time being happened to be the former bedroom of her long-lost childhood beloved Syaoran Li. Still though, she didn't want to be rude to a guest, especially if that guest happened to be Li Xiaolang.

"I… I guess I still get to see you without going over to Tak's house!"

"And I get to speak to you through the window without your brother hounding me down like a dead turkey," Syaoran chuckled.

"Well then. See you tomorrow I guess," Sakura grinned.

"Yes. Goodnight, Sakura. Sweet dreams. See you tomorrow."

The two teens waved at each other, as Sakura entered her fence. Syaoran stood still to watch Sakura to make sure she does make it inside the house. When her door opened, four other individuals, namely the two older couples, Touya and Kaho, as well as Yukito and Nakuru, exited the house. Touya was escorting his guests while Sakura followed them from behind.

"Goodnight to all of you, Kaho-neechan, Nakuru-neechan, Yukito-san!" She waved at the three when Nakuru suddenly halted from the fence.

"Oh… Em… Gee…" Nakuru gasped once when her eyes spotted the hunble-looking Li Xiaolang standing right next to the fence. "Is that who I think it is, Kaho?"

"H-huh?" Syaoran gulped, blinking in shock.

Kaho quickly dashed right next to Nakuru and also spotted the handsome teen. "N-no way! Is that… is that…?"

"Huh? Who? What?" Yukito gasped, but it was too late. Both Nakuru and Kaho exited the fence and quickly approached Syaoran.

"It's Li Xiaolang! Oh my god he's already here— in our neighborhood and in front of the Kinomoto House!" Nakuru squealed happily like a fangirl.

"Li Xiaolang, I may be older than you but I'm your biggest fan!" Kaho screamed as a fangirl should.

"Can I have your autograph Li-kun? Please?!" Nakuru demanded.

"Uhh…" Suddenly Syaoran found himself in a bind. He had to make a run for it before these two older female fangirls get to him. "You mean me?!" He pointed immediately at himself with a shocked look on his face.

"What the— what's going on?!" Touya suddenly shouted his frustration. Just as he found the target, he began to throw threats right at him. "Get your ass over here, you little turd! That's my fiancee you're luring in! I'm gonna hunt you down like a headless chicken!"

"Oniichan, stop it! Leave him alone!" Sakura suddenly grabbed Touya by his arm, while Yukito also helping her to restratin the hotheaded older brother.

"Crap! Uhh— I don't know who Li what's-his-name is!" Syaoran began spitting out random words. "I'm Takashi Yamazaki's cousin… uhh… Shin! G-get away from me!" Quickly, he turned away and began to run from the two girls. Yukito decided to chase after the girls while Sakura continued to push Touya away from the fence.

"Nakuru! Kaho-san! Come back here!" Yukito called while he chased after the two women.

In the meantime, Touya continued to curse out his threats. "Next time I see your sorry ass face around here, you better start saying your prayers before I cream your brains out, you chick-stealing Don Juan!"

"Oniichan, please, stop! He's not who you think it is, please!" Sakura pleaded once more until she finally succeeded in pushing her brother back inside the house.

* * *

**A/N: **And so, we end this chapter with one of Touya's usual outbursts.

The song I used above is a very old song called "You Cheated" by The Murmaids (it's an early 60s song by the way). As I mentioned in my profile, I don't take any "song requests" to use in my fics. I only choose the songs that have suitable words to create the mood I imagined the scenario should be.

Just want to give a shoutout to **OtakuThatIsMe** and **neurogal09** for being the first two to leave reviews LOL. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you. :)

And I still await for more reviews, so please, feel free to give your reviews, whether they're praises or constructive criticism. Thanks again!


	5. 04: Tuesday Till Lunch

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 4: TUESDAY TILL LUNCH**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

"_Good morning Tomoeda Teensters! It's the first Tuesday morning of summer vacation, 6:00 a.m. and you all know what that day is, all you hip youngsters out there! Very soon, you'll be able to meet…"_

Sakura immediately woke up once her radio clock went off. She stretched her arms and got up from her bed immediately with a huge grin on her face. She had a wonderful dream last night, a very wonderful one indeed. Of all the dreams that she have had in the past, this one somehow gave her a bit of optimism starting today.

The sudden arrival of Li Xiaolang, Eriol Hiiragizawa, and Meiling Li truly stirred a few of the Tomoeda townsfolk. It was a good thing that they succeeded in keeping their presence in Tomoeda last night a secret. Well, that is, until her older brother Touya's loving fiancee Kaho and his best friend Yukito's fiancee Nakuru spotted the handsome amber-eyed hottie just outside her fence and all hell broke lose. Somewhat. She hoped that Yukito was able to catch up to the two fiancees from reaching the poor idol. She dashed right to the restroom to wash her face and gargle with her usual mouthwash. Then she headed back to her bedroom to fix her hair and changed in to her usual casual home clothes.

But first, she reached her desk and turned on her laptop. She quickly sent an email to her best friend from across the street:

_Tomoyo,_

_You're not gonna believe this, but guess what. I had such a wonderful dream last night. I dreamed that Li Xiaolang is actually Syaoran in disguise. He decided to take on the leading role in this new movie "Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf," as his way of making his exit from showbiz and then live here in Tomoeda for good. I know it's weird and all that, but maybe because I learned last night that Li-kun's temporary room was Syaoran's old room in Yamazaki's house._

_And you know how we used to talk through the window, see each other every morning and every night, and then there's instances where Syaoran would climb out of his window and right through the branches of the cherry blossom, just so he can get close to me so that we don't get caught by our parents? I dreamed that too. Li Xiaolang climbed out of the window and knocked on my window, telling me to wake up because it's morning._

_Oh, I don't know, Tomoyo. I mean I've only seen him in a magazine… then all of a sudden I see him in the flesh at night— and he even stood up for me against that jerk Sakamoto too. And now I'm having dreams that's telling me that my sweet little wolf and Li Xiaolang are the same person. I think it's a sign. It's a real sign that one day, soon and very soon, Syaoran will come back home to us here in Tomoeda!_

_How are you, by the way? I hope you and Meiling had a wonderful sleep last night. Probably you girls stayed up and just chat all night, huh? Wish I was there but you know how strict my brother is and Dad would probably be worried about me too, so I have to stay the diligent, dutiful daughter like I've always been._

_See you later! Today's the press conference and our band performance as the Cool Rascals!_

_Keep in touch! -Sakura_

She then pressed the "Send" button and headed to her closet to pick today's home outfit. The summer sun was beginning to burn up a bit, even if it was this early in the morning. Since it just so happened to be getting warm outside, she approached her side window, opened her pink lace curtains and then push her window panes open. That cherry blossom tree still held the usual number of blooms until her eyes found the window across from her at Yamazaki's house.

_Oh that's right,_ Sakura thought to herself. _Li Xiaolang is sleeping in Syaoran's old room…_

Just as the curiosity killed the cat, Sakura knew it was wrong to peep in to someone else's window, but considering her first meeting with her hero had such captivating fiery amber red eyes and that heart-melting, mesmerizing smile, what's a little peek?

_Oh no… what on earth am I thinking? I… I don't want him to think that I'm some kind of pervert… but… but… just a little peek… just… a little…_

She began to step out of her window to reach the nearest branch of the cherry tree. She hasn't changed her pink cherry blossom-designed PJs in to her day outfit of the day but since this was going to be just a small gaze on the handsome Chinese heartthrob that it shouldn't be a problem to climb across his window through the cherry blossom tree. Syaoran had done it several times several years ago and as a child both of them loved to climb and sit on the stable branches of this particular tree anyway. Why not do it again?

Once she found the sturdiest, she reached her foot on to it and slid herself down so she can get her entire body out of the window. She found her balance on that one single branch and was now in a sitting position. She needed to find the next sturdy branch to sit on next. When she spotted that particular branch, she couldn't reach out using her hand without losing her balance and end up with a few broken bones, therefore she decided to stretch out one leg and hook it around.

She was able to reach that second strong branch with her right leg. Using her leg, she lifted herself up and ended up clinging on to that branch. She shifted her position back on sitting position. Just two more branches to go and she would be able to be close enough to look through the window.

_Okay. One more sturdy branch. Come on, Sakura, you can do this._

She began to scan around the branches close to her for the next sturdy branch. She found two stable-looking branches that looked identical to each other. She gazed down to see that she was already over the fence that divided the Kinomoto property from the Yamazaki property. That only meant that she was very close, or rather just close enough to be able to see through the window.

_Well, what do I have to lose? My chance to see Li Xiaolang sleeping or my life? Oh heck, I can handle this dang tree, no problem!_

Using the same method she did earlier, she used her left leg to reach for one of the two identical sturdy branch. Gently crawling downward, she was able to reach that particular branch with her left foot. All she had to do was to push herself forward slowly and then have her right foot touch the other branch next to it. Before she knew it, once her right foot touched the other branch, she immediately lost her balance sitting down and tipped over to the right.

"Hoooooeeeee!" Sakura gave a loud yelp, but luckily her arms was able to grab those two branches. She couldn't find a supporting branch where she can place her feet so she would find her balance again. Now she found herself hanging for her bones and right over the fence leading to the Yamazaki side.

_Okay… this is like gymnastics, Sakura… all you gotta do is swing yourself to the next branch… or maybe the same branch…. Ready… here we go…_

Using her arms and her grip on to the branch, she began to swing herself back and forth as if she was simply doing her usual flips on the monkey bars in the local playground. Once she was able to gain momentum on her swinging back and forth, she reached her legs to the same branch she was holding on to. Looking like a sloth, she was now clinging her entire body on the same branch she was just holding on to.

_Okay… this is awkward… and embarrassing… this was a stupid idea… you really are an idiot, Sakura…_

She knew she had to get up back at the branches again before anyone else outside the neighborhood spot her monkeying around like it was no one's business. She couldn't have the entire neighborhood watch her just hanging on to the branch for no apparent reason. The worse case scenario at this point, for sure, was if Syaoran woke up and then opened his window to find the entire sakura tree— including its human version— greeted him with its beautiful blushing blossoms and a blushing girl in embarrassment.

Much to Sakura's fear of the latter happening, it actually happened. The window on the Yamazaki side opened and Syaoran, only wearing a forest green tank top and a small white towel around him.

"Hoe…" Sakura gave a soft shriek, not only because the teen star opened his window, but the fact that he only appeared in a tank top, showing off his contoured biceps also made her blush.

"Isn't this a beautiful morning," Syaoran grinned, gazing right at the cherry tree. "Even in the summer, the cherry blossoms of Tomoeda bloom endlessly…" And then he gazed right below where he found the girl next door clinging on to the branch for her life. "Even the human blossom sprung up along as well."

"G-Good morning, Li-kun…" Sakura stammered nervously. "Um… d-did you sleep well last night?"

Syaoran sat on the window sill, looking very amused at the situation right now. "The best… haven't had a good night's sleep for a long time now. It feels like I'm home, finally." He stretched his arms and then gave a soft chuckle. "What are you doing down there?"

"Um… well… this isn't what it looks like…"

"Is it an early morning habit that you climb the cherry tree like this?"

"Hoe…"

"Or maybe you're trying to give a new definition of 'tree-hugging'?"

"Hoe?"

"Or maybe…" He gave a slight snicker on his face. "… maybe there's something through this window of the other side of the fence that you would really _like_ to see?"

"Hooooeeee…" Sakura felt that her grip was already slipping and re-adjusted her legs around the branch to keep herself hanging.

"That's not a bad idea though. Maybe I should climb on the tree too so I can look through your window and see what I really _want_ to see, ne?" He gave her a wink, which made Sakura lose her grip on the legs and was now back to dangling on the air.

"N-no, it's not like that, really…" Sakura gave a panicking tone. "Well… um… it's… my… morning exercise routine… you know… I call it… the Cherry Blossom Pull-Ups!"

"Cherry blossom pull-ups?" Syaoran chortled.

"And… chin-ups too!"

"Chin-ups!" He could just sit at his windowsill and find entertainment at the hanging Sakura at the tree, but seeing that she was ready to fall hard down the ground, let alone the fence, that would seriously cause her major injuries, he gave in and began to climb out of his window and on to the nearest sturdy branch.

Somehow once he gripped on that branch, that same familiarity aura came to him again. It gave him the reminder that he had been climbing the branches of this same cherry tree. In fact, it even dated all the way back during his younger years where his father, still active and strong as he was before the accident, used to train him in doing pull-ups, chin-ups, and climbing using this very same cherry tree. Once he had his entire body on to the branches, he didn't even have to scan for the next sturdy branch. With swift movement, he was able to reach Sakura, whose hands were about to slip.

"I… I can't hold on…" Sakura gritted. "Hooooeeee!" Eventually, her hands slipped, but lucky for her, her savior was able to grab her right hand. "Whoa… whoa…"

"Hang on, Sakura, I got you…" The chin-length caramel-haired girl next door quickly grabbed his arm with her left hand, as Syaoran used his natural strength to lift her up to the branches. She found a sitting spot at a thicker branch with Syaoran sitting right across from her.

"S-Sorry about that…" Sakura chuckled nervously. "I… I'm sure you didn't want to see _that _first thing in the morning…"

Syaoran still could not help himself but to laugh some more. "You know, it isn't everyday that I get to see a beautiful girl 'tree-hugging' early this morning, you know."

"I-I'm not a tree-hugger!" Sakura protested with one fist tightening. "Well… that is… it's just that… I kinda miss climbing up this tree, that's all."

"Right." Syaoran had been surrounded by the female race all his life. After all, he had his stunningly beautiful mother and his four lusciously attractive sisters. And then there were also his fellow female co-idols and his ex-girlfriend named Meiling Li. He pretty much knew each of their motives whenever they face him. He can even read Sakura's intentions were for hanging around at the tree in the first place.

"Why are you up so early, Sakura? Isn't it summer vacation for you guys?"

"Well… it's just that… um… it's hard to explain… something sprung up within me and… you know… I just feel like waking up this morning, that's all!"

"It's about 6:30 in the morning now," Syaoran said, stretching his arms again while resting comfortably on the branches of the tree. "Our pre-production meeting isn't until in an hour and we'll be having free breakfast."

"Wow, it's definitely going to be a busy day for you guys!"

"What are you up to for today, Sakura? Well, aside from performing with your band after the press conference and all."

"Um… well… I'm not sure…" Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "For sure Tomoyo wants to do something for today, that's for sure. My dad will be heading off to university again to continue his doctoral thesis again. Touya… I'm not sure…"

Syaoran then cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So… I heard from Yamazaki that those two ladies who chased me last night are your brother's and his best friend's fiancees?"

"Sorry about that…" Sakura sighed. "I didn't even know that the neechans are closet Wolfpups too. But it's not your fault at all. I didn't even know they'd be there at my house too along with Touya and Yukito-san."

"Your brother doesn't seem too pleased to see me I'm afraid…" Syaoran gave a light grin.

"Ignore him, Li-kun. He can go overboard but he's a really good guy. Honest!"

"Hehe, I believe you."

"And… I guess now you must be thinking that the Tomoeda people aren't very normal…"

Syaoran broke in to laughter again. "What are you talking about, Sakura? I like it here."

"R-Really?" Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.

"A lot of people in showbiz are tons much weirder than here to tell you the truth."

"Xiao?! Where are you?"

Right when the two were about to carry on with their conversation, a panicking voice appeared right at the Yamazaki window, which almost startled Sakura and losing her balance again. Luckily for her, Syaoran was able to hold her steady with his hands holding tightly on to Sakura's shoulder blades.

"Eriol?" Syaoran gasped to see his fellow idol and best friend sticking his head out from his window.

"Good thing you're awake— and already hiding…"

"Hiding? I'm not exactly hiding—"

"Yamazaki just woke me up. He also woke up when his mobile phone rang. Turns out his girlfriend wants to come over to his house…"

Sakura chuckled. "Chiharu? She's coming over?"

"And… you know how she doesn't know that we're already here, let alone her own boyfriend's house?" Eriol gritted his teeth. "Yeah… we're in a bit of a dilemma."

Syaoran's eyes widened in shock and then scooted himself to another branch to give some room to Eriol. "Come on over, Eriol."

"Thanks, Xiao!" Eriol grinned and slowly climbed himself out from the window and then inside the cherry blossom tree. He found a spot right next to Syaoran and decided to relax there. "My my, this cherry tree is really sturdy!" Immediately he took notice of Sakura adjacent to his best friend. "Well, well, look at what we have here. Even human cherry blossoms reside in the tree?"

"Hoe…" Sakura gasped and then cleared her throat. "Good morning, Hiiragizawa-kun!"

"Now why on earth would you also be in this lovely cherry blossom tree, my dear?" Eriol grinned. "You've only met one another in twenty-four hours and you're already sneaking out of your rooms for your very first snogging session? Tsk, tsk. You go Xiao!"

"Don't get any funny ideas, Eriol," Syaoran gave a direct glare towards him. "Sakura and I were doing our early morning workouts!"

"Oh? Let me guess… pull-ups… chin-ups… branch-gripping and lip-locking?"

"Say one more word and your ass is mine, got that?" Syaoran gave a threat.

"Settle down now, Xiao. You know I'm joking." Right then, he gazed at the girl next door, still in her PJs. "I thought you would be sleeping in this very fine summer Tuesday, Sakura?"

The girl simply just gave a gentle grin. "I want to sleep in, but something really forced me to wake up, you know?"

"Ah, one of those things," Eriol nodded. "Could it be because Li Xiaolang just happened to be next door to you?"

"Eriol!" Syaoran fumed.

"Kidding… kidding…" Eriol snickered.

"Speaking of hiding, where's Wei?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"He left a note on the table when Yamazaki woke up. He went out jogging to meet up with Terada at the inn. He'll be back before the meeting."

Just before they were going to continue chatting, they heard Yamazaki's voice coming from the front as if he was shouting right at them. "Oh! Good morning Chiharu!"

"Crap!" Syaoran gave a soft curse. "She's here…" Sakura and Eriol then gave a hush as they listened in.

"Why on earth are you shouting, Tak? It's not like I'm deaf!"

"Well… it's… it's a very… very… _very_ lovely sunny summer day, you know? I just have this urge… to shout. GOOD MORNING!"

"Anyway, Tak. Aren't you gonna let me in?"

"In? Oh… um… the house is kind of a mess right now… my folks came over last night."

"What? Your folks came over? How come you didn't invite me? You could've introduced me to your family, you know…"

"Um… uh… it was last minute and… well… they're leaving soon but they're asleep right now. C-come back in thirty minutes!"

"Thirty minutes? Are you insane?"

"I'll… I'll call you, Chiharu, promise! Love you!"

"What the… what are you… why are you pushing me away from your house? Tak, I need to talk to you! It's something important about later today! You've gotta be kidding me…"

"I… I can't do anything right now, I gotta clean up or else my elders are gonna kill me—" Right then, silence came.

"FINE, TAK! BE THAT WAY! YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT OUR AFTER-PRESS CONFERENCE DATE, YOU HEAR ME?… AND… AND… YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT ME INTRODUCING LI XIAOLANG TO YOU EITHER!"

Although they couldn't see what was going on, they did hear Chiharu leave the premises, which gave them a huge sigh of relief. "Well then," Eriol said. "That didn't take too long…"

"I'm a little nervous," Syaoran admitted. "That Chiharu Mihara… she's the president of the Wolfpups here in Tomoeda and Yamazaki's girlfriend too. She sounds rather… controlling…"

Sakura shook her head. "She's a really sweet girl, you know. It's just that Tak's lying and make-up stories drive her nuts, you know? But they love each other… in a very… um… interesting way…"

Eriol patted Syaoran on the shoulder. "Well, with Xiao around, this will be a test to see if your Wolfpups president would actually stay faithful to her love or would rather drop him for her celebrity crush. What do you think, Xiao?"

"Don't get me involved in someone else's love life, Eriol," Syaoran scooted away from his friend. "Sure, I'm required to meet the fanclub presidents around the country but I don't plan on getting close to any one of them. It's bad enough that many of the latest couple breakups around have me as the one to blame. I'm not gonna make enemies with our host over that Chiharu girl."

"Then again," Sakura joined in, "the best part with our Wolfpups here in Tomoeda is that you're closer to the boyfriend than to the president herself!"

"Thank God for that," Syaoran gave a sigh of relief. At this moment, Yamazaki appeared at the side window.

"Hiiragizawa, Li, my girlfriend's go— oh, hello there Kinomoto. Why are you there?"

Because of his sudden appearance, Sakura loses her balance again and now hanging on her branch with just her arms. "Hoooeeee… heeeeelp!"

"Oi! Sakura, hang on!" Quickly, Syaoran and Eriol reached for the girl before she falls from the tree, while Yamazaki flashed a shy and nervous grin.

"Guess I appeared at the wrong time… sorry about that…"

#

An hour passed and Sakura found herself all dressed up in a mint green short-sleeved t-shirt with a design print that says "Minty Fresh Cool" and long denim capri pants. She was already at the breakfast table with her father and her brother, enjoying her father's famous Belgian waffles and fruit salad. Her father, archeology doctor Professor Fujitaka Kinomoto, noticed Sakura's chirpy attitude this morning while her brother, the hotheaded, overprotective Touya Kinomoto, had been glaring at her with a suspicious mind.

"Your Belgian Waffles are so moist and juicy and incredibly delicious, Dad," Sakura gave a huge grin at her father, with eyes looked like she had some other ulterior motive.

"Am I really getting better, Sakura?" Fujitaka chuckled. "When I'm finished with my thesis, I'll be sure to spend some more time with you in the kitchen and teach you how to make the best Belgian Waffles all of Tomoeda has ever tasted."

"Thanks, Dad! I look forward to that!"

"Huh, quite surprising that you're up this early considering we're out on a summer break…" Touya muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Oh shut up, Oniichan," Sakura frowned. "I woke up early. So what?"

"Why do you have petals stuck on your hair, beast?"

At that point, she wanted to punch her brother in the face for calling her yet another synonym for monster. Instead, she was taken aback when he noticed the scattered petals on her hair. "Hoe?"

Quickly Sakura began to rub her chin-length caramel hair and found a few cherry blossom petals dropping from her hair. "Well… I must have left my window open last night. It was really hot in my room and I wanted it a bit cooler. I guess a gust of wind blew through the cherry blossom tree next to my window that a lot of these petals just flew right through my room and landed on my hair!" Obviously she knew that was a lie. She didn't want to let both her father and Touya that she actually climbed over the cherry blossom tree just so she can take peek at Syaoran's window at the Yamazaki residence.

"A gust of wind, huh…" Touya continued to stare at her as he continued nibbling on his waffle.

Fujitaka led out a sigh as he finished his plate. "Oh goodness… I am running out of options…"

"Dad… no rush, please. I'll… I'll definitely find someone… although I do wish you'd stop setting me up with random guys anymore…"

Touya turned his head towards his father. "You're not sick or anything with some chronic disease, are you Dad?"

"Huh? Of course not, Touya. How could you think about that? I'm just stressed out with this thesis, that's all."

"Well, you're in a rush to really hook Sakura up with some goon, that's all. I mean, one failed date with one guy, then the next week, she gets set up with another one again? Kaho and I are also having trouble organizing our plans for our wedding and you're not even paying attention to that."

"Touya, you do know that when it comes to love, daughters are a priority—"

From out of the blue, Touya slammed a fist on the table. "Dad, come on. At this point I'm more priority in this family than she is. Kaho's parents have been spending a lot of time with her planning for her wedding gown and the bridesmaids and all of that what not. Yukito's got his own wedding plans with Nakuru too and he's got support from his family too. When am I gonna get your support, Dad?"

Sakura gave a nod. "Oniichan's right, Dad. I'm only seventeen and ineligible to get married yet. Oniichan has been hurrying to finish his grad school too so he and Kaho-neechan can finally get married. I wanna help too but I don't know what groom's sisters actually do to support their brothers… is all…"

"But Sakura…"

"I'm fine, Dad. I'm a very patient person. I'll find him. Don't worry… right, Oniichan?"

Touya shrugged. "Well, you haven't actually dated anybody before all your life. Hell, you wouldn't even look at any other guy around Tomoeda except for that Chinese brat who used to live next door to us…"

"He's not a brat, Oniichan," Sakura glared. "You're just jealous of Syaoran because he's a master in martial arts and he's better in many sports than you are!"

"Oi, who told you that you can compare him to me, huh? I'm glad he moved out of Tomoeda. At least he wouldn't be giving me a headache."

"Please," Sakura rolled her eyes. "You became a whole lot worse since Syaoran and his family moved out of Tomoeda. You got lucky that you're able to win the heart of the one you've had a crush on since you were a kid. Do you see me complain about her? What about my happiness with Syaoran?"

"What? Don't compare Kaho to that little twerp! She's smart, beautiful, mature… unlike that kid who thinks he knows everything and thinks he's all that. Grr… guys like him piss me off!"

"Touya, calm down," Fujitaka warned him. "For once, please, share us some good and happy news regarding your life. I'm already stressed enough as it is."

At that point, Sakura gave a gasp and gazed right at her father. "Dad, um… can I ask you something?"

"Sure thing, Sweetheart. What is it?" Fujitaka gave his usual grin.

"I… I was wondering if I can invite someone over for dinner…"

"Dinner, huh? A new friend?"

Sakura nodded. "Yup. A new friend. Well, I have to ask him about his schedule first…"

Touya raised an eyebrow. "Say that again? Did you say 'him'?"

"Yes, I said 'he,'" Sakura returned the glare.

"Is it Yamazaki? Dunno if his girlfriend would be happy about—"

"It's not Yamazaki, Oniichan. Just…" Sakura tightened a fist and then closed her eyes. "Just trust me for once, Oniichan. I don't have that many male friends but I made a new one… yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"Y-yeah! He's… he's one of Yamazaki's friends from… some other town… and yeah. He and I get along real well and I want him to meet the family, so…"

Fujitaka gave a nod. "Take your time, Sakura. Just let me know when he is free and I'll be sure to take the night off for this dinner."

"Oh, and Dad? When that dinner meeting comes, could you also prepare your famous, super-deliciously scrumptious Whisperjay Stew?"

Her father gave a chuckle. "Whisperjay Stew?"

"What the… do you know how long that dish takes to prepare? Are you giving Dad a heart attack or something?" Touya retorted.

"Touya, be quiet," his father shouted in return. "If Sakura wants to have Whisperjay Stew for that special dinner, then she and her new friend will have Whisperjay Stew for dinner." He turned to his daughter and grinned. "You got yourself a deal, dear."

"Thanks so much, Dad! I love you!" Sakura gave a cheerful smile while Touya rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, this family has favoritism going on here." The son shook his head and proceeded in to finishing his breakfast, while the father picked up today's newspaper on the table and continued to read. Sakura, on the other hand, also finished the rest of her breakfast.

Touya got up from his seat. "I'm gonna take a shower before Sakura and I head over to the Daidoujis across the street. Final rehearsal for later today."

"Alright, Touya. You're dismissed." The oldest son quickly climbed upstairs to take a shower.

"So Dad," Sakura broke the silence after finishing her waffles. "Are you going back to the university again today?"

"Not today, dear," Fujitaka said. "I'll be working on my thesis in my den, plus I have a meeting with my colleagues regarding our group project."

"Oh? What's your project about?"

"It was a unanimous decision. We decided to do a group analysis on the history and background of The Book of Keroberos."

"The Book of Keroberos? Wouldn't that be difficult?"

"Sakura, there is no such thing as an easy project for your doctorate, Sweetheart. Of course it'll be difficult."

"Ah. Right, right." She stood up and began collecting the dirty dishes from the table. "Say, Dad, can I ask you something? It's abou The Book of Keroberos."

"Yes? What is it?"

"It's true right? That when a parent sets up their daughter with a guy for potential future marriage, that guy has to be a resident of Tomoeda, right?"

"Well, yes. The boy must either be born in Tomoeda or that boy have lived in Tomoeda for at least five years. No lesser than that. That rule only applies when a parent sets her up with a boy. If the girl gets lucky and meets someone of her own without getting set up by the family, the boy can be an outsider."

"Then… can I ask you something…?"

"What is it, Sakura?"

"Should… Should I finally find the whereabouts of Syaoran Li… would you… set me up with him?"

Just as Fujitaka was about to sip on his coffee cup, he ended up accidentally spitting it out. "S-Syaoran Li? Your childhood best friend from next door before?" Sakura nodded slowly. "My dear, that would be very difficult. I've lost contact with his parents and believe me, I've tried searching for them while I was spending my guest lecturing at the University of Hong Kong. I really do wish I could do a whole lot more but… unfortunately it's difficult to locate the Lis anywhere. After all, Syaoran's father's name is a very common name and it's going to take forever to narrow it in to that one name."

"But Dad… isn't there any other way to find them in Hong Kong…?"

"And in addition, in order for me to set you up with Syaoran, his parents have to approve of it as well. You know how the rules go, Sakura."

#

Meanwhile at the Tomoeda Inn Conference Room, where the movie cast and crew of _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ were already having their closed-door pre-production meeting, the very famous movie producer Yutaka Kichise, recently arrived in Tomoeda very early in the morning and was already discussing the set-up of the movie shoot. All of Tomoeda and even the meadows and forest areas will be used in the movie shoot and that the famous screenwriting couple, Toshifumi and Taeko Kashii, also wanted the feel of the entire movie to be completely local. In short, everything that they use from the clothing to the dishes they eat, as well as character gestures, should be adapted based on the local Tomoeda customs and gestures. Toshifumi gave a brief history that he was born and lived his first ten years as a child in Tomoeda. Contrary that he married a Tokyo city girl Taeko, even Taeko herself even mentioned that she briefly lived in Tomoeda for five years as a teenager before she took off for college and decided to live in the city.

In this case, the couple also emphasized that the costume designs for the movie will be designed by the world famous Daidouji Couture, personally designed by Sonomi Daidouji herself. Not only because she can create such stylish, hip, and cool designs that always seem to be always the trendsetter month after month, but the designer is also a Tomoeda native. Local talent, local creations.

During the briefing, Eriol whispered softly on to Meiling's ear. "Hey… Meiling…"

"What?" Meiling responded in a soft whisper.

"Does Xiao know…?"

"Eh? About what?"

"About Toshifumi and Taeko Kashii… most especially Taeko Kashii…"

"Huh? I don't think so. Why you ask?"

"Didn't you know that Taeko is not Japanese? I mean, she's a Japanese citizen now but her ethnicity…"

Meiling went to check on Syaoran, who was sitting next to her. He looked completely focused to the meeting and had the expression that he didn't want to be disturbed. She then slowly scooted closer to Eriol. "What on earth are you on about?"

Eriol shifted his eyes in all directions, making sure that no one was eavesdropping. He even checked on Syaoran to be sure he wasn't listening either.

"Taeko's birth name is Jingmei Luo… she's a cousin of Xiao's mother."

Meiling gave a soft gasp. "A-are you kidding me? Don't lie, Eriol."

"Wei told me about it this morning when Xiao was still asleep. The story of _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_, was actually based on actual events, somewhat, of their experiences in Tomoeda. Jingmei Luo and Xiao's mom were foreign exchange students from Hong Kong during their high school years. They both went to college at Waseda University in Tokyo. It was there that Xiao's mom met Xiao's dad. Their romantic affair was mostly spent in Japan, but then his dad's father died and that he had to inherit the business. Because of that, he decided to go back to Hong Kong and that his mom was willing to go back home with him. Jingmei Luo, on the other hand, stayed."

"Wow… what family history…"

"They were in Hong Kong for awhile, then the family business became so profitable that they wanted to expand internationally. Japan became their first target and they decided to move back to Tomoeda for the expansion. They were flying back and forth between Hong Kong and Japan while his mom was pregnant with the kids. The first two daughters were born in Hong Kong. The next two daughters were born in Tomoeda. And then Xiao himself was born in Hong Kong, then the entire family moved back to Tomoeda."

"Hm… interesting…" Meiling began to rub her chin gently.

"It was supposed to be for good, but then there was a huge opportunity for expansion again in other regions in China that they decided to move back to Hong Kong. Xiao was around ten or eleven when they moved back… and then… well… you know what happened after that…" Meiling sighed sadly and nodded.

"And now Xiaolang doesn't remember anything about his life here in Japan… Poor Xiaolang…" She gazed towards her ex-boyfriend and then gave another sad sigh.

"I asked Sakura last night during our dinner at Yamazaki's house if she knew of the Kashii Couple. She didn't know neither of the two but she did say that there is a Kashii Family here in Tomoeda."

"Hm," Meiling began to wonder. "So… Taeko Kashii used to be Jingmei Luo…"

"She became a Japanese citizen so she can marry Toshifumi, her high school sweetheart. They met here in Tomoeda and she was a foreign exchange student from Hong Kong. When she became a citizen, she changed her name to Taeko Ri. When she got married, she became Taeko Kashii."

"And Xiaolang doesn't know anything about this…?"

Eriol then gazed at Syaoran again, who was still immersed with the entire meeting. "I want to tell him, but it's none of my business, Meiling. Maybe eventually Taeko Kashii will tell him one day."

"Well, let's talk about this later, Eriol. We still got a meeting here." The two halted their conversation and went back to listening at the briefing.

The screenwriters continued to talk about their ideal setting. The movie soundtrack will be composed by a very few select most prestigious music composers in the industry, however the movie will also include musical talent. Rather than hiring some famous pop stars, the Kashiis proposed that they should hire local Tomoeda talent to perform in the movie.

Syaoran's interest peaked immediately once he heard of the words "local Tomoeda talent" in the proposal. He then turned to Meiling and Eriol and whispered to them: "Isn't Sakura, Yamazaki, and Tomoyo in a rock band or something like that?"

Eriol turned his head towards Syaoran. "Yeah. Cool Runnings or… Cool Rockers or…"

"Cool Rascals," Meiling corrected him. She flashed a huge grin on her face. "That would be so cool! Seeing Tomoyo and Sakura and Yamazaki and whoever the rest of their band may be in the movie shoot. We get to hang out with them too!"

"Yeah," Syaoran flashed a smile. "That would be really awesome if they also get in the movie."

The three remained silent again until the screenwriters moved to the discussion of the characters of the movie, as well as the plot of the story. Toshifumi then began: "_Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf _was entirely Taeko's idea. As we mentioned before, she and I did live here and graduated from Tomoeda High School and a lot of the scenes here are based in real events, but the main concept of the entire story is mainly discovery of the importance of self, past memories, and of course, the discovery of true love. In this story, we have an eighteen-year-old young man named Hinata Chiirou, who got himself lost in to a mysterious town, like Tomoeda, with all of his memories completely erased. There, he meets a young girl some months younger than him, Sakura Horibe, whom she wants to help him recover his memories, but in the process, not only that he rediscovers his entire identity, his memories, but he also discovers his true connection to this mysterious town. Most of all, he also discovers his one true love all his life, who just happened to be right in front of him. Of course, there will be the usual teenage hijinks and drama, it will definitely be a classic sweet and tender teen romance story…"

Meiling grinned and nudged Syaoran. "Ne, Xiaolang? Isn't it ironic that the main girl's name is also Sakura?"

Syaoran slowly shifted his eyes towards her. "And your point…?"

"Just saying. That's all." She couldn't get the grin off of her face and that she decided to remain silent. Syaoran, on the other hand, simply rolled his eyes and ignored her.

The briefing continued. "As you know, our main cast consist of: Li Xiaolang as Hinata Chiirou, new leading lady Mai Hirashiki as Sakura Kumamoto, Eriol Hiiragizawa as Takeru Yamanaka, and Meiling Li as Tomoko Domyouji. The rest of the roles should be in the first few pages of your screenplay, so be sure you make a run-through with your fellow actors so you can all get the feel of this entire movie's mood…"

About an hour and a half later, meeting was finally adjourned. They have to prepare for the upcoming press conference and that they have to head back to their quarters to get ready. Luckily for Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling, they didn't have to join the rest of the cast and crew at the inn and that they're able to eat lunch with their new friends back home.

Just as the three, along with Wei, were about to exit the conference room, the fourth young actress, Mai Hirashiki, rushed to them, then quickly wrapped her arms around Syaoran's right arm. "Xiao— I mean Li-kun! Where've you been last night? I missed you…"

"Uh… sleeping?" Syaoran answered in a sarcastic tone as he attempted to yank his arm away from her tight grip.

"I was thinking. All four of us should hang out together and do our read-throughs, don't you think?"

"Uhh… well…" Eriol quickly placed his arm around Syaoran to stir him away from the flirty actress. "Maybe tonight… after the celebration and such… maybe over dinner…" He turned to the other two. "What do you guys say?"

"Sure, why not?" Meiling shrugged her shoulders. "How about you, Xiaolang?"

Obviously to Syaoran, being an actor in a leading role of this movie, he really had no choice. His heart somehow yearned to hang out with someone else instead. In particular, that adorable green-eyed girl next door.

"Awrighty, sure."

"Great!" Mai giggled happily. "I don't know which place we should hang out, but it has to be somewhere private so no crazy rabid fangirls would come disturb us, ne?"

"Sure," Syaoran shrugged. "You pick the place."

Quickly, Meiling grabbed both Syaoran's and Eriol's arms to drag them away. "Well… um… we must be going now… gotta get ready for the press conference!"

Mai giggled and waved. "Okay! See you later!"

They exited the inn and all four gave a sigh of relief. No media to crowd around the Tomoeda Inn entrance. Not yet, anyway. They spotted a slick black Lexus, in which Wei was able to rent from the town's rent-a-car service. Meiling took the shotgun while the two boys sat at the back seat.

Once they got in, the three young stars opened their screenplay to start skimming through their roles. They first reached the cast list along with the roles.

"You know, I've noticed something really strange about our character names," Eriol said.

Syaoran and Meiling turned their heads toward him. "What?"

"The characters that Mai Hirashiki, Meiling, and myself are nearly similar to the names of our new friends."

"Hm, now you mentioned it…" Meiling turned to her cast list. "You're right." She then began to read the character names. "Sakura Kumamoto, Takeru Yamanaka, Tomoko Domyouji…"

"Sakura Kinomoto, Takashi Yamazaki, Tomoyo Daidouji…" Syaoran stated the similarities between the names. "Yeah, talk about coincidence."

"Ah, I really like your character name, Xiaolang," Meiling giggled. "How cool-sounding is Hinata Chiirou?"

"Haha, yeah," Syaoran chuckled. "I like it too." He also noticed another feature regarding the name. "Sure is weird how the way 'Chiirou' was written is the same way I write my first name…"

"Hey, you're right, Xiaolang!" Meiling gasped. Then she began to ponder while murmuring: "Now where have I heard of that name 'Chiirou' from…?"

Wei interrupted them while he remained his gaze towards the road. "Here is what you three will be doing from this point. You get dressed, suit up for the upcoming press conference. There should be a cast and crew free lunch at this place called Mooncastle Diner, but as for the three of you, you are also invited in to a fan meet and greet luncheon with the Wolfpups and the Moonies.

"Oh?" Meiling gave a puzzled look. "I'm invited too? I don't have an official fanclub here at Tomoeda."

"There's also the Xiao-Ling Pairing Fanclub also…"

"Eh?!" She and Syaoran shrieked in shock. "A pairing fanclub exists too?"

"It's strange, but yes, you do have a pairing fanclub. Although everyone knows that you are no longer together, they still appreciate the two of you for your talents and your friendship and camaraderie with each other."

"Aw, that's so sweet, Wei," Meiling chuckled. "I feel honored!"

"Yeah, thanks," Syaoran gave a slight grin.

Eriol gave a sad sigh. "That sucks. We don't even get to hang out with Kinomoto-san, Daidouji-san, and Yamazaki-san at all this entire day?"

"Don't worry, Master Eriol, Yamazaki knows our schedule. I've spoken with him this morning. The locals still don't know that we arrived here yesterday, therefore no one knows that we've already met three locals last night."

"Four," Meiling corrected. "Remember that writer girl, Naoko Yanagisawa? Don't forget her too."

"Ah, she will be also at the fan meet and greet luncheon, Miss Meiling," Wei reminded her. "She's one of the main writers of this Tomoeda Youth Official Blog website so she will be writing stories about the fan meet and greet and she will also be the one assigned to be at the press conference to ask you questions, just like the rest of the media."

"At least we've got Yanagisawa there," Syaoran gave a slight frown. "I appreciate the fan meet and greet events but I get nervous at the same time. I shouldn't be thinking about my fans being obsessive and rabid, I know…"

"Considering that the Tomoeda Branch Wolfpups president is the only one among your list of fanclub presidents who has a boyfriend, maybe the Tomoeda Wolfpups would be a whole lot more subtle than the rest of the other Wolfpups around the country."

"I hope you're right about that, Eriol."

Moments later, they arrive at the neighborhood of Hanaten Avenue, the location of the neighborhood where their new friends from last night met. Wei drove the car towards the huge iron gate leading to the Daidouji residence. He rang the intercom doorbell to identify themselves and their reason for being there. Wei and world-famous fashion designer Sonomi Daidouji, the proprietor of the Daidouji Household already made arrangement that he is allowed to park their rental car in the Daidouji premises so no one would suspect if they see a fancy-looking car parked in front of the Yamazaki Residence.

"We must hurry," Wei said as he and the three teens exited the car. At the front of the Daidouji House stood Sonomi Daidouji, still looking as sharp and sophisticated as ever.

"Ah, Daidouji-san!" The three teens greeted their favorite designer with open arms.

"Welcome to Tomoeda, kids," Sonomi gave a light chuckle. "You people are so sneaky, arriving in Tomoeda last night instead of today."

"Director Terada was really paranoid with the paparazzi and all that, so he decided for us to travel here yesterday," Eriol quickly explained.

"My daughter sent me a text of your arrival last night and that I had to take the earliest train travel from Tokyo to here. I just arrived here an hour ago." She then opened the door behind her. "Come on in. Your outfits for the press conference is ready to go!"

"Wow," Syaoran showed enthusiasm. "You have our outfits done already? Sweet!"

"I'm so glad that Tomoyo just happened to be one of the first people you met upon your arrival. Thank goodness."

They entered the house and then Sonomi directed them to another chamber, where she uses to work on her designs, sewing, and all the like. "This is my official home studio, everyone! All my hard work as an amateur designer began right in this very place. My husband was so sweet and supportive of my career goals. We now have everything that we wanted including a child of our very own, but my husband would also like to have a son as well."

"Ne," Meiling changed the subject. "We never really hear about your husband…"

"Oh, he currently lives overseas in England to expand the Daidouji Entertainment empire. He does fly back here for special occasions, such as Tomoyo's birthday, Christmas, and also works here at home in the summer. Apparently he can't come home this year because he's working hard opening new toy stores in Ireland. We all understand." She then turned to her uniformed maids. "Please, get the baths ready for our guests."

"Yes, Ma'am." The maids bowed to her as they headed out to get the baths ready for the three teens. Another set of maids entered with a tray of tea and tea biscuits. Sonomi invited them to the tea table, where they are now indulging in a few refreshments.

"So, aside from Tomoyo, who else did you meet?"

"We met your two neighbors from across the street," Meiling answered.

"Across the street… I'm guessing… Yamazaki and Kinomoto?"

"Yup. Takashi Yamazaki and Sakura Kinomoto. They were harvesting night berries when we met them."

"Oh!" Sonomi gave a chuckle. "So it was their turn to have night berry harvest duties. I hope Tomoyo didn't have any trouble doing her harvesting on her own. You see whenever our family is selected to have night berry harvest duties, the two of us always harvest them together. Last night was the first time harvesting by herself but I'm glad Sakura-chan and Takeshi-kun were there with her." She took a sip of her tea and then sighed. She also displayed a rather melancholic expression on her face. "Oh Nadeshiko… if only you could see our girls today…"

"Nadeshiko?" The three teens simultaneously asked regarding the name.

"Oh!" Sonomi gave a shy chuckle. "I'm sorry about that, I'm being so nostalgic. Let me explain." She took a bite of her cracker until she chewed and swallowed. "Nadeshiko Amamiya was my best friend… my only best friend… since we were in pre-school, right here in Tomoeda. We pretty much did everything together… we even found ourselves future husbands too, but then… sudden things happened.. .and the next thing I knew… she was gone…"

"Oh," Syaoran sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that, Daidouji-san."

"Nadeshiko was also Sakura's mother, you know."

"Oh!" The three teens gasped in surprise.

"That explains why your daughter and Sakura are best friends?" Meiling said. "That's really cool… Your sisterly friendship even extended to the next generation too!"

"You could say that, Meiling," Sonomi chuckled. "In high school, it was only the two of us, then we befriended two exchange students from Hong Kong. One of them went by Jingmei Luo. The other was Ieran Chin. We became our very own little clique with just four fun, easygoing girls who didn't have a care in the world except for our dreams and our goals. I wish we'd still be together here, living happily with our husbands and our families, but you know, we also have our own professions and other goals too. Jingmei tayed in Tokyo to pursue her creative writing, while the rest of us three went back to Tomoeda. When we got married and raised families, we even decided to live in the same neighborhood. Ieran and her family used to live in the house across the street, where Yamazaki currently lives now. Of course, Nadeshiko and her family lived next door to them…"

Syaoran poured more tea in his teacup as Sonomi continued on. "Did I ever tell you? Maybe I didn't, but I will anyway. I pitched in a few ideas for _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ when Jingmei— wait, she's Taeko now— was gathering ideas for the script. I had a lot of fun, that's for sure…"

Eriol and Meiling quickly gazed at each other, remembering what they talked about during the meeting regarding the screenwriter's past and her relationship with Syaoran's mother. This Ieran Chin that Sonomi must be Syaoran's mother. Still, does Syaoran even know all this himself? They knew that it was rude to stick in to anybody's personal business but both really wanted to tell him about his family connections towards Tomoeda and the people. Now they know new things now: The screenwriter Jingmei Luo, alias Taeko Kashii, and Syaoran's mother, assuming that her maiden name was Ieran Chin, are cousins. Their favorite designer Sonomi Daidouji have met the Chinese cousins in high school. In addition, Sonomi Daidouji was lifelong best friends with the late Nadeshiko Amamiya, Sakura Kinomoto's mother. To add it all up together, The screenwriter, the fashion designer, the mysterious woman who used to live across the street, and the mother of Li Xiaolang hung out with each other in high school and partially in college.

Conclusion: Syaoran Li, alias Li Xiaolang, was a long-time resident of Tomoeda.

They even turned towards Syaoran, who was again, focused on Sonomi's stories and not even aware of his current surroundings. At that point, one of the maids came in to the studio.

"Ma'am, the baths are ready."

"Well then," Sonomi smiled and stood up. "Your baths are ready, kids."

"Thanks so much, Daidouji-san!"

"Oh, just call me Sonomi, kids. And you can call my daughter Tomoyo also. Both of us insist." The three teens waved at their designer as they made their way to the baths.

#

Hours later, Syaoran, Eriol, now wearing his usual contact lenses instead of his spectacles whenever he's not in the public eye, and Meiling spent their lunch hour with the Tomoeda Branch of the Club Wolfpups, Club Moonies, and this new fanclub that seems to be only available in Tomoeda: The Xiao-Ling Pairing Fanclub. They had a meet and greet session, signing autographs and taking photos, and of course, the long-awaited luncheon that was catered exclusively by Mooncastle Diner. It was a good thing that Touya and Yukito were given the day off on that day for they still have to rehearse for their performance right after the press conference.

Speaking of Touya and Yukito, their small local band, Cool Rascals, were also having their rehearsal in the same location as the luncheon. The press conference will take place at the amphitheater area at Tomoeda Penguin Park. The meet and greet was only a few feet away from the amphitheater. The Cool Rascals rehearsal was also nearby.

Chiharu and Rika finally met with their idols, and of course, their special guest Meiling. The pigtailed Wolfpups president knew that her boyfriend Takashi Yamazaki was nearby and felt proud that her boyfriend was about to get lucky when she introduces a famous celebrity to him. Rika, on the other hand, hoped that Eriol wasn't particularly interested in any other girl in showbiz and that she, like all the other Moonies president around the country, they all have their personal ulterior motives. The Xiao-Ling Pairing Fanclub were probably the most gracious sets of fans that both Syaoran and Meiling have met. They didn't care whether they already broke up, as long as they still remained in good terms, are still friends, and would still be working together in their future projects, it was alright for them. A new rumor did surface among them that Syaoran is starting to get involved with his new co-star for the upcoming movie, Mai Hirashiki, which is, as many in the industry know, is completely false.

"Me, get involved with that clingy chick? Hell no…" Syaoran rolled his eyes once he was questioned about it by fans. He was just finishing up his plate of okonomiyaki and sipped on his can of unsweetened iced green tea.

"Whew," The Xiao-Ling Fanclub sighed in relief. One of the female fans spoke of the subject.

"Even if Mai Hirashiki mentioned in one of her magazine interviews that you and her are really close?"

Meiling, who was sitting next to Syaoran, simply laughed. "That girl has too many dead cells in her head if you ask me. Sure, she's a very talented actress and very pretty too. But seriously she's so full of it."

"But we're just curious though. When did you and Mai Hirashiki started to hang out with each other?"

Syaoran gave his usual sarcastic reply. "Uh… yesterday?"

"So is she really that bad of a person?"

"Once you get to know her personally," Meiling said. "Of course she'll be nice to all the fans. I mean it's part of her celebrity facade. But you know, we shouldn't judge based on what people say about her. You'll just have to find a way to get to know her and then you be the judge from there."

"Huh. True…" At that point, Chiharu Mihara arrived at the table to meet up with the idols with sheets of paper on one hand. Rika Sasaki, the Moonies president, was already dragging Eriol with her by the arm, also leading to the same direction.

"Well, Li-kun," Chiharu grinned, "it's almost time for the press conference!"

Once Syaoran and Meiling finished their lunch, they immediately popped in one mint in their mouth to freshen their breaths. "Yes, Mihara?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"We have a surprise for you!"

"We?"

"As in the Tomoeda Wolfpups, of course! Come on!" Without even giving a second, she quickly took Syaoran by the arm.

"H-hey, what gives? Slow down…"

"You too, Meiling, come with us!"

Eriol shrugged as his reaction to his two friends and also noticed the sheets of paper on Rika's hand. "Hey… Sasaki… what's that in your hand—"

"Oh you'll see, Hiiragizawa-kun. Come on!" Though still hesitant, they knew there was no fighting the girl presidents back. They let them drag over to another area of the park.

Much to a surprise for Syaoran and Eriol, they spotted their friends they met yesterday at their destination along with their instruments. Meiling recognized them as the Cool Rascals, one of the local bands who will be performing right after the press conference at the amphitheater. The band members were already eating some kind of bento boxes at their own table.

On one end of the table were Sakura and Tomoyo facing each other, enjoying and exchainging some of their snacks within their bento boxes. On the other end are the three males, Touya, Yukito, and Yamazaki, also enjoying their lunch set as well.

"You're so silly, Tomoyo," Sakura giggled as she nibbled on her sushi. "There's no way…"

"Way!" Tomoyo winked.

"No way! Not ever! It's just impossible!"

"Way!" Tomoyo winked once more. "You gotta be positive when it comes to these things, Sakura. I mean, it's bad enough your dad's becoming really desperate to set you up with a bunch of no-named losers, so at least, try to have some hope in finally winning the heart of that special someone! I'm mean, check this out. I had a dream last night too and it said that by the end of the summer, you and I are gonna find our own true loves. We won't have to be set up by our parents anymore, ne?"

"At least, you got lucky with Ken Bunchin… for awhile…" Sakura gave a sigh. "That should be some kind of an accomplishment. You were able to stay in a mutual relationship with a boy that long. Look at me. It'd only take me one night and the next day, Touya will be running mad around town ready to rip off his head…"

"That's what big brothers are for, Sakura," Tomoyo giggled.

"But seriously… we'll finally meet our one true loves by the end of summer? I mean how is that possible, Tomoyo? We always see the same kids everyday here in Tomoeda."

"Are you sure about that…?" Right then, Tomoyo pointed her thumb to the direction of the amphitheater.

"Wait.. No way…" Sakura found herself laughing. "You can't be serious… those teen idols?"

"Oh the way Li Xiaolang looks at you… like he was completely hypnotized by you… wherever you go, he comes along too. It's like.. He would never leave your side… I think Li Xiaolang has a thing for you!"

"But… he would never…"

"Oh come on now, Sakura, you were practically drooling over him once you first saw the magazine I gave you yesterday. You couldn't stop gazing at his beautiful amber eyes and that killer smile of his… come on, you had it really bad for him, Sakura. I mean, what if he also has a thing for you too, huh?"

"Um… don't you think that's a little too early to conclude that, Tomoyo? I mean we just met…"

"Uh-huh, right. And I suppose your little moment with the that princely hot cutie at your cherry blossom tree shouldn't give you any signals?"

Sakura quickly blushed immediately thinking about that rather embarrassing moment. On the other hand, how on earth would Tomoyo know all this?

"Wait a minute, how'd you know about the cherry tree incident?"

"Tee-hee," Tomoyo giggled. "Eriol texted Meiling, and then Meiling told me about it this morning. See, Chiharu was coming over to Yamazaki's house and you know how she wasn't supposed to know that Li-kun and Hiiragizawa-kun are staying at his house… yet… they had to hide. Apparently, you happened to be in the tree too and Li-kun was already ahead of him, so you three actually had a little camping moment in the tree?"

"I almost fell down twice in that tree…" Sakura sighed. "That was so humiliating… and in front of Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa too… stupid Tak…"

"Silly Sakura!" Tomoyo couldn't help herself but to laugh. "You're so adorable, you know that? Of course the brave and gallant Li-kun and Hiiragizawa-kun did save you from getting your bones broken, ne?" Even that little fact still did not pep Sakura back to her optimistic self.

Just as they finished their lunch, they heard a familiar voice calling out loudly at their direction. Sakura and Tomoyo noticed Yamazaki sighing while Yukito daintily cleaned up his bento box, minding his own business. Touya, on the other hand, looked rather annoyed and suspicious as always.

"Takashi! There you are!"

Yamazaki then glanced at the rest of the Cool Rascals band. "Here we go…"

Once they spotted Chiharu Mihara, she also dragged Syaoran by the arm as well, followed by Rika and Eriol. Meiling just followed them from behind. She gave the two girls a shrug as her signal.

Yamazaki stood up from his seat. "Ah. Chi-chan." From out of the blue, Chiharu punched her boyfriend on the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Now that the awesomest Li Xiaolang has arrived today, you've been avoiding me? What on earth is wrong with you? You have no idea how much I've been waiting for this day and the introduce such a famous celebrity to you— courtesy of your beloved!"

"If only you knew…" Syaoran muttered a few words.

"Oh, did you say something, Li-kun?" Chiharu suddenly changed her expression from the angry girlfriend to the happy innocent fangirl.

"Huh? No, nothing," Syaoran blinked his eyes.

At this point, Touya and Yukito got up from their seats. "Well, we gotta go pick up Kaho and Nakuru at the library," Touya said in a rather dry tone. "We'll be back before the performance."

Sakura and Tomoyo waved at the two older boys. "See you guys later!"

Yukito then grinned towards the celebrity guests. "Before we forget, I'm Yukito Tsukushiro of the Mooncastle Diner. My grandfather's diner was the one who catered to the luncheon. Hope you enjoyed it."

Eriol grinned with a smile. "Your okonomoyaki lunch pack was absolutely delicious. Please send our regards to your family and the staff of your diner."

"Will do," Yukito gave a salute. "This is my best friend Touya Kinomoto. He's a bit rough on the edges but he's a really nice guy—"

"What do you mean by rough on the edges, Yukito?" Touya protested as Yukito quickly placed his arm around the hotheaded best friend.

"Well, we must be going now. See you later!" Yukito quickly lead Touya away from the table, knowing that Touya may say something unnecessary that may cause more trouble.

"Anyway, Tak my love," Chiharu suddenly released Syaoran's arm, with Syaoran even rubbing it gently from its tight grit. She then wrapped an arm around her boyfriend, being the good girlfriend she could be. "The Wolfpups and I have a special gift for the cool and hot Li Xiaolang— and Rika too has a special gift for Hiiragizawa-kun and she would need your help also!"

Yamazaki scratched his head. "Wait… your gift to your favorite idols involve me in it?"

Syaoran and Eriol gave rather puzzled looks while Meiling tried to restrain herself from laughing by covering her mouth. "But of course! You're not just my boyfriend because I fell in love with you, you know? You're also the stepping stone that would lead me to getting my personal favors fulfilled too!"

"Erm… say what?" Yamazaki blinked in shock while Syaoran interrupted by giving a soft cough.

"Mihara," Syaoran said, "you do know that you are the only president of the all the other presidents of the Club Wolfpups throughout Japan who has a boyfriend, right?"

"Oh, Li-kun…" Chiharu muttered with a gasp, looking rather nervous.

"You're not gonna introduce your wonderful boyfriend to us? And the rest of your friends too…" At this point Yamazaki realized that his girlfriend still doesn't know of his new-found relationship between Syaoran and Eriol that he decided to play actor as well.

"Oh!" Chiharu gasped, then cleared her throat. "Well, Li-kun, Hiiragizawa-kun, Meiling-chan, I'm sorry for being rude! Anyway, this is one of Tomoeda's finest local bands, the Cool Rascals. This here is my idiot lying S-O-B of a boyfriend named Takashi Yamazaki. He makes up too much crap most of the time but somehow he still has his way of making me fall in love with him even more! Anyway, he's the lead guitarist in the Cool Rascals band. Yukito is the bass player and Touya plays the drums."

Just as he was playing along, Syaoran extended his hand as Yamazaki shook it. "It's… it's an honor to meet you, Li-san…. Hiiragizawa-san… Li-sa—"

"Meiling's fine," the teen actress chuckled as they all exchanged handshakes.

"And then," Chiharu continued on, "these two lovely girls over there are Tomoyo Daidouji and Sakura Kinomoto. Tomoyo is the one and only darling daughter of the world-famous Sonomi Daidouji of the Daidouji Couture fame! Sakura here is one of Tomoeda's finest girl athletes— and a daughter of a university professor too! She and Touya-san, that guy you just met earlier, are sister and brother. Tomoyo's the Cool Rascals' lead vocalist and Sakura is the keyboardist."

Tomoyo went first by extending a handshake to Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling. Eriol was the first to break the ice. "Would it be trouble if I call you Tomoyo-san instead?"

"Just Tomoyo would be fine, Hiiragizawa-kun…"

"Please call me Eriol."

Once it was Sakura's turn, it was Syaoran's turn to break the ice. "Pleasure to meet you, Saku— Kinomoto-san."

"Please, call me Sakura, if it's okay…" Sakura gave a slight grin. "I mean, it'd be weird if you call out Kinomoto and then me and my brother Touya would be responding to you… you know?"

"Ha ha ha, good point," Syaoran chuckled.

"Good to meet you and Hiiragizawa-kun and Meiling-san. Hope you all enjoy your stay here in Tomoeda, Li-kun."

"Thank you. Looking forward to it."

Right then, Chiharu cleared her throat and changed the subject. "Anyway. Here." Quickly, she handed the pile of paper towards Yamazaki. "Please play this and then the Wolfpups and I are gonna sing— for our dearest Li Xiaolang!"

Yamazaki raised an eyebrow to take a look at the paper. It turned out to be a three-page music sheet with the title "O Little Wolf, Let It Be Me."

Sakura and Tomoyo moved closer to Yamazaki to read the music sheets. The boyfriend raised an eyebrow of doubt right at his girlfriend. "'O Little Wolf, Let It Be Me'? You want me to play this while you sing this… to Li Xiaolang?"

"Well yeah. We won't sound good if we don't have any form of instrumental accompaniment! And your guitar's just in that case right there—" Chiharu pointed at two instrument cases at the grass.

"What? I ain't playing this…"

"Oh come on, Takashi, please….? Pretty please?"

"Hell no!"

"And I'm telling you play it or I'm gonna cream you, got that?!" Chiharu just couldn't take no for an answer and decided to pull his ear.

"Ouch… ow… that hurts, Chi-chan… come on, leggo…" As the couple continued to argue, Rika then dashed to Tomoyo and also shoved her music sheets.

"Me too! The Moonies have a song for our darling Eriol too! Can you play the music to this too so we can sing?"

"Huh…?" Tomoyo blinked. This time, she and Sakura began gazing at Rika's music sheet.

"'I Want to Stroll with Eriol'…?" The two girls read the title.

"Yup!" Rika giggled. "It's a really catchy title, ne?" Quickly she wrapped her arm around Eriol's own arm. "Darling Eriol would surely going to love it, especially when there's some music accompaniment with it… ne?"

Tomoya began to scratch her temple gently with her finger while Sakura simply gazed at Tomoyo, hoping her best friend would make the decision if they had to play the accompaniment or not. Sakura did her own sight reading through the notes, but somehow the words seriously turned her off.

While the couple still continued to argue, Sakura took a deep breath and raised her hand. Her simple gesture caught Syaoran's attention, who was still acting as if they've never met before.

"What is it, Sakura?"

"I'll… I'll play the music accompaniment for both the Wolfpups and the Moonies," Sakura swallowed nervously.

"Well now, really?" Eriol gave a grin. "But I heard that you're a keyboardist?"

Sakura then headed to where the instrument cases were and picked up Yamazaki's acoustic guitar. She then walked past the couple and simply whispered: "It's okay, Tak. I'll play. I'll just have to borrow your guitar though."

"You can play the guitar?" Meiling's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"Yup! I decided to be the keyboardist because none of the other band members can play the keyboards as well as I do. I play guitar also. I learned it on my own because my dad told me that he and Mom were both guitarists. So yeah!"

And with that, Chiharu and Yamazaki finally stopped the arguing and then sighed in relief. Tomoyo decided to become the human stand by holding on to the music sheets so Sakura can read them.

"Gather all your Wolfpups and Moonies, Chiharu, Rika," Sakura chuckled. "The music accompaniment is now ready."

Moments later, both fanclubs came together at their spot and Sakura began playing Yamazaki's guitar while reading through the music sheets. The Wolfpups sang first and then followed by the Moonies. All in all, both Syaoran and Eriol were delighted with both of the fanclub songs and thanked both their fangroups.

In reality, little did anyone know, both Syaoran and Eriol were more delighted with Sakura's guitar-playing skills rather than the songs themselves.

* * *

**A/N:** Originally, I was going to make Chapter 4 the press conference scene, but then what would be a "rom-com" story without the "com" part? I had all these ideas brimming that would the "com" in "rom-com," such as the whole cherry tree scene and the nagging girlfriend in Chiharu bugging Yamazaki to do some favors that would benefit the Wolfpups fanclub and of course, her position being president.

So, we finally learn a bit of Tomoeda story. The other characters are beginning to pick up the pieces together and yet both Sakura and Syaoran are not even in the loop. Hm, I wonder why...

Shouting out to **V. ** for reviewing the PROLOGUE chapter. I just threw in a bunch of words here and there and made it all poetic and it's just simply a PROLOGUE chapter. Rather than writing a whole entire scene, why not just make it all generic and poetic? Hey, that rhymes. XD

Another second shoutout to **OtakuThatIsMe** for the second review. What can I say? Syaoran/Xiaolang is an actor, and he didn't have to be an actor on the movie set. Shin FTW!

On to the next chapter, readers~! :D


	6. 05: Press Conference

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 5: PRESS CONFERENCE**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

In just an hour, the press conference was about to begin. All of the cast and crew had to report back at Tomoeda Inn for their preparations and such. Though the public was still aware that the press conference was going to take place this weekend to avoid all the paparazzi hype, this afternoon was the afternoon where only the select, most trusted media representatives were selectively invited and be present. The Tomoeda Amphitheater stage had its wall draped with logos of sponsors of this press conference, just like any other press conference known. Many of the media representatives from reporters, journalists, photographers, and cameramen quickly filled the first five rows of the theater.

The local Tomoeda media representatives were given special passes to sit all the way at the front row. The young teenager blogger and aspiring writer, Naoko Yanagisawa, was given the highest honor to be the one to represent the youth of Tomoeda. As the movie _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ was indeed a movie garnered towards the younger audience from early adolescent to young adults, there had to be some fellow youth present among the media as well.

Meanwhile, the Cool Rascals band, along with other invited local talent, were backstage, preparing for their performances while others are out of the area to rehearse their music in peace. It was a good thing that the Tomoeda Convention Center was only across the street from Tomoeda Park. That was where Sakura, Tomoyo, Yamazaki, Touya, and Yukito headed at to warm up their instruments and to rehearse their parts of the music.

"I can't believe you actually played backup music for those two rabid fanclubs, Kinomoto," Yamazaki made his statement. "I know I was being mean earlier but no way in hell that I'm gonna be giving favors to those fangirls just for their obsession for some hot celebrity dude…"

"I gotta admit that it's catchy," Sakura chuckled, now warming up her fingers on her keyboard repeatedly. "Plus, Li-kun and Hiiragi— I mean Eriol-kun enjoyed it."

"Which part did those boys actually enjoyed, huh?" Tomoyo nudged her on the side. "The fangirls' singing or you playing the guitar?" Immediately, she and Yamazaki burst in to laughter thinking of that question.

Sakura gave a slight blush. "I don't think my guitar playing has anything to do with it. Tak should have bee the one to play it. He's way better than me…"

"Although I feel really bad for Yamazaki-kun though," Tomoyo sighed, patting her buddy on the shoulder. "You and Chiharu are such a cute couple together, but then things go really bad whenever Li Xiaolang's name comes up in the air…"

Touya joined in the conversation. "I feel for you too, Yamazaki. Hell, it happened to me last night. That twerp— I mean that Chinese actor guy just happened to appear right outside our fence and then Kaho and Nakuru suddenly became drooling hound dogs begging their master to feed them. Frickin' hell that really ticked me off! I can't wait to get my hands on that brat and get rid of that damn smirk right off of his face!"

"You're overreacting, Oniichan," Sakura rolled her eyes. "Kaho-neechan is such a kind and devoted girl who would never dream of leaving her one true love just because of some idol celebrity. She's way smarter than that."

"Oh yeah? Well last night—"

"Now, now, Touya," Yukito interrupted. "I did catch up to them and helped them snap back in to reality, ne? I'm sure they won't ever get near the poor kid again."

Touya snapped his head right at his best friend. "How could you be so calm about all this? Your fiancee actually acted all cute trying to act like she's sixteen once she saw him in an instant! One of these days she's gonna leave you for him if you're not gonna be careful!"

"Touya," Yukito patted him on the shoulder. "You need to learn how to be more trusting towards others, especially with the ones you truly love the most, ne? Nakuru is one thing, and of course, there's Sakura too."

"Feh. Whatever."

"'Whatever' is not going to help, Touya. You just calm down and if you're really that worried, why not talk to Kaho about it? She's an open and understanding person."

Just as the two best friends were about to continue with their arguments, they hear their practice room door open. Naoko Yanagisawa, carrying her laptop backpack and wearing a special press badge around her neck, waved right at them.

"Hey, it's Naoko!" Sakura exclaimed. She returned the wave as she and Tomoyo approached her. "Hey, are you ready for the press conference?"

Naoko smiled and patted her backpack. "Locked and loaded."

"Wow, so you're going to just type in your laptop as you go, Naoko?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"Yup. I'm faster typing than writing anyway. And it's easier on a laptop than with a tablet or a mobile phone too…"

"So, what kinds of questions do you plan on asking the cast and crew, Naoko?" Sakura asked.

"Plenty," Naoko simply answered. "Because the Tomoeda Youth Official Blog only caters to everything and anything Tomoeda, of course all of my questions to the cast and crew will be tied to Tomoeda. I don't do tabloid-style news reporting. I leave that to the tabloid reporters."

"Awesome!" Sakura grinned. "So, is it just gonna be you who will represent the Tomoeda Youth Official Blog? Or are there more?"

Naoko shrugged. "There's two more who will be with me. Apparently I'm not comfortable enough to have those two around…"

"How come?" Tomoyo asked.

"Because their names happened to be Mayuka Sugihara and Chinami Ayuzawa—"

"Eh?" Sakura and Tomoyo exclaimed simultaneously. "The two teenage gossip bloggers?"

Naoko sighed. "I don't want them to ruin the dignity of the Tomoeda Youth by asking nonsense personal questions to Li-kun, Hiiragizawa-kun, Meiling-chan and all the other cast members."

"I've read some of their articles," Yamazaki interrupted. "They look like they're writing tabloid-style fanfics— and it's supposed to be a youth community blog?"

"That's what I'm afraid of, Yamazaki," Naoko reminded. "I really do hope I would get picked by the cast and crew to have my chance of asking a few questions. It's very important and maybe this would help uplift our fellow youth to be more positive with themselves, with each other, and with our town too."

Tomoyo gave Naoko a hug. "And this is why you are the best youth blogger Tomoeda has, Naoko. At least your writing isn't crap compared to the others. Yours actually have meaning and purpose."

"Thanks, Tomoyo." Naoko grinned. "I'm gonna give all I've got to make this story the most unforgettable feature story in the history of the Tomoeda Youth Official Blog. I'm gonna use this as my key presentation to my admission to Todai's journalism program when I graduate next year. It's gonna be so awesome, a good, well worth-read. Sure it may not win any journalism awards, but it could be the greatest piece an amateur minor-aged journalism blogger could ever write. I can't wait for this!"

"And we'll be rooting for you, Naoko!" Sakura cheered happily.

"For sure!" Tomoyo seconded.

"Thanks, you guys! I really appreciate it!" The three embraced each other as Sakura began changing the subject.

"So, you got some questions too for Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa and Meiling Li too?"

"I got plenty, Sakura. Actually my main target for this would be Li Xiaolang."

"Hoe? Why Li-kun?"

Naoko gently tapped her chin. "There's something about him… I really can't quite put a finger to it, but… there's something… awfully familiar about him…"

"Whoa, you feel that way too?" Yamazaki joined in the conversation. "Last night, the three of us had a long chat before we went to bed. You know, man-to-man icebreakers and all that. I've been keeping an eye on Li and there's so much of him that seemed so familiar… I don't know what it is… but it's seriously clear that whether Li denies it or not, he's been to Tomoeda before."

Sakura gave a very perplexed expression on her face. "Li-kun has so many things that reminded me of Syaoran… his eyes… his hair color… and… ah, too long to list."

"One of the questions that I will be asking will be dealing with his reason for taking the role of the main character of the movie _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_. He has never done any sentimental slice-of-life type of films before, so this will be his very first," Naoko noted. "I just hope one of the reporters would ask him that… or if I get lucky enough to get picked to ask the question."

"Eh? You already know how the story of the movie goes?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"No, but the boss gave me some general info regarding the movie. The interesting part also is that this would be the first time that he will be playing a role of a Japanese character. I mean in his past movies, all action and martial arts and all that, he was either a Chinese warrior or a Korean agent, even the movies produced in Japan. It's quite interesting."

"Waah I wanna watch this movie!" Sakura cheered happily.

"You don't even watch movies, shrimp beast," Touya made his own remark.

"Who asked you, Oniichan?" Sakura glared. "Call me shrimp beast again and you die!" Touya did not return her words with more words, but instead chuckled at her reaction. "But yeah, I would really love to watch the movie once it's finally released. I wanna show my support for Li-kun and Hiiragi— Eriol-kun, and of course, Meiling too!"

"By the way," Yamazaki spoke. "That girl who will be playing the main girl of the movie, Mai Hirashiki. I stopped by the groceries earlier and then on my way I passed by the newsstands and there were tabloids on sale that had one of the main headlines saying 'Mai Hirashiki: Has Li Xiaolang found true love at last?' I'm not really in to these teen showbiz crap but I'm worried about our town's peace being disturbed by all these media stalkers and what not."

"Oh? But wouldn't this help Tomoeda become a recognized town by the masses? Our town has been way too quiet and it needs… I don't know… excitement." Tomoyo stated her opinion.

"My point is that as much as we can… we can't get close to the movie cast, most especially with Li Xiaolang, Eriol Hiiragizawa, Meiling Li, and that new chick Mai Hirashiki. Sure we want Tomoeda to be recognized as a household name throughout Japan but getting any one of us in the newspapers and be the target of major attention just because of our connections with those four?"

"Too late for that, Yamazaki," Naoko said. "You're hosting Li-kun and Hiiragizawa-kun and even their manager Wei in their house. By the way, does Chiharu know about that?"

Yamazaki sighed. "She'll find out eventually. One of those two or even Wei-san will be the ones to tell her."

"You don't need to tell her, Yamazaki," Touya joined in. "She's that brat's fanclub's president. Now if she were just a normal girl who don't give a damn about these idols then fine, but considering she's a fanatic, she can't be trusted."

"But she's my girlfriend, Kinomoto-san," Yamazaki frowned. "Sure, I make up a lot of stories but I would never hide things from Chiharu, let alone lie to her directly." He sighed deeply. "One of these days Li and Hiiragizawa and Wei-san will have to leave my house and just board at the Tomoeda Inn with the rest of cast and crew—"

"You can't!" From out of the blue, Sakura protested with both her fists tightened. "You… you can't kick them out just because we'll also be in danger of getting exposed to the public… and they seem very comfortable being in our neighborhood too. They're also concerned about their privacy also, which is why the director decided to have them board somewhere else other than the Tomoeda Inn…"

Tomoyo sneaked in to the conversation. "I don't mind having them three stay in my house. I mean we have plenty of room. I live in a gated mansion after all. But then I don't know how my mom will react for having boys staying in our house without proper permission from her. I mean she's always in the city for her work and I only see her on Fridays and on the weekends."

Sakura quickly turned to Touya. "Can't we have Li-kun and Eriol-kun and Wei-san stay in our house instead?"

Touya raised an eyebrow of suspicion. "Sakura, I'm not comfortable having other guys under the same roof as you. Guys your age already have their hormones overloaded and anything can happen."

"You're so paranoid, Oniichan! I trust Li-kun and Eriol-kun. I can tell by the way they presented themselves to us earlier today."

"I'm not finished yet, squirt."

"Ugh. Fine. Continue, Oniichan."

"Besides, our house is too small to fit five people: you, me, and Dad included. Where are they gonna sleep? I'm sure they would want to have their own rooms—"

"They can sleep in your bedroom, Oniichan…"

"The hell they will!" Touya tightened a fist while Yukito began to pat him on the back again.

"Easy, Touya. Come on, be hospitable to our guests for once," Yukito advised him.

"Well I'm sure there has to be another way to keep all of us and Li and Hiiragizawa safe from those hounding paparazzi and nosy fangirls. Meiling seems lucky since there isn't an official Meiling Li fanclub here in Tomoeda, so she doesn't have a problem with privacy. I mean, we have to help them too…" Sakura gave another sigh. "I want to help them… especially Li-kun. He trusts me with his life, he said to me last night. He said it to you too, Yamazaki."

"Okay, okay," Yamazaki hushed everyone, and sighed. "I'm… I'm sure Li and Hiiragizawa would also be concerned with our privacy and security also, so I'm sure they'll also find a way to keep all of us safe." He lowered his head, shaking it. "I'm sorry to bring that up, guys. Chiharu's gonna kill me when she finds out that her beloved idol Li is actually staying over at her boyfriend's house…"

"Whew." Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Yukito checked his watch and then pointed it towards the rest present.

"Looks like the press conference is about to start. You guys want to watch or you wanna rehearse some more?"

"We're going last in the lineup anyway," Tomoyo smiled. "Shall we go and watch?"

#

The press conference shortly begun at 2:30 p.m. sharp at the Tomoeda Amphitheater, located within the public Tomoeda Penguin Park. Locals call it simply the Penguin Park due to the famous penguin-shaped slide that many of the local kids enjoy sliding it down. For Sakura, she had so many memories of that penguin slide with all her friends, most especially her long-lost childhood love Syaoran. They used to play pretend as kung fu martial arts warriors with Syaoran always being the hero, while Sakura would always be the sidekick. Yamazaki, Naoko, and a lot of the local boys used to play with them immensely, while Tomoyo, Chiharu, and Rika would simply just play with their usual dolls while watching them do their crazy kung fu games as if they were in an action-adventure martial arts movie.

It was the first thing that came to her mind when Syaoran began answering one of the reporters' question about his views of being known to always portray the hero who was an expert in various martial arts. Ironically, he recalled that he used to play pretend with his friends during childhood, however due to his publicly-known suffering from amnesia, he couldn't even remember the names and faces of his friends as well as where he actually played them.

Tomoyo was already rolling her video camera so she can have a raw copy of the press conference footage for her personal records. When she receives permission, she plans on posting these clips on YouTube.

Four questions after that and another reporter was picked to ask a question. This time towards Eriol.

"Many of the fans and even the general public noted of your similarities with Li Xiaolang. Many say that while he is the kung fu prince, you, on the other hand, are the English Knight Prince in Silver Shining armor. How long have you and Xiaolang been friends in real life?"

"Ah, want to know a secret? Well, it's not really a huge secret really, but many of my fellow cast and crew already knew this," Eriol answered. "It's true, Xiaolang and I did not become close until we started our careers in our agency's training program, however our relations are actually more than just plain best friends."

Syaoran interrupted with a chuckle. "What exactly are we, Eriol?"

"I'm actually a cousin to Xiaolang. His father and my mother are siblings, with his father being the oldest. My mother moved to the UK as a college student at the University of Oxford. There, she met a rather handsome, dashing, prince-like young heir to the Holly Olive Valley Recording Studios named Edric Hiiragizawa, and well, you know, the rest is history."

"So you're half-Chinese, half-Japanese?" The reporter prodded a bit further.

"To be more specific, my mother is Chinese, my father is quarter Japanese and the rest English. Therefore, yours truly is half-Chinese, 1/8th Japanese, the rest of my origin is strictly English. I was born and raised in the UK, which would obviously make me British. I spent most of my young life between England and Hong Kong and I also started my early career as an actor in England as well. I already knew that Xiaolang was my cousin during my usual visits to Hong Kong, it was just that I haven't met him personally. At that point, he had been living in Japan. It wasn't until our families, as well as our managers, decided to expand our careers further to Japan that we officially met."

Syaoran interrupted again. "I guess you finally have permission from you parents to reveal this little secret of ours?"

"We're practically brothers, you know that Xiao. Why not the entire world know of our family relations to each other, ne?"

The chocolate-haired idol shrugged his shoulders. "Eh. Why not?"

"Thank you for sharing that, Hiiragizawa-san!"

The emcee of the press conference, a famed local radio DJ named DJ Nickie, then began to choose the next reporter to ask the next question. At the front row, Naoko, now with her laptop open, still waited for the emcee to pick her and be able to ask her questions.

The locals who were able to watch the live press conference sat all the way at the rising back rows all had their attention to the press conference. General fans, the Wolpups and the Moonies were also present, and of course, even the performers.

"Well I'll be damned," Yamazaki's eyes widened in shock. "Not only that those two are best friends, but they're also cousins?"

"But of course!" Chiharu said, sitting next to her boyfriend. "All dedicated Wolfpups and Moonies know that very pure fact! Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa are cousins through and through!"

Yamazaki shifted his eyes right at his girlfriend. "Right…"

"Heh, will you look at that?" Yukito snickered, then turned to his fiancee, Nakuru, relaxing her head on his shoulder.

"Li Xiaolang is the Chinese martial artist warrior. Eriol Hiiragizawa is the dashing knight in shining armor. But you, Yuki-chan, are my strong and brave samurai, ne?"

Yukito grinned to himself. "So you say. What was that about last night with Li Xiaolang standing right outside the Kinomoto fence?"

"Huh?" Nakuru frowned, now gazing her face towards Yukito. "I realized something earlier this morning. That was Yamazaki's cousin, Shin."

Yukito blinked his eyes, showing a rather confused expression. He would have just told her the truth but decided to just go along with her realization. "Yes. Yamazaki's cousin, Shin."

"Wow, no wonder he's so incredibly handsome like that…" Tomoyo gasped with a slight blush on her face. Sakura became curious as to where her best friend's eyes were directed towards us and then nudged her on the side.

"Who are you talking about, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked.

Tomoyo simply giggled and turned to her. "You know that mixed bloods truly does make them look so good-looking. I mean Hiiragizawa-kun… Chinese, English, with a little bit of Japanese… I swear, his Japanese sound so perfect, but most of his gestures are so… so… English."

Sakura gave a soft chuckle. "Well, I gotta admit that Eriol-kun's pretty hot too. He looks a whole lot cooler with his eyeglasses on though…"

"Nonsense! The whole world wants to see his natural beauty! It's too bad that his eyesight is quite messed up. He started wearing eyeglasses when he was only nine."

"Oh? How'd you know that?"

"You know… the Eriol Hiiragizawa edition magazine… and Meiling also told me too last night."

"I still think he looks a whole lot cooler with his glasses on. Sure, people say that nerd geeks only wear glasses, but with Eriol Hiiragizawa also wearing glasses when he's living his private time, he would make all the nerd geeks look so dang cool!"

"Still though," Tomoyo chuckled. "And Li Xiaolang really does have strikingly, piercing amber eyes. Yamazaki says he's got eyes that flash out 'Stay away from me or I'm gonna hunt you down and have your flesh and blood,' but they really are mesmerizing…"

"Yeah," Sakura sighed deeply. "Gosh, just by looks alone, everything about Li-kun reminds me so much of Syaoran…"

Tomoyo sighed and placed her arm around her best friend. "Sakura, you shouldn't be comparing a really popular hot star like Li Xiaolang to your long lost childhood love Syaoran. No matter how you look at it, just accept the fact that he's not Syaoran."

"I… I know that…" Sakura gave a slight frown. "I know… he's not…"

"And since he's such a famous star who's always a high demand in showbiz, there's just now way in hell he'll have time for any romantic relationships. Well, it was easy with Meiling before since both of them are in showbiz and that they were always casted together in a lot of the action films in the past. Maybe it's easier if he dated another idol girl… like his new co-star Mai Hirashiki."

Sakura sighed. "I guess you're right, Tomoyo." She turned her head to see Chiharu sitting right next to Yamazaki. "Maybe Chiharu also thought that being president of the Wolfpups club would also give her a major chance in getting closer to her favorite idol. Maybe she thought she also had a chance with him. Being a simple, small-town girl, he would be the luckiest girl in the entire world."

"Who knows," Tomoyo said. "But that's all over for Chiharu now. She has Yamazaki now, ne?"

Sakura nodded. "You're right, Tomoyo."

After Mai Hirashiki finally answered the latest question, the emcee spoke: "That would be it for the general questions. At this point, all questions asked will now only relate to their reactions and views regarding the upcoming movie _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_. This time, the screenwriters, Toshifumi and Taeko Kashii, will now present the overview summary of what the movie is about. Take it away, please."

Once the screenwriters took the mic, Sakura felt a familiar presence right next to her. She turned her head to see her father, dressed in his usual long-sleeved white polo shirt with rolled-up sleeves, dark brown slacks, and a messenger bag wrapped across his body. It looked like Fujitaka was on his way to the library to do more research for his thesis.

"Dad!" Sakura gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Surprised to see me here, sweetie?" Fujitaka gave his fatherly grin. "Well, I was on my way to the library when I just overheard that today was the press conference for the _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ movie shooting here. Then I remembered that the Cool Rascals will be performing right after the press conference, so I thought I stopped by here to watch."

Sakura embraced her father. "I'm happy you're here, Dad."

"I'm happy I'm here too, Sakura," Fujitaka chuckled, placing his arm around her. "Ah, before I forget again, I have something for you."

"Oh? What is it, Dad?" Fujitaka opened his messenger bag and reached inside. There, he picked up a plain-packaged gift with plain white tissue as its gift wrap. "Here you go."

"For me?"

"Open it."

Sakura took the gift package and then ripped the white tissue out. Right then, she gave a huge gasp when the gift revealed a brand-new touchscreen Android phone. "Oh Dad, thank you so much! You have no idea how much I've been waiting to get my broken phone replaced!"

Fujitaka embraced his daughter in return. "Well, you had really high marks on your spring final exam, so you really deserve to have this new phone. I bought it on sale yesterday but I forgot about it until today. It's already activated and your entire contact list has been restored.."

"I love you, Dad…" Once the father and daughter released from each other, she showed her new phone to Tomoyo. "I finally got a new phone!"

"Congratulations, Sakura!" The two best friends embraced each other as the two girls began examining her new but simple-looking multi-function smartphone.

"Man, this is so cool!" Sakura whispered in excitement. "Now I can exchange phone numbers again!"

Tomoyo snickered. "Oh I get it… you hope that you can exchange phone numbers with Li Xiaolang, don't you?"

Sakura blushed at the thought but gave her usual denial. "I don't know what you're talking about, Tomoyo."

"Oh come on now, no more denials, my dear cherry blossom girl! I can easily see it from your eyes…"

"Um… Y-you're seeing things, Tomoyo!"

"Now now," Fujitaka interrupted, hushing the two girls. "Let's just watch the press conference first, alright?"

"Oh. Right. Sorry, Dad!" The two girls gave their attention again towards the stage as they continued to listen to the screenwriters on the mic.

"Huh," Fujitaka muttered. "So, that young boy with the brown hair and the red eyes is that martial arts teen actor Li Xiaolang?"

"Yup," Sakura nodded. "I have to admit, I'm not a fan or anything, but he really does look better in real life than on the magazines or even on TV."

Fujitaka fell silent for a few moments with his eyes fully concentrated towards the stage. Sakura wondered why her father fell silent all of a sudden, but decided not to bother with him. She turned her head back to the stage again to watch.

"He looks awfully familiar…" Fujitaka softly muttered.

Sakura quickly turned to her father. "Did you say something, Dad?"

"No, don't mind me," Fujitaka gave a shy chuckle. In his mind, he began to wonder about this mysterious Chinese teen idol he is seeing before him at the stage. He wanted to take a closer look at him to make sure he wasn't imagining things. He slowly stood up to have a clearer view when he found himself almost tumbling back from his seat.

"Dad, are you okay?" Sakura quickly held on to her father's arm so he would not hit his head backward. Fujitaka straightened himself immediately.

"Whoopsie. I tripped." He gave a sigh of relief and sat back down on his seat.

At this point, the questions coming from the media were open again. The Tomoeda teens sitting at the back gave a rather slight frown when Naoko wasn't picked yet to ask her questions, let alone the other two gossip-style bloggers sitting next to her. It seems that the adults have been ignoring the minor-aged reporters, which made no sense to all the youth present in the amphitheater. After all, the movie is a youth-oriented movie, isn't it?

Once the screenwriters gave their general briefing of the movie, the director took the microphone from the emcee. "It seems that all this time that the young minor-aged reporters sitting at the front row are being ignored. We can't simply just ignore them since they do represent today's Japanese youth, correct? Now that the professional journalists finally have their chance, we will be choosing questions from the young and the amateur. Personal questions will not be answered, so I do hope you understand. We will only have our cast and crew answer questions in relation to the movie project, their views on the movie project, or anything career-related. After all, some of you youth may even consider entering showbiz or the media yourselves, therefore this would be a good opportunity for you to ask."

Quickly, all the young reporters, including Naoko quickly raised their hands. Much to their dismay, the adults still would have to choose which one of these lucky youth would be able to ask their questions. At this point, Naoko was still not being chosen.

One young male journalist representing the Tomoeda High School newspaper was luckily selected. "Please introduce yourself and your representation before you ask your question. We do record everyone's names and the media company they represent for our records, after all. Please, proceed."

The male journalist nodded. "I'm Satoshi Shimabukuro of the Courier of Tomoeda High School, our official school newspaper. This is actually a simple question for both Li-sanXiaolang and Hiiragizawa-san."

Eriol took the mic. "Good to meet you, Shimabukuro-kun. Please proceed with your question."

"First of all, again, welcome to Tomoeda, we really are excited and honored to finally meeting you and welcoming you here in our humble town. My question is more leaning towards career-wise. You and Li Xiaolang will be turning eighteen sometime this year, which would mean that you will be graduating from high school next spring. Will you still continue on with your movie careers or do you have plans on attending college?"

"Well," Terada spoke through the mic. "A simple yet important question."

Eriol turned to Syaoran. "You want me to answer first or you?"

"You already have the mic before me, so go ahead," Syaoran said.

"Very well." He turned to the young journalist Satoshi Shimabukuro and answered. "I'll let Li Xiaolang answer you with that question later, let me go first. I do plan on doing both, actually. I will be continuing my career after this movie project and at the same time plan to enter college for further study. It's too long for me to explain how I'm going to juggle two things at once because despite that I'm here in Japan, I am in a special long distance learning program from my school back in England and apparently my parents still insisted I enter college in the British educational system. If I can I'd also like to attend university here in Japan, but it's going to take a lot of work for me as a non-Japanese citizen to do that. Apparently that's all I can tell you."

"Thank you very much, Hiiragizawa-san. That's more than enough, thank you." Satoshi Shimabukuro made sure he typed everything in his laptop from what Eriol provided him, then turned his head to Syaoran. "And you, Li-kun?"

Syaoran took the mic. "Me, the same as Eriol, but a little different. I'll probably give less priority on my career for… several reasons that I don't want to talk about right now. I'm aware that a lot of celebrities are able to juggle both their careers and their studies in college, but… let's just say I'm a special case…"

"I understand, Li-kun. Thank you." He then turned to the director. "Nothing further."

Though it gave those present some commotion, Sakura and Tomoyo glanced at each other.

"Speaking of college," Tomoyo said, "we'll be graduating from high school next spring too. Oh man, it's post-secondary education counseling with the teacher and the counselor time when we get back to school in September."

"Yeah," Sakura sighed. " I don't even know what college I'm gonna go to and what I should pursue…"

Fujitaka, who was still sitting next to her, cleared his throat. "You know I'm here for you, Sakura. Before you choose which college you plan to attend, we need to work on your career choices first."

Sakura turned to him. "Oh? You're not really going to insist that I should apply at Clow Reed University instead, since it's close to home?"

"I would do that, Sakura, but in reality, that's not how college planning works."

"Oh, I see."

"We'll talk about all this later at home, okay?" Sakura nodded. The commotion was finally silent and they continue on with the interview. The young reporters headed back to raising their hands again.

This time, one of the two gossip bloggers that Naoko mentioned to her friends earlier was lucky enough to be picked. "Hello. I'm Mayuka Sugihara of the Entertainment News portion of the Tomoeda Youth Official Blog. I have a valuable question for all the four main actors who will be the main characters."

"Alright then. What is your question?" Terada asked.

"Okay, let's all be honest," said Mayuka Sugihara, the more persistent one of the two gossip bloggers. "It used to be Li Xiaolang and Meiling Li in the past movies. Now you have Mai Hirashiki and Eriol Hiiragizawa as your partners. Like… what's the deal with the four of you?"

The four teen idols simply broke themselves in to laughter when the other gossip blogger interrupted with another question. "What my partner is trying to say is, do you think it's possible that an actor can mistake the roles he and his co-stars portray for real life?"

Meiling decided to take the mic. "I'll answer for all myself, Li Xiaolang, and Eriol Hiiragizawa, if you don't mind." She cleared her throat and began. "It's possible that an actor can get confused regarding himself and the role he plays as being real life, but of course, that all depends on the level of dedication the actor puts in this character. When you are a professional actor, it's like being a writer or a journalist, like yourself."

"Wow, what a smart reply!" Tomoyo complimented Meiling.

Meiling continued on with her answer. "As the Kashiis stated, the story they wrote was based on past teenage experiences, mainly towards Taeko-san's teenage life. She came from a small town, like Tomoeda, and therefore, that's why the story is set in a quiet, modest, small-town setting like here. The screenwriters and the director have been here several months ago during their research on the perfect place to set the movie and Tomoeda is the big winner! In any case, just like the screenwriters, the director, and of course, like I said before, just like the journalists and writers, even actors have to do their own research to capture the essence of the roles they play."

"That's right," Terada joined in. "This is also the reason why we have allowed the Tomoeda youth to come and watch the press conference because one of these days, one of our beloved cast here will come knocking at your door asking for your help. Because this is the summer season and everyone is out on vacation, one of the places that we will be using for the movie is at Tomoeda High School. Tomorrow morning, we'll be recruiting local youth from Tomoeda to even the neighboring towns to act as extras during the school scenes, so I'm sure there are plenty of you out there who would be interested…"

The announcement caused an uproar of excitement among the locals present, most especially the young. Sakura, Tomoyo, Yamazaki, Chiharu, and Rika were no exception.

"Oh my gosh, Sakura!" Tomoyo exclaimed happily. "This is gonna be so cool! We can audition as extras! We can be in the movie!"

Sakura shrieked in silence. "That'd be so cool Tomoyo! We get to hang out with Li-kun and Hiiragizawa-kun and Meiling everyday! We won't have to break through security in the movie set just so we can watch the shooting and say hello."

"Are you gonna audition tomorrow? I want to!"

"Hehe," Sakura grinned. "If all of you guys are gonna auditions, then I don't mind."

Chiharu and Rika joined in the excitement. "Oh my god, Chiharu and I are so gonna be there!" Rika exclaimed cheerfully. "Imagine… we would be the only two presidents of our fanclubs to get that close to our idols! Kyaaaa!"

"And Tak will be auditioning too!" Chiharu winked.

"Bah," Yamazaki frowned. "I'm only auditioning just so I can keep an eye on you, Chi-chan…"

"Oh come on, it's not like we'll be having kissing scene roles, you know? We're only extras!"

"You think?" Yamazaki glared. "I'll always be there next to you so you won't be able to get really close to Li Xiaolang, you hear me? Don't forget the behind the scenes moments too!"

"Oh boy, someone's jealous," Rika grinned. "At least with me and darling Eriol, I have no rivals!"

"You have the entire Moonies Fanclub as your rivals, Rika. Could you ever be more obvious?" Yamazaki raised an eyebrow at her.

Right then, Fujitaka tapped on his daughter's shoulder. "Are you really going to audition as an extra in that movie, Sakura?"

Sakura gazed at her father with starry eyes. "Can I, Dad?"

"I thought you said you're not in to all the showbiz stuff, dear?"

"Well, I'd feel bad if I didn't join my friends auditioning. Besides, it's just audition. I'm sure there's plenty of kids who would love to audition, and you may never know, I may not be part of the movie after all."

"Well, Sakura, it's worth a try. We'll never know if you don't try."

"Thanks so much, Dad."

"Everyone quiet down," Terada called out the audience and the media. "We've only got five minutes left before the press conference ends. It looks like our stars and crew would like to take the seats and be entertained by the local talent Tomoeda has to offer, so let's make this count."

Once again, the media began to raise their hands again, with Naoko hoping that she would finally be picked. They will only be picking one more person at this point and the press conference will be over.

Seconds later, Terada made his choice. "You there, young lady with the chin-length hair and glasses."

Right then, Naoko, as well as Sakura, Tomoyo, Chiharu, and Rika, gasped in shock. "M-me, Sir?" Naoko asked curiously.

"Apparently, you're the only one among your fellow young and amateur journalists still raising her hand."

Naoko slowly lowered her hand shyly, then cleared her throat. "Alright then. It's my turn, finally." She stood up from her seat and faced the cast and crew sitting at the table on stage. "First of all, on behalf of all the youth of Tomoeda and the neighboring towns, welcome to our humble town. My name is Naoko Yanagisawa and I'm a regular blogger for the Tomoeda Youth Official Blog. I write mostly local news and events involving our young generation here in Tomoeda and at neighboring towns, so my question for you would obviously be related to Tomoeda altogether."

"Alright then, Yanagisawa-san. Please proceed with your question."

Naoko then gazed at the table and began her question. "This question is really general and since the big names of this movie just happened to be four names, this question is directly towards them." She gave a nod towards Syaoran, Eriol, Meiling, and Syaoran's new co-star, Mai Hirashiki, to inform them that she will be asking the question now. "I know that today is only your first day here in Tomoeda. What were your first impression of this town?"

Immediately the four teen idols suddenly turn to each other, deciding which one of the four should answer her first. Moments later, Syaoran decided to go first.

"Nice to meet you, Yanagisawa-san. Thank you also for the warm welcome," Syaoran began, knowing he still had to pretend that this was the first time they've met and spoken to one another. Naoko can read what he was up to and also played along with it. "This is an honest response to your general question, Yanagisawa-san. At first I really didn't have much impression on it since it is a very small town located in the middle of nowhere, however as we drove through the welcome archway, I felt as if I have been here before…"

"How so, Li-san?" Naoko prodded.

"Well, for one thing, I felt as if I have been here before. It's hard to explain, but the sights, the sounds, even the air really reminded me of a place I feel very close to—"

"Oh my! We're done already!" From out of the blue, Terada interrupted, pointing to his watch. "Now it's time for the local performers to strut their stuff and impress us with their originality in the performing arts! Thank you all so much for coming!"

"Hey, wait a minute, Director, I'm not finished yet!" Syaoran protested.

"I know, Xiaolang, but we were reminded by the emcee that time is already up…"

"You've got to be kidding me…" Right then, the stage crew arrived and began to tear down the table arrangements, as the cast and crew stood up, climbing downstairs towards the amphitheater seats, where they will be sitting throughout the performances.

Naoko gave a disappointed expression on her face and then dropped her head in silence. She knew that her two gossiping colleagues for the blog would simply laugh at her for not getting the attention she deserved to receive as a community blogger.

"That sucks!" Rika frowned, crossing her arms. "This was Naoko's chance to be a real deal blogging journalist. She's really counting on that special report as part of her entry level resume for university next year…"

"What the hell was that all about?" Chiharu protested. "I can't believe those two blabbermouth gossip girls from the blog actually had a chance to chat with Li-kun and Hiiragizawa-kun and then only gave Naoko very little time to write down what she needed for her upcoming article! That's just unjust!"

Rather than making complaints herself, Sakura, followed by Tomoyo, dashed downward to the first row in order to comfort her. Once they reached her, Sakura and Tomoyo sat next to Naoko from both sides, with the two best friends gently patting their bookworm friend on the back.

"This is… this is unbelievable…" Naoko muttered as if she was ready to cry. "I… I was counting on this article about the movie and our town… I really need this as my key to getting accepted in to Todai's investigative journalism program when I graduate next year… I don't know what to do now…"

"Those dumb gossip girls ruined everything," Tomoyo sighed, embracing her friend. "You so deserved this and make the Tomoeda Youth Official Blog a worthwhile site for all our fellow youth to visit and read again. Plus of course, your hopes of entering Todai's journalism program too…"

"No, you can't blame Sugihara and Ayuzawa, since the director picked them after all." Naoko continued to refrain herself from shedding a single tear, but continued to mutter. "I quit the Tomoeda High School Cheerleading Squad last June so I can focus on studying for the Todai entrance exam and give my full-time dedication to writing for the Tomoeda Youth Official Blog and this story of the movie shooting of the _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ was supposed to be my eventual breakthrough to my budding career as a writer… and now…"

"Oh Naoko… I wish there's a way that we could help you… but then they're all gonna be busy with the shooting and then we won't even have a chance to keep in touch with them…" Sakura sighed. "Same goes with me. I didn't join this year's cheerleading squad for the same reason so I can study for the college entrance exams. I still don't know where to go yet but you know…"

"What am I gonna do now…?" Naoko gave a soft moan and quickly began to wipe her eyes. "I'm tired of writing the same old boring stuff all the time…" Right then, Sakura and Tomoyo embraced Naoko tightly, as Naoko placed her arms around the two.

"We could do an exclusive interview…" Just as things were about to get gloomy for the aspiring blogger, a startling voice hooked the attention of the three girls. They lifted their heads and spotted Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling standing right in front of them.

"Li-kun… Eriol-kun… Meiling!" Sakura gasped in surprise.

"Did you say… exclusive interview…?" Naoko muttered those words. The three nodded to confirm.

Syaoran sat right next to Sakura, though his attention was right towards the bespectacled blogger girl. "I do not like being interrupted in the middle of the press conference, let alone an interview."

"Exclusive interview… with me…?" Naoko continued to mutter in surprise.

"Are you free tomorrow?" Eriol asked, now sitting down next to Tomoyo.

"Well, tomorrow was supposed to be my day writing the article, but because I didn't have the material that I needed, I'll be free for sure."

"Then," Meiling said, "during the movie shooting breaks, we can have our exclusive interview! It'll be just you and then the four of us!"

Four of us, Naoko thought to herself. She meant Syaoran, Eriol, Mai Hirashiki, and herself.

"Exclusive… interview…"

"I already advised Wei to add your name in our schedule for tomorrow," Syaoran said. "Since we're not sure when we're gonna have breaks yet, Wei will simply send you a text to let you know so you can come over and we could meet."

"Oh my!" Naoko immediately flashed a grin on her face. She quickly stood up and bowed lowly to the idols. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me…"

"Besides," Eriol gave a grin. "Earlier today while I was checking the internet through my laptop in my quarters, I stumbled upon the Tomoeda Youth Official Blog. I must say, you have your own style of writing that really peaks my interest and I've become an instant fan of your writing. It was then that I believe that you would truly make the featured article about us, the movie project, and Tomoeda the best-ever literally reported news ever."

Naoko quickly lifted herself up. "Just you wait and see! I'm going to make this special feature the best feature you've ever read!" She bowed again once more. "Thank you so much, you guys…"

"Ah, right," Syaoran and Eriol immediately stood up and then reached for their mobile phones again. "Can we exchange numbers, Yanagisawa?"

"Ah yes, of course!" Naoko reached for her phone in her messenger laptop bag and using the auto-exchange transfer, they received each other's info.

"Oh! That's right!" Sakura exclaimed and reached for her new cellphone. "I… I have a new cellphone today!"

Syaoran gave a chuckle. "Great. Let's exchange phone numbers then."

"Ah, don't forget me!" Meiling also brought out her phone as they began exchanging phone numbers from each other.

"Thanks so much, everyone!" Sakura cheered. Right then, Touya, Yukito, and Yamazaki arrived on the scene.

"Alright, girls," Touya muttered, looking rather bored and uninterested. "We got final rehearsals to do before it's our turn to perform. Let's go."

"Ah! That's right!" Tomoyo exclaimed as she began hooking her arm around Sakura again. "Well then, we're off now. See you guys later!"

"Have fun! See you on stage later!" The three idols and Naoko waved as Sakura and Tomoyo headed backstage, following the three boys from their Cool Rascals band.

#

The Cool Rascals band did not expect that there would be four local acts who will be performing. Apparently, the four acts before them just happened to be professionals, with the act before them was an all-girl dance crew called Beauty Belles, lead by the very elegantly pretty Maiko Horibe, one of Tomoeda High's most popular girls. She and her clique of four other wealthy and popular rich girls from the Tomoeda Elite make up the Beauty Belles. They're not only just a pop dance crew, but they're simply just a special clique consisting of daughters from Tomoeda's richest families. If you remember the famous series _Hana Yori Dango_, the Beauty Belles would be the equivalent to the infamous F4.

Maiko Horibe, another petite-looking, long raven-haired beauty whose a daughter of two famous jewellers who own a chain of jewelry shops all around Japan. A dancer of classical ballet and ballroom dancing, she recently got herself in to club and hip-hop dancing along with her equally wealthy friends. Plenty of girls around Tomoeda and the neighboring towns wanted to be like her, most guys, especially those of the elite, wanted her. Even if that was the case, she still cannot compare to the actual most popular girl in their area: Tomoyo Daidouji. If most of the girls think that Maiko has everything, she also wants everything Tomoyo has.

She was the main reason why Tomoyo lost her sniveling coward of an ex-boyfriend, Ken Bunchin, a son of the Tomoeda Elite. Maiko lead Ken Bunchin on enough for him to break off with Tomoyo, but in the end, even the boyfriend himself was duped by this girl's manipulative charms. Still, no matter what, she still found herself in second place in the popular girl category under Tomoyo. If we're talking about the entire Tomoeda Elite, Maiko's family only came in second. Tomoyo's family currently is ranked first for being the wealthiest. Well, of course, that was today. Seven years ago, the Daidoujis were the second wealthiest. The true richest, most domineering family throughout the Tomoeda Elite is none other than the Li Clan, the family of Sakura's long-lost childhood love, Syaoran.

Plenty of girls always expected Tomoyo to be the leader and part of the Beauty Belles since it was formed when they were at age twelve. In fact, Tomoyo used to be close friends with Maiko and her three other rich girl friends since childhood, but only because they just happened to be in the same flock. At age six, Tomoyo met simple girl Sakura and they immediately clicked and the raven-haired design-minded beauty discovered that Sakura was a truer friend than the likes of Maiko Horibe and all those other rich girls in her own league. At age seven, Tomoyo officially ditched Maiko and the other three rich girls to hang out with Sakura and her two homeboys, Syaoran and Takashi Yamazaki, forever.

At this moment, the Cool Rascals band waited for the girls to be finished with their performance. Tomoyo gave out her slight impatience by gazing at her watch, while Touya and Yukito were already falling asleep in their fiancees' arms. Yamazaki stayed silent all this time, practicing his part on his guitar. Sakura, on the other hand, was simply playing some freestyle tune on her keyboard. She made sure the keyboard's volume was low enough and had her headphones on so she could hear the sound.

While she continued on freestyling on her keyboard, she felt a buzz in the pocket of her denim capri pants. She reached for her phone and then found the text message icon flashing on her screen. She opened it and began to read:

_Are you guys gonna be on stage after these girls?_

She found the recipient of the message and then gave herself a chuckle. _It's from Li-kun!_

Quickly she pressed the reply button and began to type her message to him.

_Yeah, although it looks like we won't be getting enough time to perform. We were supposed to perform 4 songs, but with less than 10 mins, looks like we're just going to perform 1 song only._

"Yeah," Sakura murmured to herself. "Just one song. This really blows…"

Few moments later, she received another reply.

_Don't worry. We won't be leaving Tomoeda anytime soon. There'll be plenty of time for you guys to perform for us. Ne?_

"Oh Li-kun," Sakura sighed deeply, then blushed immediately. "Wow… I can't believe you're texting me this moment… even with those Beauty Belles are already on stage…"

Quickly she sent in her reply.

_You know those girls on stage? They're the Beauty Belles, Tomoeda High's most popular girls. They're lead by this girl named Maiko Horibe. She's that skinny one with the really long hair stretching down just above her butt, the one at the center. She used to be Tomoyo's best friend when they were little but then she met me and Yamazaki and my other best friend and… well… that was it for them. Ever since then she's trying to muscle in our business trying to ruin Tomoyo's happiness. I really don't like making enemies but deep inside I really don't like her…_

Sakura sighed, then dropped her head. "I'm a blabbermouth, I know… but… I don't want to just end there…"

At this point, Tomoyo arrived with a rather disappointing expression on her face. "Those stupid Beauty Belles," Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "They're supposed to only have five minutes on stage. They're almost up there for ten minutes now. What the heck kind of dance are they performing? Classical ballet?"

"Tell me about it," Sakura shook her head. "I don't understand why we're last to go, Tomoyo."

"According to the mayor, we're fresh, cool, and completely loaded with talent. He's got the whole 'save the best for last' bit. Man, I bet Naoko's getting impatient too."

"Hoe?" Sakura blinked in curiosity.

"She'll be taping our performance tonight so we can watch it right after and see what we like and don't like with that performance. It'll be part of our learning process when we perform in front of famous people in the future!"

"Oh, I get it," Sakura grinned. "Great idea, Tomoyo!"

"Hehe…" Tomoyo patted her best friend on the shoulder. She then sat down on a speaker hooked up on to Sakura's keyboard. "Sorry about all this, Sakura. You must be bored…"

"Oh don't worry," Sakura grinned. "I have my texting buddy to accompany me." She lifted her phone and gently shook it.

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Tomoyo giggled. "And does this texting buddy of yours go by the name of Li Xiaolang?"

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise while Tomoyo chuckled. "Don't worry. I have a texting buddy too to keep me company. Except his name is Eriol Hiiragizawa."

The two best friends broke in to silent laughter, both feeling rather special to the two handsome teen idols sitting at the front row of the amphitheater tonight. Special, and yet, they're not fans?

"Hiira— I mean Eriol-kun is quite talkative!" Tomoyo giggled.

"Yeah," Sakura snickered, "he's just like you!"

"What? Am not!" Tomoyo jokingly gave a light slap on Sakura's shoulder. "Silly girl! What about Li-kun?"

"Hm… he seems to be pretty soft spoken," Sakura showed a light smile. "But somehow, that mysterious aura really is mesmerizing…"

"Well duh, Sakura! It's part of his attraction factor."

"Hahahaha, I guess you're right about that." Right then, Sakura's phone began to vibrate again. "Oh, that must be Li-kun right now! Let's see what he says…" She gazed at her phone and opened the message icon:

_So that's her? Now I'm aware of her name. She sure is really expressive at her performance, mainly because she kept staring at me. Thanks for warning me._

Sakura gave a chuckle. _Oh Li-kun, you don't know half the story just yet…_ She began texting her reply:

_I've read in the magazine that you're very picky when it comes to girls. Well, nothing wrong with being picky. If Meiling Li happened to be your first girlfriend and no one else before her or even after her, then yes, you truly are picky._

She then pressed the "Send" button and placed her phone down. Without even realizing it, Tomoyo reacted at the text Syaoran sent her earlier. "Sakura, what are you guys talking about?"

"Well… um… I kinda mentioned to him about the Beauty Belles… nothing bad though, just saying that they're the most popular girls in our school. Right?"

"Hahaha, whatever," Tomoyo snickered while rolling her eyes. "That bitch sure can't change her mind with guys. First she steals my boyfriend, now she's eying Li Xiaolang?"

"Bunchin-kun? Forget him, Tomoyo. He may look like he's all that just because he's from the elite like you guys but all this time he's nothing but a wimpy coward."

Tomoyo responded with a laugh. "And that's what I intend to do. Move on with my life and find someone new. You should do the same, Sakura, instead of your father making all these hopeless set-ups with random guys who end up being epic fails. There's nothing wrong with a girl clinging on to her favorite teddy bear, you know."

"I know, Tomoyo… but… in a way Sakamoto's right. I am seventeen and I shouldn't be clinging on to these stuffed animals anymore but… but Chiirou is so special to me… and… he's the only memory that I have of Syaoran…" At that point, she felt wetness forming on to her eyes, knowing that whenever she talked about her teddy bear Chiirou, the more she could feel an arrow of emotional pain striking through her heart. "Oh Syaoran…"

Tomoyo did not say any more words and instead, embraced her tightly. "Oh Sakura… this isn't the time to cry…"

"I know… I know… I just can't help it, you know?" Sakura quickly wiped off her tears with her hand, as Tomoyo reached for her purse and handed her a clean piece of facial tissue. She quickly grabbed it from Tomoyo and began to wipe her tears.

At this point, the emcee arrived backstage. "Cool Rascals, get ready. It's almost your turn. The girls are finishing up their routine."

"Oh, finally!" Yamazaki exclaimed.

Kaho, who had been watching the performance from the side of the stage, began shaking her fiance up. "Touya, wake up! It's almost your turn now!"

"Yukito, why did you have to fall asleep?" Nakuru frowned and began to gently pat her fiance on the cheeks.

The two young adult men finally woke up. "Oh hell, finally," Touya rolled his eyes. "What the hell are those girls doing on stage? Opera?"

"Stop complaining, Touya," Kaho gave him a frown. "At least it's your turn now."

Tomoyo and Sakura arrived where the boys were standing. "Looks like we'll have to sing two songs instead of four," Tomoyo sighed. "We only have six minutes left before the show's over."

Touya crossed his arms. "This is pathetic, man. I don't mean to offend to you, Tomoyo-chan, but the payment is going to be really less if it's only six minutes…"

"No worries, Touya-niichan," Tomoyo chuckled. "You'll still get paid the same. Same goes to you too Yukito-niichan… and of course, Yamazaki-kun!"

Being a part of the Cool Rascals band was also another part-time job for the rest of the band including Sakura. Being the daughter of the wealthiest family of all of Tomoeda, Tomoyo knows she can afford anything she wants. She always wanted to have her own band as her passion for singing is as strong as her desire for creating beautiful things, but because she didn't know any professional musicians to act as her backup band, she decided to recruit her closest friends and neighbors and even offered to pay for them as if it was a part-time job. After all, whenever they go on gigs, they get paid anyway by the hosts. The good thing about this is that not only they get paid by the hosts, but they also get extra pay from Tomoyo herself.

"So, which songs are we gonna sing then, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Well, first we'll perform 'Play Me a Sad Song' and then we'll perform 'Mr. Music Man.' Those two songs are less than three minutes long, so that should cover at least four to five minutes of our given time. We still gotta set up the instruments too."

"Well," Yukito nodded. "Let's start setting up then—" Just as the band was about to do so, they noticed that the stage crew were already doing the setup for them. "Oh, wow, never mind."

Right then, Yamazaki scratched his head in curiosity. "Wait… isn't those two songs slow songs? And not just slow songs, but sad and depressing songs too?"

"Yeah…" Tomoyo gave a playful sigh. "After all, we were only given six minutes to perform… and since we're the final act and the night's getting really late, maybe we should send our audience home with a sweet tune in their minds, ne?"

"Are you insane, Daidouji? These past few days we've been rehearsing, the songs we've been rehearsing are all depressing breakup songs! I know you still can't get over your break up with that Bunchin dude but he's history, dangit!"

"Well, it's not like we're singing to make people said, Yamazaki," Tomoyo said. "It's how we perform and we sing that song would move our audience that would make them want to listen to more of our original material! More gigs, more money for all of us, ne?"

Touya shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, as long as we get paid, it's cool with me."

"As long as we move our audience through their hearts with our songs, I don't mind at all," Yukito gave a grin.

"As long as I don't sing lead, it's all good for me…" Sakura murmured softly.

"What was that, Sakura?" Tomoyo gave a curious look at her.

"Oh… hahahahaha! Nothing… nothing…" Sakura gritted her teeth when she flashed her smile.

Right then, the emcee finally began to announce their band name. Luckily the backstage crew already set up the instruments for them beforehand. "And now, to close our welcome celebration tonight, let's all give a huge round of applause to Tomoeda's coolest pop rock band, always filled with fresh energy, vibe, and originality. Let's all welcome The Cool Rascals!"

"Fresh energy, vibe, and originality, he says…" Yamazaki muttered in a melancholic tune as the five band members climbed on stage and then took their positions with their instruments. Tomoyo, of course, will be at the center of the setup with her single mic. Sakura was at the right side of the stage from the audience's view, with Touya at the back with his drum kit, and the two guitarists, Yukito and Yamazaki, are at the left side from the audience's view.

"Well well, thank you everyone!" Tomoyo spoke through the mic and began to wave to the audience. The audience responded with enthusiastic cheers and applauses. "As we are about to close tonight and we've only got six minutes to perform… we'll be performing two sweet-tuned songs just for you!"

As Tomoyo continued on, at the front row, Eriol couldn't help himself but to gaze at the beautiful leader of the Cool Rascals band. "Xiao, who would have thought that our dear friend Tomoyo Daidouji would look so stunningly beautiful up on stage. She's the designer's daughter but she has 100% natural star quality, you know?"

Syaoran gave a slight frown. "So unfair…"

"What? What's unfair?"

"That Tomoyo Daidouji is the one closest to us on stage…"

"Xiao, what on earth are you muttering about?"

"I don't know… maybe Sakura should be a little closer to the center of the stage instead of her being all the way to the left…"

Eriol broke in to laughter. "Now I see the sad tone of your voice, dear cousin. You just want Sakura closer so you can see her a whole lot more closely. Is this love at first sight, Xiao?"

"Shut up, Eriol," Syaoran muttered while rolling his eyes.

Tomoyo's introduction finally ended as the band began performing the two sweet-sounding original songs with depressing lyrics.

#

Several hours later after the welcome celebration, Sakura walked in her bedroom, this time donning mint green PJs and a small pink cherry blossom embroidered on the left side of her top. She just came from the restroom, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and combed her hair, right before she pops in bed. But first, she checked her email on her desktop computer on her desk to see if Tomoyo even replied to her email this morning.

As expected, her best friend from across the street really did reply to her:

_Dearest Sakura,_

_You dreaming of Li Xiaolang being Syaoran only tells me one thing: you are beginning to fall in love with Li Xiaolang himself! But come on now, you can't blame the guy for being so stunningly gorgeous and irresistibly hot, it's only natural that you'd feel some attraction to him._

_Don't deny it. After all, after you got your new mobile phone from your dad, he did exchange phone numbers with you, ne? And then he even started texting you, right? Well, he's already giving you keys to his heart! This only means that he's allowing you to get closer to him— and in turn, he wants to get closer to you too! To hell with Mai Hirashiki or Maiko Horibe and all those Wolfpups fangirls. You have become Li Xiaolang's ideal girl and you'll just have to get used to it. If you can't, you know I'm here to back you up as always… ohohohohoho!_

_Tomorrow morning is audition time to become extras for the movie! Don't be late, Sakura!_

_Love you! - Tomoyo_

"Oh man… she's got to be kidding…" Sakura sighed and signed off of her email and turned off her desktop computer. "Then again… maybe she's right about Li-kun…"

She walked over to her bed and jumped herself in to bed. Her Chiirou stuffed animal still remained on the bed and picked it up. Now lying down and the stuffed toy already facing her, she began to talk to the teddy bear.

"I haven't told you the news yet, ne? I've met a new friend last night. I wonder if Syaoran would be mad if he learns that after all these years of waiting for him, even a single reply, that I'm already making new friends with other guys who I… well… find… them… as… potentials, you know?"

She then turned to her side, still with her teddy bear across from her. "You know what, this new friend of mine looks so much and sometimes acts so much like Syaoran. His last name is also Li too. But I know he can't be Syaoran because if he is, he would've recognized me immediately, you know? And then we'd be rekindling our special memories together… with you… and my stuffed animal I made for him… I wonder what name he gave her when he left Tomoeda for his home country of Hong Kong?"

Right then, she gave a soft chuckle and continued. "His name is Li Xiaolang. He's a really famous teen idol who also originally came from Hong Kong but he's really taken Japan by storm by his good looks, his sexy but adoringly boyish voice, his talent, you know the deal. I know I'm not a fan or anything but… well… there's just something about him that really… well… gets my attention towards him, you know?"

She then flipped herself over and now her front body is lying against the bed. "Ne, Chiirou. I dreamed about Syaoran and Li-kun last night. I dreamed that Li-kun and Syaoran are actually one in the same. He said in the dreams that all this time, he had been searching for his way back home, here in Tomoeda. Because of some circumstances that he couldn't find his way back home, so he entered showbiz and worked to become popular in Japan… so that I would be able to find him…"

At that point, she gave a sigh and then cradled her Chiirou stuffed toy to her. "Oh Chiirou… what does that mean? Syaoran Li… Li Xiaolang… they have the same last name… maybe they're related, like, cousins or something. And I noticed something too. When we exchanged phone numbers, my phone detected Li-kun's name in Kanji… it's the same exact way that Syaoran writes his name. Hm, maybe Li Xiaolang is a common name in China, I don't know. What do you think, Chiirou?"

Again, she turned around and now her back was against the bed now. "Am I… am I… really… starting to fall in love with Li Xiaolang, Chiirou? But that can't be. I mean, we've only met last night and… and we barely hung out today… we just started exchanging text messages earlier today when I finally got a new cellphone from Dad. And then starting tomorrow, he and the other stars we've met would be really busy. They'll be out of Tak's house early and will be back when I'm already asleep. I know we exchanged phone numbers but I don't want to call him or text him when he's in the middle of a shoot, you know?"

She then placed Chiirou next to her and then curled herself in to a ball. "Oh Chiirou, what am I gonna do? I know Li-kun never really showed any signs of romantic interest at me but why does he always invade my heart so much? When he's around, it's like everything's cool. But when he's away… why does my heart ache as if it's telling me that… I really need to see him… those deep amber eyes… that milky mocha hair… that beautiful manly but boyish voice of his… that sincere smile… aaaaargh…" She then placed her hands on to her head, trying to clear her mind.

"Li-kun… oh Li-kun… I want to see you… at least for a few seconds… just to say goodnight…"

And before she knew it, she heard her cellphone at her side table vibrating. She got up from the bed and reached for her phone. Another message icon popped on her screen and then read the recipient.

"Chiirou! What a coincidence! It's from Li-kun!" Quickly she opened the message and read it to herself:

_Look out your window._

"Eh?" Sakura gasped, grabbed Chiirou with her, and then ran to her window. She opened the curtain and then opened one of the large window panes. She showed a startled expression once she saw Syaoran comfortable sitting at the sturdy branches of the cherry blossom tree that stood between her window and his window at the Yamazaki residence.

"Li-kun! But… what are you doing at the tree?" Sakura gasped.

"May I come in, dear lady?" Syaoran suddenly asked permission for him to enter her window.

"W-wow!" Sakura giggled. "Sure! Dad is staying up all night again at his den working on his doctoral thesis and Oniichan is in deep sleep now. Do you need help climbing in?"

"I can manage." Quickly and easily, Syaoran entered through her window. He sat on the windowsill seat first before he removed his shoes. After all, you shouldn't be wearing shoes when you enter someone's home after all.

When Syaoran appeared, he was still wearing the same stylish white, olive green, and khaki outfit that he wore from the press conference earlier. That only meant one thing. He and Eriol must have just arrived at Yamazaki's house just now.

"You haven't changed yet, Li-kun," Sakura giggled and took a seat at a space at the windowsill. Now the two are now sitting across from each other.

"Eriol and I just got home, I mean, Yamazaki's house that is. We had a long session of script runthrough at the Tomoeda Inn conference hall earlier, so yeah… I spent a lot of time with Mai Hirashiki with the script." Syaoran answered, gently scratching his head.

"Sounds great!" Sakura grinned. "Well, better be prepared for the shoot's first day, ne?"

"I guess so," Syaoran shyly chuckled. "Were you already sleeping, Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. I was having a convo, that's all…"

"Convo? With Daidouji?"

"Well, um… not quite…" She slowly gazed at the dark gray teddy bear cradled in her arms. "Actually… it's just that… um…"

Immediately, Syaoran noticed the teddy bear in her hand and then slowly moved closer to have a better look. "That's a really cute stuffed animal…"

"Eh?" Sakura gasped. "I… I thought you'd think it'd be silly and immature…"

"What?" Syaoran gave her a puzzled look. "Why would you think it's silly and immature?"

"It's just that…" She then raised her Chiirou teddy bear towards him. "Well… this is my best friend, Chiirou. Chiirou, this is Li-kun… I mean… Li Xiaolang…"

Sakura gulped nervously, wondering if the teen idol would just break in to laughter and would simply laugh at her like what that other jerk Sakamoto did to her last week. Instead, Syaoran answered:

"Honored to meet you, Chiirou-san."

Her eyes quickly opened and then answered him. "Y-you don't think it's childish?"

"Hm? What's childish?"

"Well… me… confining too much on my Chiirou bear?"

Syaoran then realized where Sakura was trying to say at this point. "Wait… your Chiirou bear is the reason why that sniveling coward from last night started humiliating you in front of people when you and he went out on your first dinner date?"

Sakura sighed deeply. "No one in this town understands why Chiirou bear means so much to me, so much that I refuse to get rid of him. I mean, I would donate all my stuffed animals to charity, but not Chiirou. He stays with me. I've tried explaining it as much as I can to people, but instead…"

"I… I don't mean to be nosy or anything, but… may I take a guess why Chiirou bear is so important to you?"

"Sure, Li-kun. You did say that you trust me with your life, ne? Then, that means I trust you with my life too."

"Thanks," Syaoran smiled. "I don't think it's the bear itself is what's really important to you."

"Eh?" Sakura blinked in a startle as Syaoran continued.

"It's because someone very special to you must have given you the Chiirou bear, isn't it?"

_Oh my… how on earth could Li-kun guess that?! _Sakura gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. "Y-you figured out… yes, someone did give this to me."

"I can tell just by looking at it. It's handmade." Slowly he moved closer to her. "I was wondering… may I hold… Chiirou bear?"

"Sure. Chiirou wouldn't mind. Here." Sakura handed the bear to Syaoran. Once he got a hold of the bear, two bolts of pain struck his mind and his heart all at once when he began to gaze and examine the bear in his hands.

"Sakura…" Slowly, Syaoran placed one hand on to his heart. "I…"

"What's wrong, Li-kun?"

"Somehow… I don't know what it is, Sakura…" Right then, he cradled the bear in to his arms, then gave a soft sigh. "Your bear seems… seems familiar to me…"

"Familiar…?"

"Familiar as in… I've seen and… touched this stuffed bear before…"

"But Chiirou is its own kind in the world. The one who gave me sown this by hand all by himself."

"I… I seem to recall… something…"

Sakura gasped and then scooted herself closer to him. "Are you remembering a lost memory now, Li-kun?"

"I… I'm not sure… but… somehow… I can feel a bit of pain inside… and I don't know why…"

The girl then swallowed nervously and thought about the dream she had last night about Li Xiaolang and her beloved Syaoran being one in the same person. Still though, it would be rude to ask him directly at this point, but rather than being curious for her own selfish gain, she decided to be a true friend.

"Do you want to hang on to Chiirou bear for now?" Sakura asked, smiling.

"Eh? But he's yours, ne?"

"You seem to have grown fond of Chiirou, Li-kun… as if… the two of you have known each other for a very long time now…"

Syaoran gave a chuckle. "You could be right. You may never know." He handed Chiirou back to Sakura. Right then, he sat on the carpeted floor, resting against the windowsill, while Sakura joined him, sitting right next to him.

"Listen, Sakura," Syaoran changed the tone. "There's nothing wrong with a girl still clinging on to her favorite stuffed toy. I… I think it's really… adorable…" Right then, he found himself blushing at the thought, especially if the girl just happened to be the one with eyes of his favorite color.

"I guess it all depends on the person, ne?"

"Maybe. But it tells me a lot of things about the person, Sakura."

"How so?"

"Like, you're the type of person who cares deeply about everything and everyone who deserves the care in the world. Even if they're non-living objects, you still care for them for deeper reasons."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's take you and Chiirou, for example. You love Chiirou so much, not because it's beautifully made and that the fabric is made of the very rare and expensive vicuna wool…"

_How on earth did he figure out the material Chiirou is being made of? Mine was only made with a simple and cheap wool…_

"You love Chiirou because of the person who gave him to you. Now that the person has gone away, you see Chiirou as a living thing rather than just a mere stuffed toy. Not a lot of people have a lot of care to give to just random people and things as much as you, Sakura. That's what makes you likable."

_If what he was saying is true, then does that mean… Li Xiaolang is interested in me…?_ Sakura wanted to draw that conclusion within her, but instead, closed her eyes and shook her head. _No way. That's a stupid reason. He would never use that as a reason…_

"You could be right, Li-kun," Sakura nodded. "I never really looked at it that way."

"You'll see one day," Syaoran gave a grin. Once again, he changed the tone once more.

"By the way, I really like your PJs tonight."

"Eh? This old thing?" She gazed at her mint green with pink cherry blossom on her left side and shrugged. "Thanks, I guess. Tomoyo made this for me and gave it to me for my fifteenth birthday two years ago."

"It matches with your eyes, but it's very soft and subtle…"

"Eheheh…" Sakura chuckled nervously. "Thank you, I guess. Tomoyo thinks the same too."

"You should smile more often, Sakura. When you do, your eyes sparkle…"

"Sparkle?" Sakura felt intense blushing on her face once again.

"And when eyes sparkle, they make others who look at your eyes smile too."

Without even thinking twice, she let out a smile on her face. With that, Syaoran burst in to laughter.

"What? You said I should smile more often!"

Syaoran refrained from laughing. "No, it's not that. It's just that… I've never met anyone who's made me laugh several times before. The only one who was able to accomplish that was Eriol." He then caught up with his composure and cleared his throat. "Thank you… Sakura."

"Um, no problem!" She remained smiling. At this time, it was her turn to change the tone. "Ne, Li-kun…"

"Hm?"

"I thought you would be heading straight to bed tonight when you got back at Tak's house. What made you decide to come here?"

Syaoran at first fell silent and began to contemplate. Sakura became patient enough to wait for an answer. Moments later, he finally gave her his answer.

"Because I like hanging out with you. We didn't get to hang out as much earlier today because of the press conference and the fanclub luncheons and all of that… and now even the run-through of the script."

"Silly Li-kun…" She then raised her knee and rolled herself in to a ball, but with her back still remaining straight. "Well… I'm not as cool as your other idol friends and… not as pretty and popular as Tomoyo or Meiling Li or those Beauty Belles or… even Mai Hirashiki herself…"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to point out here, Sakura?"

Suddenly she gasped in nerviness and immediately blurted out: "Nothing! Nothing… at all…" Even with that safe answer, she knew she was a failure.

"You know, I have to admit something though…" Syaoran sighed and now he rolled himself with his arms on his knees and his chin resting on top of his arms.

"What's that?"

"Well, how do I say this. When I was growing up, my parents really raised me to be highly disciplined… highly responsible… and how to set the real priorities in life. It was to prepare to carry on a long-time legacy that all the males of my family have been carrying for who knows how long. Because of that intense training, I thought that I didn't need any friends. Those who wish to serve under me, maybe, but not… friends… No matter if they were in the same level as I was, higher, or lower… I just didn't need anyone…"

"Mm," Sakura nodded to confirm her understanding. "And then… something changed all that… right?"

"Yes," he nodded. "When I was really young, I met someone my age… a girl. She was a little shorter and obviously weaker-looking than I was, but… she opened her hand… and her heart to me. The first thing she said was how cool I was whenever I train in martial arts. She admitted that she always watched me from the darkness whenever she'd pass by the open fields. It didn't take her long enough to have the guts to speak to me. My father was still a very strong and very tight-lipped man back then, but to my surprise, he welcomed her and then even reminded her that she can come and watch us whenever she had the time. The more she was present, the more I found myself warming up to her… and eventually, I ended up getting enrolled in the elementary school that she was attending so I can get closer to her and meet new friends."

"You never went to school when you were little?"

"No, not that. I was privately tutored at home. Just like the rest of the family. My four sisters, they were privately tutored too when they were little. I was the first one to actually attend an elementary school. My sisters were then enrolled in the local middle school after I started going to a public school. We still get supplemental lessons at home to help us study for exams and all that but all of us really enjoyed school, so my parents let us to continue our education in schools instead. My sisters made so many friends and almost all the kids in my school wanted me to be their friend… but I only made two right after the girl— another boy and another girl. Even if I wasn't that sociable I did get along with all of my classmates, but when it came to friendship, those three I made were more than enough for me."

"Wow… this girl must be very special to you. I'm sure she is…"

"Sadly, she and the three friends that I made before were part of these really lost memories that my family and I have been trying to recover so I can be my whole self once again. That's the reason why my parents allowed me to continue my budding acting career in Japan. In fact, they did insist that I continue it here than in Hong Kong."

"I see. So you can find your long lost friends… and vice versa… and finally recover those lost memories that would make you feel whole again…" Syaoran nodded to confirm she was correct. "So, how is it so far?"

"Well… I'm not sure yet, not completely sure about this, but…" He dropped his head and sighed. "When I started working here in Japan, I haven't really recovered much of my most important memories. Sure, I now realized that I have lived in Japan before some time in the past, but that was it so far."

"Oh… that's too bad…"

"Wait, let me finish first," Syaoran gave a soft chuckle. "When we first arrived here in Tomoeda… that's when weird things started to happen to me…"

"Really? But Tomoeda is just a simple town. Nothing really special…"

"I know, but… I've been getting all these auras of familiarity. I mean, Tomoeda is certainly a different town from all other places I've been to around Japan, but all of the things only available to Tomoeda… it's like I already knew about them or experienced them right from the start. And then of course, there's that thing about my family having a copy of The Book of Keroberos…"

"Well, now that we established that you were once a Tomoeda resident, then maybe it's easier for us to finally help you recover your final missing memories, Li-kun. Like, we can find personal records about you in the town archives in the library and… well, I can ask Dad to help you out. He's one of Tomoeda's finest historians. I mean he is an archaeologist and a professor of anything historical, ne?"

Syaoran nodded with a grin. "I'd like that, Sakura. Thank you."

"Oh!" Sakura gasped. "That reminds me. I asked my dad if I can invite someone for dinner one of these days and then we can have Whistlejay Stew for dinner and he was okay with it. I… I thought about… inviting you for dinner…" She began twiddling her thumbs shyly.

"You're inviting me for dinner? With your family?" Sakura nodded.

"It doesn't have to be tomorrow night or anything like that. I mean… while you're here… I'd like to have a nice family dinner with you. Well you can bring a guest or two too if you want, but… as long as you're there."

Syaoran nodded in response. "I'd like that, Sakura. I'm honored."

"Yay!" Sakura cheered happily.

"My schedule's all weird everyday since it's the movie shoot and all. I'd have early morning shoots, late night shoots, you know, it's crazy. But I'll be sure to reserve a night for dinner. I'll let you know when that would be."

"Great! Can't wait!"

Just as they were about to continue with their late night hangout, they were both startled with a knock on her door. "Sakura? Are you still awake?"

"Oh no! It's Dad!" Sakura exclaimed. She dashed to her closet, where there was still enough room for a person to hide. "Quick, hide in here!"

Syaoran gave a slight chuckled and then hid inside her closet. Once he did, she ran to her door and opened it.

"Um… hi Dad…"

"Still up, I see? Well, it is summer break after all."

"Y-yeah!" Sakura giggled nervously. "I… I was just watching TV…"

"Watching TV? Where? You don't have a TV set in your room—"

"I mean… on the new cool smartphone you gave me earlier today. I wanna test its fast connectivity and see if I can watch TV shows on it."

Fujitaka chuckled. "Oh, kids these days. Alright now, little munchkin. Time for you to head to bed. You still got that audition for extras for that movie tomorrow morning with your friends."

Sakura leaned to kiss her father on the cheek. "I know, Dad. Thanks for the reminder."

"Alright then. Go to sleep now. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Dad." Fujitaka continued on to his room as Sakura closed the door. She then gave out a sigh of relief. "You can come out now, Li-kun!"

Slowly, the closet door opens and Syaoran crawled out from the closet. "Wow, what a scare…"

"Yeah. I can't believe Dad would even stop by… normally he doesn't do that… maybe he must have seen my lights still open."

"Your father seems like a kind and sincere man." Syaoran then sat back at the windowsill area while Sakura joined him.

"He is. He's very hardworking. Ever since my mother died, he had been playing both father and mother all at the same time. He does a lot of work in the university, always goes on these expedition trips and digs around the world, but when he's at home he does almost everything mothers would normally do: he would clean the house, cook our meals, work on the garden, he's just a jack-of-all-trades kind of man. We do whatever we can to help out with the chores around the house, of course. Now I do most of the household chores because Oniichan is a grad student and works various part-time jobs to pay for his college fees and of course, contribute a bit to the family. The only part-time job I have is being a member of the Cool Rascals band with Tomoyo being the boss."

"Ah. My condolences," Syaoran sighed. "I don't know how it feels like to lose a parent forever, but I do know how it feels like to lose a parent who's unable to do anything for the family anymore…"

"Li-kun…"

"My father is still running the family business even though he's almost completely paralyzed. It's still a miracle that he's still able to speak and move his arms, so my mother does majority of the tasks that a president and CEO would do in a huge corporation. But very soon he won't be able to do many things as he used to and that he plans to go on full-time therapy. He'll be retiring as president and CEO of the corporation very soon, so… that's why I stated to the press conference earlier that I'll be going on hiatus with my career and focus more on college and of course, start working for the family business."

Sakura nodded. "Times sure are really difficult nowadays."

"Yeah, you said it."

"Well, I'll work really hard too for my family, just like you would with your family. But… but I don't know what to do yet, you know? I mean, both of us will be graduating high school next spring. At least you already know what to do after high school… or rather you're already working full time in showbiz while still attending school."

"You'll find something, Sakura. That's what college is for. If you can't decide today you can still decide while you're in college."

"You're right, Li-kun. I should start thinking about my future really soon."

"You can do it, Sakura."

"Thanks, Li-kun."

Immediately, they hear vibration sounds obviously coming from a cellphone. Sakura checked hers and noticed that it wasn't her phone that was vibrating. She turned her head to see Syaoran already checking his phone.

"I better head back," Syaoran said, giving a slight smirk. "My mother texted me just now. She'll be calling me long distance tomorrow morning. I better sleep early then."

"Sorry I kept you way too long in my room," Sakura laughed.

"No way," Syaoran returned the laughter. "I like being here in your room, even if it's just the window sill. It's better than hanging out in the tree for a long time like this morning."

"Very funny, Li-kun." Right then, Syaoran wore his shoes back and then began to climb over the window. "Oh, by the way. I overheard from your dad earlier that you plan to audition as extras in the movie?"

"Well, me and Tomoyo and Tak and even Chiharu and Rika," Sakura nodded.

Right then, Syaoran's expression changed. "Don't…"

"Hm? No?" Sakura blinked curiously.

"Well, maybe Mihara and Sasaki can audition for extras, but… not you and Daidouji and Yamazaki."

"But… but why?" Sakura gave a sad expression.

"It's because… Eriol, Meiling, and I have something a whole lot cooler for you guys than just being extras. Eriol will be informing Yamazaki, Meiling will be informing Daidouji about it. Just wake up early as you planned, but instead of you guys going at the auditions, just come over next door."

"Next door, huh," Sakura gave a slight smirk. "Hm… okay then."

"Great." Syaoran reached for the sturdiest branch nearby and clung on to it tightly. "See you in the morning, Sakura. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Li-kun!" Sakura waved.

"Xiaolang."

"Eh?" Sakura gave a baffled look.

"That's rather unfair that you're calling Meiling and Eriol by first names now but you still call me by my last name?"

"Well… it's just that… I heard that you're very strict when it comes to formalities and all and… well… I don't know how you would react if…"

"Please, Sakura…"

Sakura took a deep breath. "Well… okay then." She grinned and nodded. "Goodnight, Xiaolang."

"Goodnight, Sakura." He gave a short salute and crawled back across the tree to his open window. Once he got inside, she closed her window and her curtain.

"Time for bed, Chiirou," Sakura said to her stuffed toy as she began tucking herself in her bed. "Tomorrow is another day."

Meanwhile in Syaoran's room in the Yamazaki Residence, he found realizations within him right after he left Sakura's bedroom. He dropped himself on bed, placing his arms behind his head. He then closed his eyes.

_Dang it… I forgot to tell her about my pink stuffed animal, Ying Fa… and what's up with that friend of hers who gave her that Chiirou stuffed animal. Hm, come to think of it, the last name of my character in the movie has the same name as her stuffed animal… plus 'Chiirou' is also written the same way as I write my name. Man, this is just so weird…_

Right then, he head a knock on his door. "It's open."

The door opened and Eriol entered, now in his dark blue PJs. "You still haven't changed yet, Xiao."

"I… stopped by next door for a bit… to say goodnight…"

"My my, how bold are we now, dear lad," Eriol snickered and sat down on the chair at his desk. "You really like this Kinomoto girl, don't you?"

Syaoran quickly shifted himself to his side. "So… so what if I do…?"

"You do know the consequences if you do end up courting and romancing the sweet town lass now, don't you, Xiao?"

"I don't care about what they say about it. It's not like making a buzz about my breakup with Meiling affected both of us in the first place."

"It's easy with Meiling, Xiao. She's a star like you and me. But how would the media react if the great and gorgeously hot Li Xiaolang started dating a small town girl that no one really knows and cares about?"

"Hey, I never said that I plan to date her, Eriol. Please hold your tongue."

"Maybe not today, but eventually."

"It's not like I plan to continue being an idol and an actor for the rest of my life, you know. I have a higher, more important obligation that I have to fulfill in the near future. You and I both know that."

Eriol snickered with a nod. "That's what I want to hear, Xiao. You still haven't lost your focus on your goals."

"My hiatus from showbiz would make things a whole lot easier for me. My entire family would be happy when that happens. Obviously my parents really want me to recover all my lost memories by sending me out here to Japan and then convincing me to take the lead role in this movie once they found out that the setting is here in Tomoeda. The Book of Keroberos… the pink teddy bear… isn't it obvious that I've lived in this town for probably almost half of my life, Eriol?"

"Of course, Cousin," Eriol nodded. "And you know Meiling and I will support you and your goals, Xiao."

"Thank you, Eriol. That means a lot to me."

His cousin approached him and then patted him on the shoulder. "Get some sleep, Cousin. We've got a long day tomorrow."

"Right on. Night, Eriol."

"Sleep tight, Xiao." Eriol exited his room as Syaoran began to dig for his sleep wear and headed out to the restroom.

* * *

**A/N:** Finally, we've got our press conference and performance scene! What's in store for our heroes and sidekicks for tomorrow? Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Just a couple of notes here. First, I got the name "Holly Olive Valley" from Eriol's last name, Hiiragizawa (_hiiragi_ (柊) = holly olive + _zawa_ (沢) = valley) for his family business back in England.

"Todai" is the nickname/short form of the University of Tokyo (_Tokyo Daigoku_), Japan's most prestigious university, their equivalent to those elite universities such as Harvard University and University of Oxford. We all know Naoko as a lover of books and a writer of mystery, sci-fi, and horror in the original series, so I also wrote her as a very serious, goal-oriented girl in this story.

Since this is an AU fic I'm not following the time frame from the original CCS storyline. As you know, the manga was released in the 90s and the anime was premiered in the late 90s. In this year 2013, Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, and other elementary school-aged characters would be in their late 20s to early 30s now. Because this is an AU fic and they're 17 to 18 in this story, I'm just following the present time. I'm in my 30s myself so I pretty know how life was like back when they were still kids, but I'm not going to do some deep reminiscing just to fit the lifestyle with the timeline.

That's it for now! Shoutouts and replies to the following reviewers:

**v. ** – I thought writing the prologue in poetic prose form would simply just get the scene across to the reader without reading so many words, so that's how I did it. And yes, I also enjoyed the "tree hugging" scene as well. I just had to add that for the humor LOL. Thanks for supporting the fic. :)

**Annerlise922x –** Welcome aboard to the "Stuffed Animal" world! Thank you for reading! :)

**Rinail** – Well, considering this is a Sakura x Syaoran fic, it's rather obvious how this was going to end, generally. And it is a "rom com" fic (I don't really dig tragedies or anything twisted that would disappoint a lot of readers IMO). I guess for me, it's more of like "I know what's gonna happen... It's more of 'how will it happen.'" Thanks for reading! :)

**OtakuThatIsMe** – We're already exchanging PMs. Thanks for being a PM buddy LOL. :)

See you all next time!


	7. 06: The Cool Rascals

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 6: THE COOL RASCALS**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

Sakura moaned in displeasure when she spotted Touya fully awake at the kitchen with Fujitaka thirty minutes earlier than her at such an unusual early hour. The only reason why Sakura was able to wake up so early simply because the auditions for the extras will take place at 8:00 in the morning at the amphitheater, and she her alarm clock up to 6:30 a.m. in order to wake up. Normally, alarm clocks have no power against the sleeping spell of Sakura Kinomoto that it would have to take a second or third chance the alarm would sound off for her to wake up. Starting two days ago, she had a special hidden alarm clock installed inside her heart. That particular alarm clock had a name: Li Xiaolang.

She had another dream involving the handsome Chinese idol staying next door and her childhood beloved Syaoran Li. If anyone thought that things could get any better or worse (depending on how you look at it), it was the same exact dream she dreamed two nights ago. Sakura knew to herself that she barely gets any dreams. In fact, she never wanted to have any dreams at all because every time she gets dreams at night, they usually come true. In fact, at a very tender age of three, she actually dreamed of her mother saying goodbye to her and said that one day that she will be meeting someone special who will always be with her no matter what. She didn't mention her father or even her brother Touya. She mentioned someone very special.

A year later, when she finally met her future childhood sweetheart Syaoran Li, her mother finally disappeared from her dreams. What was rather strange though was that she never dreamed that Syaoran would be leaving Tomoeda and her just like the way how her mother left her when she passed away. She thought about seeing the town seer who may be able to interpret her dreams but was too shy and scared to even reveal them herself. On the other hand, it wasn't until two nights ago that she started to have dreams once more.

"Why are you up this early, Oniichan?" Sakura asked curiously when she volunteered to set up the table. Her father and brother were busy at the kitchen cooking bacon, sunny side up eggs, and hash browns with the side of toasted bread for today's breakfast. "Don't you have the night shift at Mooncastle Diner today?"

"Hah," Touya snickered as he served his strips of bacon in three plates. "Why are you so bitter, little beast?"

"I am not a little beast!" Sakura protested. "No, seriously, Oniichan, why are you up so early when you can always sleep in a little bit."

"Oh come on now, little girlie, you know exactly why I'm up this morning. It's the same damn reason why you're up this early too."

Sakura grabbed her plate, as she, Touya, and Fujitaka sat at the breakfast table, ready to eat their meals. "Don't tell me you're gonna audition as a movie extra too, Oniichan…"

"Hey, auditioning as a movie extra ain't exactly volunteering, you know," Touya begun as he formed a sandwich with his toast, his egg, and his bacon. "It'll be my third summer job for the season."

"What? You get paid as an extra?" Sakura gasped. "Wow, I didn't know…"

"That's why it's auditioning, duh," Touya shook his head. "When you volunteer, they'll take you in regardless of experience or background or whatever. Since it's an audition, they'll have to be picky based on whatever qualities you have. That can only mean one thing too— there's money involved."

"Oniichan, can't you think of anything else besides money?"

"Hey, I'm working my ass out as much as I can so Kaho and I can have the most memorable wedding ever. Tuition's getting expensive again, just planning a wedding is costly enough, plus knowing Kaho's family, they're pretty much high maintenance. Hell, the only reason why Kaho's family accepted me to be her future husband because of Dad."

Fujitaka, who had been reading the newspaper while enjoying his breakfast, lifted his eyebrow in curiosity and lowered his newspaper. "What was that, Touya?"

"Kaho's from the elite too, Dad, you know that already. Her family takes pride in other people's prestige and they only accepted me to be her future husband was because of you."

The father sighed and then ate some of his hash browns. "Come on now, Touya, that's not true."

"They didn't like me at first, but when I mentioned your name, they immediately said yes. Apparently, Kaho's father is a huge fan of your research journals, especially your ancient Japanese politics system. You know Kaho's father is also a university professor, right?"

"Yes, Touya, I know. I've worked with Professor Mizuki before, but he's a historian, not an archaeologist. The ancient Japanese politics system that I wrote about was only an analysis of the ancients old documents that my colleagues and I dug up in an unnamed site around Nara area, that's all." Fujitaka drank a bit of his water and changed his subject. "Wouldn't that hinder your graduate studies, Touya?"

"Huh? What would hinder my studies, Dad?"

"You auditioning as a movie extra as your third summer job."

"Nah, I don't think so," Touya nodded, now chomping on his crispy bacon strip. "Besides, I got two other reasons why I wanna audition aside from getting paid."

"Oh? And that would be?" Fujitaka asked curiously.

"Watching out for Sakura and Kaho," Touya flatly answered. "I know there's gonna be a bunch of goons and bastards who will be there and then they'll be having their perverted eyes staring at both of them—"

"Oniichan!" Sakura exclaimed. "I'll be fine! Besides, I'm not gonna audition alone. Tomoyo, Tak, Chiharu, and Rika will be there too!"

"Nonsense, kiddo," Touya proclaimed loudly. "One poor guy like Yamazaki can't take on a bunch of perverts if they end up staring and lusting at all of you girls. You need reinforcements!"

"I can take care of myself, Oniichan. We're not kids anymore!"

"Ugh, seriously, as much as I hate that Chinese brat from before, it'd be a whole lot easier if he didn't move out of Tomoeda and be there along with Yamazaki to watch out for you girls…"

Obviously, Sakura thought, Touya was referring to Syaoran. Who would have thought that even her overprotected hotheaded brother would also find his moving out a bother to him. "Why on earth are you bringing in Syaoran in the conversation?"

"Alright, settle down, you two," Fujitaka broke the argument. "Can't we all have a nice, quiet breakfast without the bickering and let's talk about something positive, alright?"

"Yes, Dad," the two siblings murmured.

"Well then. Aside from auditioning as movie extras for today, what are your other plans?"

"Actually, I'm gonna go to Yamazaki's house after breakfast. The gang and I are gonna meet there first before we head off to the amphitheater for the auditions."

"What for?" Touya raised an eyebrow of suspicion. "You all can just ride with me and Yukito. He'll be working night shift too so he's got the pick-up truck for the day."

Sakura immediately shook her head. "That's okay, we'll just ride bikes and skate and…"

Just as Touya shrugged his arms, Sakura then turned to her father. "Um… Dad?"

Fujitaka finished his place and then placed the newspaper down again. "What is it, sweetie?"

"You know how I asked you yesterday if I can invite a new friend over for dinner? And then we'll have your super-famous delicious Whisperjay Stew?"

"Of course, how can I forget? You're really anxious to introduce this new friend of yours to us," Fujitaka chuckled. "I'm very sure he and the rest of us will surely get along with each other. Right, Touya?"

Touya raised an eyebrow, crossing his arm. "I'm cool if it's another girl but a guy? You don't make friends with guys just like that, squirt. Hell, you've never made a single guy friend since Yamazaki and that other Chinese brat who used to live next door…"

Sakura decided to ignore her brother and focused more towards her father. "Actually, Dad… this new friend that I wanted to invite for dinner is Li Xiaolang…"

"… and most of the guys that Dad's been setting up have been a bunch of a—" In a sudden change of expression, Touya immediately stood up with a shocked expression. "Li Xiaolang— you mean that bratty Chinese idol dude?"

"He is not a bratty Chinese idol dude, Oniichan. Seriously, you need to lighten up!" Sakura shook her head, crossing her arms in the process.

"Of all the people you would have made good friends with, it had to be that idol brat? You do know the risk that we'll be getting if we invite a famous celebrity in our house? How on earth is he gonna come over here without being spotted and detected by those meddling paparazzi and those rabid fangirls? Have you thought of that?"

"Oh come on, Oniichan, it's pretty simply. He'll just walk here when no one's around. After all, he's staying over next door—"

"Seriously, he would've been all cool if he didn't have to use his charms and make my Kaho and Yukito's Nakuru in to a bunch of brainless teenybopper fangirls—" Just as he was about to continue, he immediately caught the latter statement. "Wait— he's staying next door?"

"You heard me."

"Wait… next door… well it can't be Yukito's house, otherwise he would've told me by— oh hell no!"

"What now, Oniichan?"

"Are you saying that idol brat is staying over at Yamazaki's place?"

"Yup! Eriol Hiiragizawa's with him too… and their manager Wei…"

"What the— that traitor!" Touya tightened his fist and slammed it against the table. "Is Yamazaki out of his mind? That freaky girlfriend of his is already scary enough whenever she declares her undying love for that brat, but of all places they could stay, he's staying at his place? Seriously that Yamazaki's high—"

"Oniichan, stop it already! You're just talking nonsense now!" Sakura shrieked, also tightening her fists.

"Dad, do you know what's gonna happen to our privacy if we let that snot-nosed idol brat in our house at night?"

"Touya…" Dad glared at his son, but Touya continued on with his rant.

"And you know what else I don't like about that kid? Who cares if he's so damn famous, every time I look at his face and the way how he looked oh-so-cool with his messy brown hair and those nasty-looking red eyes, he reminds me so much of that other Chinese brat—"

"Touya, enough already!" Dad stormed out his voice, which finally made Touya silent. "I don't want to hear a single word from you during this discussion. As long as you're still living under this roof and as long as I'm still alive, you're not the authority of this house, you understand me, son?"

Touya sighed deeply. "Sure, Dad. Sorry…"

Fujitaka continued his disappointing glare and then turned to his daughter. "Well, Sakura, I'm really proud of you. I never thought you would actually befriend a teen celebrity like Li Xiaolang. I know you spend more time playing sports than hanging out in front of the TV, sweetie, but who would have thought…" He then gave a proud grin. "So, have you spoken to him about dinner?"

She quickly nodded with excitement in her face. "Yup! Last night! And he said yes!"

"Good to hear, Sakura."

"He said he'll let me know when he's free because his schedule's all flexible and weird and all that, but definitely he'll make sure he'll book one night for a nice and simple dinner here at our home!"

"And you said he likes Whisperjay Stew?"

"Yup! He said his mom would always cook that stew whenever he's not feeling well, you know? Like when he's unhappy and down… I mean…"

"Huh," Fujitaka gently rubbed his chin, contemplating. "So Li Xiaolang has eaten Tomoeda's rarest dish before… if that's the case then I would assume that he's been here before."

"Even better," Sakura grinned. "Li-kun believes that he and his family have lived here before. His parents own a copy of The Book of Keroberos."

"Really," Fujitaka said. "Well, obviously they were former residents of Tomoeda since they have a copy of The Book of Keroberos. After all, a family doesn't get a copy of the book until they reach their fifth year of residency here in Tomoeda."

"And… Dad… you know… it's public knowledge that he is currently suffering amnesia because of a car accident when he was a kid. His dad became paralyzed from the toe up, but he really suffered a nasty concussion. He said that it was his family's insistence that he'd take this role in the movie when they found out that they were going to shoot the film here. They believed that the only memory left that he needed to recover lies here in this town."

Fujitaka nodded. "Well, I read the entertainment section of the newspaper also, you know. The newspapers did mention about that portion about him. Wow… the poor kid…"

"So, one of the reasons why I invited him for dinner, Dad, is because… well… maybe you can help him recover all his memories."

"Eh? Me? Why me?"

"He said his parents already tried getting him to remember, showing him pictures and even his sisters were telling him stories about his past here in Japan, but nothing's triggering his mind to make him remember. Maybe he would be able to restore them by himself just by coming here and… you know… be here for the duration of the entire movie shoot. He'll be here in about three to four months, Dad."

"Well, I don't know if I would be much of a help, Sakura…"

"You volunteer at the archives section of the Tomoeda Public Library, don't you, Dad? And they consider you as one of the finest historians Tomoeda ever had. Your two books about the complete history of Tomoeda and your third book, _The Visitor's Guide to the Book of Keroberos_, are seriously selling like hotcakes. There's gotta be something in those books or even in your journals about Tomoeda that could help him remember…"

Touya shook his head. "Sakura, you're kidding, right? Dad is an archaeology professor and an anthropology doctorate student at the same time, not an amnesia therapist. And for one thing, isn't that idol kid rich? Doesn't he have his own personal therapist?"

"Please, Dad… I mean I feel really bad for Li-kun… I'm sure he had been thinking about all this all this time but then no one would listen to him or even try to understand him…"

"Alright, alright, settle down," Fujitaka hushed the two. "Well, I don't know how much I help I could be for him, but I'll do what I can. First, I need to get to know this kid first so I can understand him better."

"Thanks, Dad. You so rock!" Sakura reached for her father and embraced him tightly.

"Oh, anything to make you happy and smiling all the time, Sakura." Fujitaka reached for her forehead and planted a small kiss. Once again he began to contemplate again.

"Li, huh… You know, Sakura, Li is a very common family name, even here in Japan. There's so many Lis here and there and everywhere. I'm pretty sure there's a lot of Lis living in Tomoeda then and now, but the only Li that I've known so far are your best friend Syaoran-kun's family. Your mother's old high school friend Ieran Chin married a very young, wealthy, and handsome heir to a powerful business empire named Li Xiaojin right after college. When her husband's father retired and he took over the business, they moved here to Tomoeda in hopes of expanding the business here in Japan. It's too bad they had to move back to Hong Kong for some reason…"

"Wow… I see…" Sakura blinked curiously.

"Maybe Li Xiaolang may be related to your dear friend Syaoran-kun, Sakura. Maybe he's a cousin or something like that…"

"Well…" Sakura gave a slight blush. "They really do look-alike… the chocolate brown hair, those gorgeous amber eyes… even the smile and the smirks and the stern looks on his faces… and… it seems Li Xiaolang has this same effect on me as how Syaoran did with me when we were little."

"Well, not gonna think about all that right now. I look forward to meeting him, Sakura."

"Awesome, Dad! You're gonna like him a lot. Promise!"

Touya raised an eyebrow once more. "Why are you making it sound like you're trying to convince Dad to get you set up with this idol brat, huh?"

"Can it, Oniichan," Sakura glared at her older brother. "You got no choice anyway. If you don't like the idea then you don't have to be present at our dinner! It could just be me and him and Dad. There!"

Touya gave a panicking expression right at his father. "Oh come on, Dad, you're not gonna let her say stuff like that to me now, are you?"

"Touya, if you don't learn how to lighten up and relax, then you might as well have your dinner at the Mooncastle Diner instead."

"Dammit…" Touya tightened his fist and slammed it. "I… I really like your Whisperjay Stew…"

"Then you'll have to learn how to behave yourself and learn how to respect invited guests. Jeez, I didn't raise you to be an immature, hotheaded jerk, Touya."

"Fine, Dad. Sorry…"

The two siblings finally finished their dinner and began to clean the table up.

#

"Good morning, Mother," Syaoran answered his cellphone just right after he changed from his t-shirt and sweatpants in to his usual stylish attire of forest green polo shirt and fresh dark blue jeans. He sat right by the windowsill while gazing outside his window. Though he may look like he was just staring at the cherry blossom tree standing between his window and the window next door, he hoped that he would take a small glimpse of Sakura right through her window.

"_As expected. You truly are bright and early today, Son_," his mother, Yelan Li, in her familiar stern voice, answered his greeting. "_On the other hand, it is an hour early over there in Japan._"

"The summer morning sun is really beautiful over here in Tomoeda, Mother. I wish you could be here to see it."

Yelan chuckled on the other line. "_Oh Xiaolang. You have no idea how much I've dreamed of being there in Tomoeda again. I miss everything about Tomoeda… the sun, the always-blooming cherry blossom trees, the food, the folks, and all the fun memories I have there. One of my goals as a mother is to have all of you, my children, make wonderful memories in Tomoeda as much as I have. It's so funny, now that I thought about it. Originally I was going to study there as a first-year exchange student for that one year alone. Instead I attended all three years there at Tomoeda High because I loved it so much there._"

Syaoran returned the chuckle as well. "Now I've gotten my first taste of being in this town, Mother. You're right about everything."

"_Good to hear. Now, tell me what you think so far for your first two days, Xiaolang._"

He gave a huge sigh and then gave a soft chuckle. "It's exactly what you and Father and Feimei, Fanren, Fuutie, and Shiefa have been telling me about this town for so many years already. But to tell you the truth, a lot of strange things have been happening to me since I got here."

"_Strange things? Such as?_"

"Well… every time I was introduced in to something very local, it's like… it's like my conscience is telling me that I've already known all about that like… forever. How do I explain this, Mother… when I met the locals there, I felt as if I was one of them."

"_One of them?_"

"As in… I'm also a fellow Tomoeda townsfolk like them. I just don't feel like a tourist or a stranger or an outsider in this town at all, Mother."

"_Well then, I'm very proud of you for discovering that special realization, Xiaolang. You should feel as if you were truly one of the locals in that town._"

"Tell me, Mother, please," Syaoran raised his voice a bit. "Why couldn't you guys just tell me straight out about my connection towards Tomoeda? I mean maybe it would be easier for me to remember if you did…"

"_Oh dear. Xiaolang, several times we have been telling you the same thing over and over for many years now but you never put any type of effort in to actually trying to recover those memories. Yes, we know that you have high expectations, considering you are the one and only heir to the clan and to the conglomerate, but keep in mind that at this moment, you are unfit to become the new head of the Li Clan until you regain all of your lost memories._"

"Mother… look… I know that I can still be able to lead the clan even without regaining this final piece of my lost memories. You know I can."

"_Xiaolang,_" Yelan's voice suddenly lowered back in to her familiar strict tone. "_Let me tell you something. Your father, myself, your sisters, and even all of the elders of the clan were already looking at the true future heir way before you and your father got in to that car accident. When we moved back here to Hong Kong and presented you to the elders, they have already seen what you have become because of your life in Tomoeda. It wasn't just the immediate family who decided to settle there those years ago in that town, we even brought along Wei, your grandparents— even your grandfather, the former head of the Li Clan, even passed away here and was even buried in the Tomoeda Cemetery. Even a few of your uncles and aunts from your father's side also settled temporarily to Tomoeda. The head members of the Li Clan were very prominent there in Tomoeda and we have given a lot of contributions to make Tomoeda the best town anyone could ever visit and to reside._"

"Wow, Mother. I had no idea…"

"_And we still do, mind you. We funded the town's public library, all the schools, we even sponsor the Clow Reed University Fund as well. Your father also wants to invest in a brand-new museum over there as well but as of now they are still searching for the right area around town to build it._"

"Wow… the Tomoeda Museum, huh…"

"_The young generation of Tomoeda are all very disciplined, responsible, obedient, and loyal. Their teachings and their ways of educating their children over there made me who I am right now, Son. Their education and their ways of living are two of the reasons why I wanted you and your sisters to have the same type of education and training as I had._"

"Mother…"

"_If you do not regain your memories of Tomeoda on your own, Xiaolang, then you are ineligible to take over the Li Clan. When that happens, someone else from the lower immediate families will take over that position. Your father and your uncles and aunts do not trust those lower immediate families,which is why we are working very hard to prepare you when that time comes._"

Syaoran sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry… I haven't been taking this whole case seriously. I just thought that being in Japan alone would finally help me recover all of my memories. I didn't realize that I have to be in one specific place for me to actually accomplish that."

"_Hong Kong is no place for a young boy like you to go through a very rigorous, highly-disciplined training because of our high reputation among the public. We do not want any distractions and interferences from the media. In Japan, we are able to live in peace and isolation and Tomoeda was the perfect place to conduct your training. That's why we chose to settle down there in this town. Unfortunately, we had to move back in Hong Kong due to an internal conflict within the conglomerate and had to continue on with your training with the elders over there. If it weren't for that internal conflict, the elders themselves would've traveled to Tomoeda themselves and continue your training over there instead. Then you would have still be a student at the elementary school, middle school, and high school over there and spend your precious youth with your friends._"

"I understand, Mother," the son sighed. "I'm taking it seriously now. I mean I've only been here for two nights and a day but I just can't help but feeling so much at home here in Tomoeda and the people around me… what does this mean, Mother?"

"_It's very clear. You are gradually regaining your final piece of your lost memories back. According to your personal therapist, staying in Tomoeda for at least three to four months should be enough for you to finally recover all your memories, which is why we approved of you accepting the lead role in that movie that will be shot in Tomoeda. I don't need to repeat everything again, Xiaolang._"

"Don't worry, Mother. I know now."

"_Good. Well then, we still got a bit of time before you head off to your shooting. What's your schedule like today?_"

"Well, Mother, there's open auditions to be movie extras that will take place in the amphitheater. With that happening, all of the cast will be in the Daidouji Couture house in order to be fitted and then tailor our costumes for the movie. I'm sure lots of people are gonna come and audition as extras, but I won't be there at the audition site. Well, not the main cast anyway."

"_The Daidouji Couture house… ah, you mean the Daidouji Residence?_" Yelan's voice suddenly made a huge change from the very stern tone in to an anxiously excited tone.

"Yes, Mother."

"_Oh, how wonderful! Please say hello to Sonomi Daidouji for me when you do, alright?_"

"Huh? You and Sonomi Daidouji know each other?"

Yelan began to laugh. "_We go way back. Just mention my name and she'll remember._"

"Sure thing, Mother."

"_So, did you make any new friends among the locals, Son?_"

"Well, yes. There's this girl—"

"_Aah, a girl! Already, Xiaolang? Oh you little heartbreaker…_"

"Mother… it's not like that… erm… I met her in a bit of an accident…" Right then, without being aware, Syaoran's cheeks began to blush heavily, thinking about a certain flower at the window across from his.

"_Well, you don't need to tell me what happened then. So, how does this girl look like?_"

"You're embarrassing me, Mother. I'm not looking for a new girlfriend or anything…"

"_Don't give me that answer, young man. All of my best friends over there are truly beautiful. In fact, plenty of Tomoeda girls were really beautiful, each and every way. I'm sure this girl you met must be truly beautiful…_"

"Alright, Mother," Syaoran sighed. "Well… this girl… she had light brown short hair, chin-length… and she has this really… gorgeously beautiful green eyes like emerald and jade mixed altogether… and she's got gentle and fair skin. You know how I am with girls, Mother…"

"_Hm… is she Chinese?_"

"No, Mother, obviously she's not!" Syaoran protested. "Does it really matter if she's Chinese or not?"

Yelan broke in to laughter. "_I'm only joking there, Son. Besides, I thought you said so yourself that you're completely biased to only dating Chinese girls? After all, you did date Meiling Li…_"

"Mother, Meiling and I already broke up two months ago. I thought I told you that already…"

"_And I have been telling you that the perfect girl shouldn't have to be Chinese either, several times, Son. Did you ever listen to a word I said? I am your mother and I do have powerful motherly instincts. I may know a lot more than you think._"

"Alright Mother, I understand." He sighed once more and then continued. "She… well, with girls in general, you know it would take me awhile to determine whether I would end up liking the girl or not after a very long time since we first meet, but with Sakura—"

"_Sakura! My my… named after that sweet and simple cherry blossom, the national flower of Japan!_"

"Mother, please let me finish." He could hear his mother, as well as the voices of his older sisters, already laughing in the background. "I feel embarrassed telling you this, but then this also isn't the sort of thing that I could talk to Father and Wei about also."

"_Alright then. I'm listening._" Once again, Yelan's voice changed back to her stern tone again.

"I don't know anymore, Mother… I mean, I've only known Sakura for two days and now I couldn't stop thinking about her. Whenever I'm near her my heart beats really fast, it's like, I couldn't breathe anymore whenever I'm with her. I've never felt anything like that with the girls I've met for the first time, you know? Even with Meiling, it took me about a month to realize my feelings for her. Of course, that didn't last long. But with Sakura…"

"_Xiaolang, it's easy. You've fallen in love at first sight._"

"Mother, I thought you said there was no such thing as someone falling in love at first sight? And if it did, wasn't just infatuation and not really true love?"

"_True, I've said that, but with the way you described her to me, she truly isn't the typical girl you would normally talk about. Aside from preferring Chinese girls before, you also wanted them to have long hair, preferably close to their waist or further, right?_"

"Mother, I was stupid back then. I didn't know any better… I… I really don't know how I should say this, Mother, but it seems everything about me is gradually changing as long as I'm standing within Tomoeda borders. It's like… I feel like… Tomoeda is my real home, not Hong Kong. Does that make sense to you?"

There was a short pause from Yelan's side. Then some moments later, she spoke again. "_Tell you what, Xiaolang. Next weekend is your 18th Birthday, right? What a perfect time for you to celebrate your birthday in Tomoeda. The entire immediate family, including your grandmother, will travel there to Tomoeda to visit you. We can talk more about this together, alright?_"

"Mother, I don't know what to do…" Syaoran gulped nervously. "I really don't understand any of this… of all the girls I'm deeply pining for, why did it have to be Sakura, a small town girl whom I barely know at the moment? Why did it have to be the girl next door…?"

"_Next door? Tell me, Xiaolang. Where exactly are you staying right now? It's not Tomoeda Inn now like the rest of the cast and crew, is it?_"

"Me? Well, Eriol and I are staying at someone's house right now for safety and security from the paparazzi and the rabid fans."

"_I see. Which house…? What's the homeowner's name?_"

"Yamazaki, Mother. Well, right now the son is staying in this house by himself, which is why the director decided to have me, Eriol, and Wei stay at his house instead. In that way, Yamazaki's got some company and he won't be alone in that house. He's my age, actually. His name is Takashi Yamazaki. Why, Mother?"

"_Yamazaki… I see…_" Yelan murmured softly, then with a jumbled stutter, she murmured to herself. _Kinomoto…_

"Did you say something, Mother?"

"_N-no. Nothing at all, Son. But please, tell that kind young man Takashi Yamazaki that on behalf of your family that I thank him for providing you and Eriol free room and board during your stay there._"

"No problem, Mother. I'll pass along the message."

"_Good! Well, I have to hang up now. I'm having an emergency call at the moment that's coming from the corporate office. I will keep in touch with you again._"

"Alright, Mother. Thank you for calling me. I really appreciate it."

"_And Son… if you truly like this girl, Sakura, then do what your heart tells you to do._"

"R-really, Mother? You're not angry at me?"

"_Why would I be angry at you, Xiaolang?_"

"Um… what if you guys meet her and then you find her unworthy of becoming part of the Li Clan… that is… should I decide to marry her… as an example, okay… I mean she's not exactly from the upper-class elite or anything like that…"

"_Do you really like this girl or not, Son?_"

"I… I do, Mother! I really do!"

"_Then just do what your heart tells you to do. That is all. I must go now._"

"Alright Mother. Talk to you later."

"_Take care, Xiaolang._" With that, he finally hung up, letting out a loud sigh. He looked up out the window again, but this time he found a piece of paper taped on to Sakura's window. He then read the message to himself:

_Good morning, Xiaolang-kun! I'm coming over to Tak's place now. Please say hello to your mom for me if you're still on the phone with her! - Sakura_

"Oh crap," Syaoran muttered to himself. "I just hung up too…"

At that moment, Syaoran heard a loud knock on the door, along with the voice. "Xiao, are you still on the phone, lad?"

"I'm done, Eriol," Syaoran called, approaching the door and opened it.

"Good. Sakura and Tomoyo and Meiling just arrived now. They're downstairs in the living room with Yamazaki right now."

"Awesome. I'll be there."

"Erm… along with Sakura's brother and his best friend too…"

Syaoran gritted his teeth in nervousness. "You're kidding…"

"I have to admit there, Xiao. Sakura's older brother sure looks intimidating."

"Just get the guy on his good side, then he wouldn't be so threatening, Eriol."

"Easy for you to say, Xiao. You're a whole lot braver than I am with lads like him, you know." The two boys finally made their way downstairs to meet their friends and neighbors.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, the beautiful yet domineering businesswoman, Yelan Li, gazed right through the window of her bedroom, witnessing the sunrise, to open the new morning. Standing behind her are her four daughters who are currently visiting Hong Kong for the summer. All four of them are currently attending college in Japan and are staying in Tokyo with Syaoran at their fully-paid high-rise condominium. Because of Syaoran's showbiz career, they needed to be close by the studios and TV stations, and thus had to stay in downtown Japan. With Syaoran being in Tomoeda, the sisters decided to go back home to Hong Kong for a visit. After all, part of the plan was for Syaoran to remain in Tomoeda alone in order to recover his final missing memories by himself. If simply telling him about his life in Tomoeda would not trigger anything in his mind, maybe experiencing the town on his own and remain there for a long period would help.

The sisters overheard the entire conversation, and were now giggling with excitement for their cute little brother. "So, Mother… what's the update on our adorable Xiaolang?"

Yelan grinned and turned to her daughters. "Xiaolang is staying in our old house in Tomoeda with Eriol and Wei."

"Ah!" Fuutie exclaimed. "So that's why you mentioned Yamazaki! Hm, how's that kid Takashi, by the way?"

"Looks like he hasn't realized that he was actually staying in the house he grew up in," Yelan said in her calm voice.

"And I heard you murmur 'Kinomoto' too, Mother," Shiefa noted that one small note. "And the name Sakura?"

"Well, according from what I overheard," Fanren joined in, "Xiaolang first met Sakura when he arrived there. Sounds like he's falling in love with her again…"

"Aw, so adorable!" Feimei giggled. "What that poor little boy didn't know is that they actually reunited… ah, long lost innocent lovers finally reunited at last! Oh, it's just like in the movies!"

"Just a little more push and then he can regain his whole self again!" Shiefa giggled, while the rest of her sisters joined in the giggles.

"What's this about Xiaolang?" A domineering sounding male voice spoke from behind. The women all turned their heads towards the door, where they spotted the current head of the clan, the wheelchair-bound Li Xiaojin.

"Father!" The sisters greeted him, standing straight as if they were soldiers. Li Xiaojin drove his electronic wheelchair closer to his wife and to his daughters.

"I see you have just gotten off the phone with Xiaolang, Yelan," Xiaojin said. "I hope he's doing well over there in Tomoeda."

"It's a start, Xiaojin," Yelan said, giving a confident smile. "He's already having these familiar auras coming on to him gradually."

"Plus, Father," Fanran snickered, "Xiaolang just reunited with his one and only true love whom he left a long time ago!"

Xiaojin gave a sly grin. "Reunited? We're talking about the Kinomoto girl, are we?" The sisters nodded quickly.

"Sadly he doesn't realize it yet," Fuutie moaned. "He still couldn't remember who Sakura really is to him. He just assumed that it's more or less love at first sight for him. He still has no idea that he's already given his whole heart to her. Oh, this is such a bittersweet moment…"

"Oh dear," Xiaojin gave a slight frown. "Sakura was such a delight when she and Xiaolang first met so many years ago. Somehow with her being present just watching us train in martial arts, Xiaolang became so much focused and a whole lot more disciplined. And this is why I kept telling the entire Clan— without an open heart, you are no leader of the Li Clan."

"Yes, Father," Fanren nodded, grinning. "Without trust, you are no leader to the Li Clan!"

"Without faith, you are no leader to the Li Clan," Shiefa added.

"Without friendship, you are no leader to the Li Clan," Fuutie joined in.

"Without courage, you are no leader to the Li Clan," Feimei added along.

"And most of all," Yelan concluded, "without love…"

"… you are no leader to the Li Clan!" The entire family finished the statement together.

"Having said that," Xiaojin changed the subject, "business is really booming corporation-wise. Plus, my nephew, Li Yunwei, had just completed his training for the chairman position and is ready to take over the Hong Kong branch."

"Eh? You're having Cousin Yunwei take over the main headquarters of the Li Enterprises, Father?" Fanren exclaimed.

Xiaojin shook his head with a grin. "Not necessarily. The Hong Kong Branch will just be a branch from now on. The main headquarters will move somewhere else. Having said that, the transition of the Japan Branch of Li Enterprises has finally been finalized. We're all set to go."

"My dear!" Yelan gave a soft chuckle. "Is it what I'm thinking?"

"That's exactly the plan, Yelan." The matriarch of the Li Clan stood up from her seat and then embraced her husband gently.

"For good?"

"For good, Yelan." Immediately, Yelan gave a soft shriek and whispered her thanks to her husband.

"Oh Xiaojin…"

"Oh Father!" The daughters crowded around their father, giving him embraces.

"Well then. A very early Christmas to you, girls!" Xiaojin chuckled. The four daughters bowed to him and then placed a kiss on his forehead. After that, the patriarch changed the tone of his voice again. "Now, there is one thing about this, everyone…"

"Oh… there's one more thing…" The sisters muttered sadly.

"Not a word to Xiaolang."

"Eh?" Feimei gasped. "But why not? We can't even tell Xiaolang? Why?"

"Not until he's finally cured of his amnesia. This time, I want him to recover all of his memories by himself as an individual, a real man. If he can't take himself seriously, then he fails the inheritance test," Xiaojin reminded them. "Besides, once he recovers all of his memories, he will be begging us to make this move without even telling him the surprise. And then he can quit showbiz and focus more in to becoming the next leader of the Li Clan. He can attend college in Japan if he chooses to. It'll be a surprise for him as well."

"Ooh, sounds fun, Father!" The girls cheered.

"Now now, girls," Yelan chuckled. "Let's monitor Xiaolang's progress first before we do anything else. We're still going to visit him in Tomoeda for his birthday next week."

"Yes, Mother, Father." The four sisters gave a bow to their parents as their sign of utter respect.

While her husband and her daughters continue to celebrate, Yelan headed back to her desk and then lifted a particular picture frame on display and gazed at the photo. The photo revealed to be an aging photo of four beautiful teenage girls in Japanese school uniform, with one of them being herself. Yelan gave a smile.

_Soon and very soon, our promise will finally be fulfilled, Nadeshiko. Just a little more and all will be well, dear friend…_

#

While waiting at the living room of the Yamazaki household, Tomoyo found a new inspiration for a new song. Although the only available musical instrument was Yamazaki's acoustic guitar, the pretty rich girl from across the street invited herself to borrow his guitar and began playing a simple tune while she began to sing freestyle:

_Oh stars up high, why can't I make you see_

_That I don't want your light to shine on me?_

_He said goodbye_

_Just let me cry_

Tomoyo turned towards Sakura, who was sitting right next to her, clapping along to make the beat. She grinned as she continued with her freestyle song.

_Don't let me hear the sparrow sing above_

_What good is this song if I got no one to love?_

_He said goodbye_

_Just let me cry_

_Hide every lovely flower from my sight_

_Don't let that dreamy moon come out tonight_

_So please, don't let me see two lovers kiss_

_Don't let me be reminded what I miss_

_He said goodbye_

_Just let me cry_

When she started playing the instrumental portion of the song, Yamazaki, along with Eriol and Syaoran, arrived downstairs, where they overhear Tomoyo's freestyling, Sakura clapping to simulate the drums, while Yukito and Meiling just watched and listened along. Touya, on the other hand, had his head lifted up and resting against the couch, sleeping.

"Dammit, Daidouji," Yamazaki called out. "Another breakup sad song again?"

"Oh just appreciate it, Yamazaki," Tomoyo gave a slight frown. "Besides, I was just freestyling."

"Freestyling? Our new songs for the Cool Rascals band are all sad-sappy breakup songs! Seriously Daidouji, no matter how much you try, you're still not over that bastard of an ex-boyfriend of yours, jeez!" Yamazaki sighed and sat at the arm of the couch where Yukito and Touya have been sitting.

"Oh come on now, Yamazaki," Meiling chuckled. "Tomoyo's got a really beautiful singing voice and she's so creative and talented! I mean, never mind that she's a budding fashion designer, but she can sing and play the guitar and piano and can write songs? Give her some credit…"

"But I'm sick and tired of singing and performing sad breakup songs all the time," Yamazaki shook his head.

Eriol and Syaoran sat down on the space next to Meiling at the sofa adjacent to the one where Tomoyo and Sakura were sitting. "Poor Tomoyo," Meiling frowned. "She still isn't over her ex…"

"Oh? What's this about an ex?" Eriol became curious and then turned towards Tomoyo. "I had no idea you're still in the process of getting your broken heart healed, dear Tomoyo."

"Huh? Oh no," Tomoyo chuckled nervously. "It's just that… you know… breaking up and being sad is the in-theme in songwriting right now."

Without even expecting what may come next, Eriol continued to prod. "What's your ex-boyfriend's name?"

"Eh? Eriol?" Tomoyo blinked in curiosity while Meiling immediately covered Eriol's mouth.

"Just shut up about the ex-boyfriend, Eriol," Meiling warned him. "I don't think Tomoyo's comfortable talking about her coward of an ex-boyfriend to guys in general. I mean after all, that jerk left him for some rich girl."

Tomoyo then hushed Meiling. "Don't worry about it, Meiling. If Eriol-kun wants to know what's going on with me, I'd be willing to tell him myself. Just… not right now, okay?" She ended her statement with her usual humble grin.

"Well, if you say so," Meiling returned the grin with one of hers.

Syaoran gave a snicker at his cousin. "So, who's the one interested in a local small town girl now, hm?"

"Oh shut your trap, Xiao," Eriol frowned, crossing his arms. "Is it wrong to worry about others now?"

Tomoyo gave a soft chuckle. "Thanks for your concern, Eriol-kun. Very appreciate it."

"Always a pleasure, dear Tomoyo-san," Eriol bowed his head.

In the meantime, Yukito cleared his throat to squeeze in their little conversation.. "Well then, now that we're all here, why are we meeting here this morning instead of going at the amphitheater for the extras audition?" He then turned to his snoozing best friend and then forcefully nudged him on the side.

"Huh? What? Frickin' hell, who dared try to wake me up, dammit!" Touya immediately got up with his fists ready.

"I did, Touya," Yukito sighed. "Now sit down."

Touya gave a frown and slowly sat back down to his seat. "Look, auditions are starting already. I'm gonna lose my spot, man. What if Kaho and Nakuru end up getting a spot and we didn't, Yukito, because we've been hanging around Yamazaki's house for nothing. Why the hell are we all here?"

"Actually," Eriol begun while adjusting his eyeglasses, "not all of us are here just yet. We're waiting for Director Terada and the Kashiis to arrive."

"Eh? What for?" Yamazaki asked curiously. "And I thought the director will be facilitating the extras auditions?"

"Well, Yamazaki, despite the fact that you sang breakup songs last night for your performance, the way you performed them really reached out to everyone's hearts. Well, in short, you really did leave a really good impression on the crew of the movie that Director Terada had this great idea," Eriol continued.

Before he continued, Sakura got up and faced her brother. "Well, since you're here already Oniichan, here are our new friends, I mean, the main cast of _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_. This is Meiling Li, and the one standing up now is Eriol Hiiragizawa, and the one with the green shirt is Li Xiaolang." She then turned to the idols. "Everybody, that's my lazy, hotheaded brother, Touya Kinomoto, and his best friend and our other next-door neighbor, Yukito Tsukishiro."

Yukito nudged his best friend as he stood up and offered his handshake. "It's good to meet you, Meiling-chan, Hiiragizawa-kun, Li-kun."

"Likewise, Tsukishiro-senpai!" Meiling first greeted the bespectacled young man with a handshake, followed by the two male idols.

Meanwhile, Touya reluctantly stood up and muttered. "Yeah. Cool meeting you." Meiling shook hands with him first. Eriol followed her right after. Then when Syaoran got up to him, he realized plenty of things about this mysterious cool amber-eyed idol.

"Whoa… I don't get it, you look shorter on TV and in the newspapers but… you're the same height as me…" Touya muttered and reluctantly shook the Chinese cutie's hand.

"Good to meet you also, Kinomoto-senpai," Syaoran gave a confident smile. "Well, it's either that or my growth spurt is just _that _powerful."

"What'd you say? Why you little—" Just as Touya was about to shoot out another fight-provoking reaction, Yukito quickly stopped him by covering his mouth.

"Right," Yukito grinned. "That's his way of saying 'Nice to meet you too, Li-kun'!"

"Heh," Syaoran gave a slight snicker, crossing his arms and sitting back down while Touya continued to glare in hostility towards him. Knowing Yukito, there was no way Touya was going to pick another fight on celebrity idols like Syaoran, most especially that they're all inside Yamazaki's house.

"Okay Eriol-kun," Sakura chuckled. "You can continue now."

"Ah yes, right," Eriol coughed softly. "The casting director did plan to hire some local Tomoeda talent to be part of the movie as well. After all, the Kashiis did request it in the first place. The reason why you were set apart from the rest at the extras audition because even though you don't particularly have any permanent roles in the storyline, your roles will be a whole lot larger than the ones auditioning at the amphitheater today."

"Oh, and how big are we talking about here?" Yamazaki asked curiously.

"Eh, big roles, small roles, as long as we get paid, it's all good," Touya shrugged his shoulders.

"Oniichan!" Sakura glared at her brother, then quickly snapped her head towards Eriol. "Sorry about that, Eriol. He's currently studying hard to finish his MBA and raising as much money as he can so he and Kaho-neechan would have a wonderful, memorable wedding next year!"

"Wow, congratulations, Kinomoto-senpai!" Meiling gave a giggle. "Finally settling down, ne?"

"Yeah," Touya gave a slight grin, then immediately changed his expression. "Right, so what the heck are we doing here?"

"Well, I'm about to get there if only I don't get interrupted," Eriol coughed along with an irritated glare.

"Right right, everybody be quiet now!" Tomoyo demanded. "Let the man talk!"

"Thank you," Eriol said. "As I was saying, your performance last night gave a huge impression on everyone at the audience. Tomoyo-chan, your alluring and hauntingly beautiful voice really touched me, I have to tell you the truth."

Tomoyo chuckled. "Why thank you, Eriol."

"In short, the Director Terada and the Kashiis found out a great way to promote the movie to the masses. As the Cool Rascals, you will be having a few appearances in the movie as a band. Apparently, this movie is somewhat of a musical too—"

"Eh?!" Syaoran and Meiling exclaimed in shock.

"What the hell is this, Eriol?" Syaoran continued on with his surprised reaction. "Since when did _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ became a musical? You know majority of us can't even carry a tune!"

"So you say," Eriol snickered at his cousin. "I wondered if any one of you even read through the entire script rather than just skimming through pages until you find your lines?"

"Eriol!" Meiling shrieked with her fists tightened. "No one mentioned that this is gonna be partly a musical!"

"Well, that's because the main characters wouldn't be doing the singing and dancing, dear Meiling," Eriol gave a slight snicker. "The only reason why the director and the Kashiis never mentioned the whole musical bit is the very same reason why they plan to have the Cool Rascals band to have a major role in the movie."

Touya began scratching this head. "So, lemme get this straight, dude. So, the director and those screenwriter peeps liked us so much from last night that they want all five of us as a band in the movie?"

"Exactly, Kinomoto-senpai." Eriol confirmed. "You won't be having any speaking roles, but you will be having singing and performing roles in many of the scenes. You see, where the main characters and other teens, there is a small cafe that also provides live entertainment. Friday nights are the most popular for teenagers because all the cool kids show up, and of course, there is only one band who performs at that very night— you lads… and lasses!"

"Oh my gosh!" Tomoyo gasped and quickly snapped her head towards Sakura. "I… I was dead set on becoming my very own fashion designer and have my own line under the Daidouji Couture label but… I'm gonna get a boost for a possible singing career too?"

Sakura instead gave a rather panicking reaction. "I… I'm gonna be… in a movie… doing nothing… but play the keyboard…"

"Speaking of singing," Eriol continued on. "Tomoyo-chan, aside from yourself, are there anyone else in your band who can sing lead?"

"But of course," Tomoyo grinned. "Our very own Sakura and Yamazaki can sing!"

"Well… we're not really that good…" Both Sakura and Yamazaki muttered simultaneously.

"Great!" Eriol grinned. "The more, the merrier. We can't always have poor Tomoyo be on the spotlight all the time playing lead. So we'll have Yamazaki and Sakura sing a few songs in the movie too. Oh, and one more thing…"

"This better not be one of your last minute surprises, Eriol," Syaoran muttered, already glaring at his cousin.

"Don't worry, it's got nothing to do with you or any of us main cast," Eriol winked. "The Cool Rascals will also be shooting some music videos and perform a few scenes for the upcoming trailer clips to be shown on TV once the movie's finally complete. Of course, that will be later this year or early next year—"

"I'm doomed…" Yamazaki gulped nervously. "Chiharu's gonna kill me… she's so dang excited of finally getting to get close to her favorite idol and I'm the one who gets a bigger role in the movie…"

"Well… looks like we may have to postpone our wedding plans for this huge project, Touya…" Yukito muttered.

"And why's that, Yukito?" Touya muttered.

"Well, if the movie does become really popular, we'll be popular too… and then we'll get all sorts of record deals and concerts and… you know…"

"What? Postpone wedding plans? Hell no!" Touya rolled his eyes.

"I'm excited," Tomoyo grinned. "I'm already used to being in front of the camera since my mother has that really high reputation of being one of th world's greatest fashion designers, you know? And Sakura is ready too!"

"Hoe?" Sakura shrieked in panic. "I… I don't even like being in front of the camera, let alone being filmed at…"

Tomoyo quickly placed her arm around her best friend. "Oh, she only has the butterflies in her stomach, hehe. Sakura can be very expressive in the front of the camera. She'll warm up soon."

"Please say you're joking, Tomoyo…" Sakura gave a soft whine.

She turned her head back to Eriol. "So, what are we gonna do today? I mean I know about your costume fitting at my house today with Mom, but what about us? Are we like… automatically in?"

"Ah, this is the fun part, dear Tomoyo-chan. The supporting cast will have their costume fitting first, but the main cast will be having a secret screen test at the studio basement of your house, which of course, will also include you singing and performing along with us too."

"The screen testing will be at the video studio at the basement of my house? Mom gave you guys permission? Oh my gosh, that's so exciting!" Tomoyo giggled happily. "Come on, Cool Rascals, let's do this!"

"Sure. I'm in. It'd be a once in a lifetime experience, so, I'm going for it," Yukito answered humbly.

"If I'm single, I'd definitely go for it," Yamazaki said while gritting his teeth in fear.

"And if you say yes to this grand opportunity, Yamazaki, your beloved Chiharu will be able to be one of the special extras in the movie and will be doing plenty of scenes where Xiao will be in—"

"What? Are you insane, Eriol?" Syaoran protested with his fists tightened. "When the hell did you become the casting authority now, huh?"

"Oh relax, dear Rika-chan will also be an extra too and will be in many scenes where I will be. Come on, give your hardworking fanclub president a treat, Xiao."

"Why you…" Before Syaoran bursts in to anger, Meiling placed her hand on to his shoulder, calming him down.

"I'm sure Director Terada would have better ideas with how this shooting's going to go, Xiaolang, so cam down," Meiling reminded him.

"Fine, whatever," Syaoran shook his head.

"Man, this is ridiculous," Touya spoke out. "So we'll be out there making a fool out of ourselves in front of the entire nation through this movie. Count us out!"

"Is that so, Kinomoto-senpai?" Eriol smirked. "You know, the assembled cast consist of many of Japan's biggest stars. The production company will be paying millions to each of these stars and the extras will be getting a lump sum of 50,000 Yen. As for special extras such as yourselves, the pay can make you afford to buy your first family van or even a whole entire wedding package from the church to the reception to even your honeymoon in Europe or even a very decent four-bedroom home—"

And with that, Touya sold himself and his sister out. "We're in."

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped. "I thought you didn't want you and me—"

"We'll be performing in the movie as the Cool Rascals, squirt— or else you'll have the entire summer cooking dinner for the entire family—"

Sakura glared at her money-hungry brother and sighed. "I surrender. I'll do it."

"Great!" Eriol applauded. "Now all we have to do now is…" Just as he was about to finish, the doorbell rang. Yamazaki dashed to the door to look at the electronic peeping screen.

"Ohh," Yamazaki said. "Three adults. It's the Kashiis and Director Terada." Quickly, he opened the door. "Hello. Good morning."

"Ah, you must be Yamazaki, ne?" Terada answered gleefully. "You definitely have a big heart to let two of our biggest young stars stay in your place for the entire movie shoot period! I'm Terada and the other two with me are Mr. and Mrs. Kashii, the movie's screenwriters."

"Come on in, Sirs… and Ma'am." The three adults entered, which lead to Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling standing up straight as their way of welcoming them. Moments later, Wei caught up to the door and sneaked himself inside.

"Well then," Terada said with his optimistic grin. "I see that everyone is aware of the plan that we have for today, am I correct?'

"We briefed them already and they sound very enthusiastic about it!" Eriol stated with two thumbs up.

"Also, Miss Daidouji," Terada turned to Tomoyo, recognizing her immediately. "Another reason why we picked you because we are also in conjunction with Daidouji Couture. We really do love your mother's designs that we chose her to be the costume designer for the movie and we'd love to promote her and her fashions through a series of trailers and commercials. In return, your mother requested for us to have you in those trailers, being her daughter who's incredibly talented in music and everything."

"Ah, makes sense," Tomoyo softly chortled. "Of course I'd be happy to help Mom and the family business. I'm happy that she's finally recognized my musical talent, but I'm a multi-talented person myself, you know. I do fashion designing also and I also love producing home movies."

Terada burst in to laughter. "Well, how delightful! And I see you have your entire band with you. Thanks for doing this!"

"And thank you for giving us this opportunity! I'm so excited!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

"I'm only excited because maybe I can impress Nakuru that I'm not just some boring glasses boy who's got nothing else to do but be Grandpa's associate manager at Mooncastle Diner," Yukito spoke with this sheepish grin on his face. "I can be a very humble yet totally cool rock star behind my bass!"

Yamazaki sighed. "I really want to be motivated with this project. I just hope Chiharu wouldn't get mad at me…"

"Hell, I'm happy because this equals tuition and wedding money, dammit!" Touya expressed his reaction.

"I'm only happy because I don't have to make dinner the entire summer period for the entire family… hoe…" Sakura gave a huge sigh, looking more nervous than enthusiastic unlike his best friend and band leader.

"Well, my fellow bandmates have different personalities, you see," Tomoyo nervously chuckled while at the same time nervous of her bandmates' somewhat reluctant participation in the movie. "That's why we blend together!"

Taeko Kashii then stepped up front with her confident smile. The rather exotic-looking complexion displayed to the band simply mesmerized them, most especially Sakura and Tomoyo. She could not be Japanese, Sakura thought. Asian, sure, but Japanese? No, she was way too exotic to be Japanese. She would probably be coming from a line of eternal beauty, maybe in Syaoran's line.

"At long last, I finally see the tender, natural innocent faces of Tomoeda," Taeko made her statement. "You five kids are simply perfect."

"Perfect? Far from it, Mrs. Kashii," Tomoyo chuckled nervously.

"I mean… you're already proof enough as to why we want local talent to be extras and cameos to make this movie so authentic. Those casting directors think that anybody coming from Tokyo would make anything authentic, but this is a young, fresh, and sweet movie of Tomoeda! What do you think, Toshi?"

Her husband, Toshifumi Kashii, stood next to his wife. "It's as you stated, dearest. It's a pleasure working with you." The entire band thanked the screenwriters in return as Yamazaki interrupted.

"Well, since you're all here. You guys want any refreshments? Water… tea… juice…"

Wei stepped in. "I'll serve the refreshments, Yamazaki-kun. You're part of this special meeting, so you should always be present."

"Sure, thanks, Wei-san." Yamazaki bowed as Wei headed to the kitchen to serve the said refreshments.

"Well then," Terada started the meeting. "Here's how we're going to do all this without any schedule alterations. This movie will be around two and a half hours long and there will be many scenes where our four main characters would not be present. At that time, my assistant director, Masaki Toda, will be directing those particular simple scenes. With that happening, I will personally be working with you regarding the trailers and the musical scenes where you will be in cue, singing and performing. I will have to be at the movie shoot to work on the most important scenes of the movie. Assistant Director Masaki Toda will be directing the music videos starring you in them. There may possibly be one or two music videos that Li-kun, Hiiragizawa-kun, Meiling-chan, and Mai-chan will be acting in as well. In short, there's plenty of you kids to hang out with each other."

The teenagers then expressed their excitement through hi-fives and their yays. Toshifumi made his statement. "When we decided to choose Tomoeda, I knew we were never wrong."

"We?" Taeko snickered. "It was my idea in the first place, Toshi. Don't be stealing some of my credit."

"Fine, Dear. _You _are never wrong!"

"Thank you!"

Sakura quickly raised her hand. "Yes?"

"Um, Director Terada, I know this is a dumb question, but… what are we gonna wear?"

Tomoyo chuckled. "My mother will take care of that, remember?"

"But isn't your mom busy with designing the costumes for the movie set?"

"You don't know my mom, Sakura," Tomoyo smirked. "She's a hidden superwoman when it comes to fashion designing. Trust me."

Terada then continued. "At this point, we're all going to go across the street to the Daidouji Couture House, as what the townsfolk would always call it, for the costume fitting and the screen tests at the basement. Then later this afternoon we will begin our first shooting, starting at the meadow plains and then the beach."

Meiling gasped in shock. "Wait… there's a beach nearby here?"

"Yup!" Sakura softly chuckled. "Just walking distance from here. It's not very much of a public beach, I mean that's miles away from ours. The one that we got has the best spot. You can relax and enjoy your time there without any distractions, so much that aside from the surrounding forests and meadows, you won't be having any cellphone signals there."

"Oh, and next month is the annual Yue Moon Festival! We celebrate the summer full moon that often occurs every August. It takes place at the meadows just a short walking distance to the beach. It's one of our coolest summer events here in Tomoeda," Tomoyo added. "I really do hope you guys would be able to come."

"Hm, that sounds a wonderful occasion," Terada gave a smile. "Don't worry, the shooting of this movie would take quite a long time. We'd still be here at that time. We'd be here for so long already that the entire town would start looking at us as being locals rather than famous celebrities in showbiz!" He gave a short cough and headed back on subject. "Are we clear on this now?"

"We're clear," everyone present answered.

"Well then. While it's still early and there's no one hanging around outside the streets, let's get going."

They all exited the house, but before they did, Yamazaki called for Syaoran, Eriol, and Wei. He picked up an envelope from the counter at the kitchen. "I finally got your duplicate keys to the house." He handed each of the keys to all three. "Since we're all gonna be busy with our own schedules and stuff and in case you needed to come home for lunch or rest or something from your movie shoot and I'm not home, you can just head back here.

"Thanks for the keys, Yamazaki," Syaoran thanked his host. "Way better than getting dragged by those Wolfpups to have a secret lunch with them."

"Heh, you said it."

"Seriously, Yamazaki, can't you do something about that girlfriend of yours? She's texted me several times this morning during the times that I was on the phone with my mother. So annoying…"

"Well, did you at least read the texts she sent you?"

"Yeah. They're all saying the same thing. She was wondering where I was at the extras audition because she and the Wolfpups were there to audition and they were looking for me."

Wei interrupted. "I did inform Mihara-san that you wouldn't be at the extras audition, Master Xiaolang, but I'm not really sure she even read my text to her."

"I believe you, Wei," Syaoran nodded.

"You're not alone there, Xiao," Eriol said, currently looking at his cellphone. "The lovely Sasaki has also been texting me, wondering where I was at the time that we were having a meeting."

"I also informed Sasaki-san also, Master Eriol," Wei informed him. "As a manager I do inform our presidents of your activities so they do not have to feel that they were being outcasted, but… well, I tried anyway."

"And also," Yamazaki said, "you guys gave me permission to let Chiharu know that you guys are staying at my house. I called her and I texted her and you know what she said? She said I'm in my usual lying habits again! She said that I'm only saying that to prevent her from getting close to you, Li!"

Syaoran shook his head. "Well, you are the boyfriend, so of course you'd do anything to prevent her from getting close to any guy. Why are girls so selfish with guys nowadays…"

Speak of the devil, Syaoran's phone began to buzz. He gave a deep sigh and reached for his phone in his jeans pocket. The name "Chiharu Mihara" in Kanji suddenly appeared on his screen.

"Are you gonna answer that Xiao or are you going to ignore her again?" Eriol asked curiously.

"I'm not that icy and cold-hearted, Eriol," Syaoran shook his head. He pressed the button to answer her. "Yes, Mihara-san?"

"_Ah, Li-kun! I'm so happy I've finally able to reach you! Why weren't you answering my texts?!_"

Syaoran then gazed at the three guys in front of him, and continued. "I apologize for not responding to your texts, Mihara. My mother called this morning and I can't afford to skip any phone calls my mother makes. After all, they're all long distance from Hong Kong…"

"_Oh I'm sorry for sounding so demanding. I had no idea. Well, the Wolfpups and I are wondering where you've been since you didn't show up at the extras auditions today. I thought you'd be one of the people to decide who gets to be in the movie as extras or not?_"

"I believe Wei sent you a message regarding my schedule today. You of all people should be aware of that. After my phone call with my mother I also had to attend a meeting with the Director. And another thing, I have no authority to choose extras, Mihara."

"_Well, okay. I understand. No, I didn't even read Wei's texts because I thought he'd simply just say that you wanted me to buzz off so I deleted them…_"

"You what? Mihara, you're Tomoeda's Wolfpups president, aren't you? Do your job properly, please! Just because I'm around doesn't mean you'd neglect your duties as president! You're the president for crying out loud!"

Eriol quickly placed his hand on his cousin's shoulders. "Now now, Xiao, calm down. I'm sure it's an honest mistake…"

"_I… I'm sorry… It's just that… I'm finding difficulty doing my duty as Wolfpups president and dealing with my lying-ass overprotective boyfriend as of late. I'm not saying that you're a hindrance or anything, Li-kun, but you know…_"

"Don't use your boyfriend as an excuse for your failed responsibility, Mihara," Syaoran fumed. "All of my schedules and activities, Wei is responsible for them. If you or your fellow fans want to visit me during my shoot, you have to go to Wei first. I'm not going to be available all the time on the phone if you call me directly. If you receive any messages from Wei, you open them and read them carefully. You are also to save his contacts in your Contacts list as well."

"_Y-yes, I got it, Li-kun. I'm so sorry… really sorry… but they're all noted now._"

"Good. And one more thing, Mihara."

"_What's that, Li-kun? I'll be sure I won't forget this time!_"

"Did you talk to your boyfriend about me yesterday?"

"_H-huh? Well of course, yeah. He wanted to know what I've been doing and everything. I mean this summer is a really busy season you know?_"

"Here's a little advice coming from your beloved idol himself. Be good to him. Listen to him."

"_I already told you! Sure his love is real but most of the time he's a big fat liar! It's so hard to determine sometimes whether he really was telling the truth or he was just messing with me…_"

"I do want to clarify something for you, Mihara. Did he ever mentioned that I'm currently staying over at his house instead of the Tomoeda Inn?"

"_Yeah, he said that. Gosh, how low can you get? I know you'd be pissed off if he said any nasty lies about you just to spite me—_"

"Heh," Syaoran smirked. "I am staying at your boyfriend's house—"

"_Eh? You mean… that was true? You're actually staying at Takashi's house?_"

"You've heard it straight from the horse's mouth, Mihara. You know your boyfriend's house, right? It's the huge gated, spacious, manor-like home right next door to the Kinomoto Residence, across the street from the Daidouji Residence, two doors away from the Tsukushiro Residence—"

"_Oh! Oh-em-gee… he really was telling the truth about you staying over at his house…I'm so sorry for not believing you, Takashi…_"

"Apologize to him directly. Here he is now…" Quickly Syaoran handed his phone to Yamazaki, who took it and answered.

"_Li-kun, wait a minute here—_"

"Hello Chiharu," Yamazaki answered. Silence came immediately. "Chiharu?"

"_Um… hi Takashi…_"

"We're heading over to Daidouji's house right now. How's the auditions…?"

"_Great! Rika and me and five more girls from both the Wolfpups and Moonies got in! Apparently they couldn't take the entire fanclub because they had to be fair with the extras casting. And they need more guys._"

"Oh. I see. I'm sure they're able to find more guys as extras—"

"_Takashi, it's bad enough that Li Xiaolang wasn't at the auditions earlier, but why didn't you show up yourself, Takashi? I mean, don't you want to look after me in case I become naughty and then make moves on Li Xiao—_"

From out of the blue, Syaoran snatched his phone from Yamazaki and then spoke on his handset. "Sorry, Mihara, we're running late. Have a good day. Goodbye."

"_Wait a min—_" And just like that, Syaoran hung up.

Eriol then turned his head towards Yamazaki. "And that, my good lad, is how the great Li Xiaolang handles control freak girlfriends. You should follow his example." He patted Yamazaki on the shoulder as Syaoran opened the gates to exit.

"Alright. Let's head across the street before some weird fangirls show up and start chasing us again." Even though there was still no human presence around the neighborhood, the boys, as well as Wei, dashed their way across the street.

#

Moments later at the Daidouji Residence, Tomoyo lead Sakura and Meiling to the fitting rooms somewhere within the manor to visit her mother's official home studio somewhere in the first floor of the house. In the meantime, Touya and Yukito, who were already familiar with the Daidouji house layout, found a spot at the main sofa set and rested there to wait along with some cast members of the movie. The first floor was already occupied with many of the crew and some of the supporting cast. The bodyguards in black happened to be her mother's personal guards and quickly recognized Tomoyo when she entered the house. They greeted her a good morning and let their boss's daughter and her friends enter. There were others who greeted Meiling on the spot and the supporting teen cast immediately surround her. The other main girl in the movie, the dark blonde-haired Mai Hirashiki, approached her with her friendly greeting.

"Good morning," Meiling returned the greeting. "You just got here?"

"Yeah," Mai Hirashiki cooed. "Gosh, this is such a small town yet the streets are like a maze here… you know it took us fifteen minutes to finally find the fabulous Daidouji Couture House! So grand! Sonomi Daidouji is definitely high class!"

"Of course, I mean she's _the _Sonomi Daidouji. I've also been to her other house back in Tokyo but her home here in Tomoeda totally rocks!"

"Ahahaha," Mai softly giggled. "Hey, do you think the awesome Sonomi Daidouji would also make me one of her models too? I wanna join you and Xiaolang and Eriol too!"

Meiling gave a slight smirk. "Oh, that's up to Sonomi Daidouji herself. Isn't that right— Tomoyo?"

From behind her came Tomoyo and Sakura. "Of course, Meiling," Tomoyo answered with a humble grin. She then turned to Mai Hirashiki and gave her a bow. "Welcome to my humble home. I'm Tomoyo Daidouji, Sonomi Daidouji's daughter." She offered a handshake towards the blonde girl.

Mai gazed at Tomoyo in a rather suspicious stare. "Likewise." She took Tomoyo's hand and shook it. "Wow, I didn't know that the great Sonomi Daidouji has a daughter."

"Well," Tomoyo gave a slight smirk, "my mother's beauty is forever eternal. My father is so lucky to have her and I'm lucky to be her daughter."

"And not to be left off," Meiling continued, the one next to Tomoyo Daidouji is the girl from across the street is her forever BFF, Sakura Kinomoto."

"Hello there. Welcome to Tomoeda, Hirashiki-san!" Sakura gave her usual humble grin and also offered a handshake. If Mai gave a suspicious stare at the daughter of the famous fashion designer Sonomi Daidouji, the gaze at her became a whole lot colder.

"Green eyes," Mai muttered, referring to Sakura's natural eye color.

"Wow, you have pretty green eyes too… Hirashiki-san…" Sakura muttered shyly in return, unaware that the teen actress was simply wearing contact lenses to change her natural eye color.

Meiling slowly got in front of Tomoyo and Sakura and also stared right at Mai's eyes. "Since when did you start having green eyes? It doesn't say in the script that your character has green eyes…"

"Hmph. How would you know that they're colored contact lenses, Meiling?" Mai raised an eyebrow. "I happen to like green!"

"Pastel pink is your favorite color, Mai." Meiling shook her head. "Look, Mai, nice try, you know Xiaolang's favorite color. Now you decide to take advantage of it and say that your favorite color is green too?"

Sakura was about to speak something, but instead, Mai answers Meiling back. "What would you know, Meiling Li? You and Xiaolang already broke up a long time ago. Are you trying to muscle in on me just so I wouldn't get closer to Xiaolang? Just face it. You and he are so over. Let him be free and choose the girl he wants to date without any restrictions or complaints!"

"You should follow your own statement, Mai," Meiling still remained with that smirk.

"I'm creating my own character, the most memorable Sakura Kumamoto the world has ever seen!"

Sakura began to scratch her head once she heard the name of Mai's role. "Um, excuse me, my last name is Kino—"

"I'm not talking about you, you idiot!" Mai shot right at the local girl. "I don't understand why you're here in the first place anyway—"

"Excuse me," Tomoyo finally interrupted. "Sakura and I are going to visit my mother at her studio right now. Sorry to withdraw." Quickly she took Sakura by her wrist. "Come on, Sakura. Mom's looking forward to see you again!"

"S-sure, Tomoyo," Sakura answered with confusion on her face. She then bowed to both the two arguing girl idols. "It was good meeting you. Have a good day." She then let Tomoyo drag her away from them, leading them to the doors to her mother's home studio.

"I had a feeling Mai Hirashiki would have a bad impression on us…" Tomoyo muttered.

"Well on me, yeah, but on you, there's no way she would look down on you. You are the daughter of the great designer Sonomi Daidouji after all," Sakura shrugged.

Tomoyo shook her head. "That's not the case, Sakura. When I mentioned my name, she looked at me all suspicious as if I was lying."

Sakura quickly tightened her fist. "I won't let anyone talk to you or stare at you that way, Tomoyo. I don't care if they look down on me, but if anyone else dares to hurt any of my closest friends, then they're really gonna get it!"

"Careful, Sakura," Tomoyo chuckled. "Don't let your inner Touya get the best of you."

"Eheheh," Sakura quickly calmed herself down with a soft laugh. "I'm still in control here."

"Anyway. Mom's looking forward to see the seventeen-year-old you. Come on!" Quickly she knocked on the door first before entering. Immediately, one of the designers at work opened it.

"Ah, Tomoyo-chan! Come on in. We're just getting the measurements of every cast member right now."

"Great. Thank you!" Tomoyo invited Sakura inside. The two girls gasped in awe to see so many familiar faces within the supporting cast. Up ahead drawing at the whiteboard was none other than the sophisticated and classy Sonomi Daidouji. Even with just wearing a t-shirt and denim capri pants with a measuring tape hanging around her neck, she still looked as stunningly divine as her own classy designs.

"Daidouji-sama," one of the designers whispered to her. "Your daughter and a guest are here."

Sonomi placed the capped whiteboard marker down on its holder and then turned around. "Well, you're back home already!"

"Good morning again, Mom," Tomoyo giggled as the mother and daughter embrace each other. "Wow, your design studio is really busy today— and overflowing with stars!"

Sonomi chuckled. "You're the real star in this design studio shining brightly for me, dear."

"Aww, thanks, Mom!" Tomoyo flashed her doll-like smile. "Oh yeah, Sakura's here!"

Sonomi walked forward and gazed at the slightly nervous girl from across the street. "It's been quite awhile, Sakura."

"Good morning, Auntie Sonomi," Sakura grinned as the two embrace each other.

"I know the last time we've seen each other was back in Christmas, but it seems like I haven't seen you forever." Sonomi gently traced her fingers around her slightly longer front strands on both sides. "You're becoming more and more like your mother everyday even with your hair short like this."

"Really, Auntie Sonomi? I wish I could see the comparison, but sadly…"

"Don't worry about that." Sonomi stood up straight right then. "I know somewhere up there, your mom would be so proud of you. You are growing up as the girl she wanted you to be: being true to yourself, outside and inside."

"Thanks, Auntie Sonomi." Sakura smiled.

"Well, looks like the director's fell in love with the Cool Rascals, ne? He just had to have an awesome pop rock band such as yours to be in the movie. He gave me a copy of the script himself so I would get a good idea on how their costumes should be like in the movie."

"Great!" Tomoyo grinned. "Maybe one of these days you'd let us read that script?"

"Well, I overheard the screenwriters mention that you will be getting your own copy of the script too, so wait for them, alright?"

"Okay!" Just as the three were beginning to bond again, even if it was for a short time, Sonomi's smartphone suddenly vibrated in the pockets of her denim capri pants. She reached for the phone to see who it was.

"I'm sorry girls, I have to take this call. You better head downstairs now, the director may be waiting."

"Ah okay," Tomoyo said. "Catch you later, Mom!"

"Bye, Auntie Sonomi!" The two teenage girls make their exit as Sonoimi waved at the two. Once they were gone, she answered her phone.

"Why hello there, Jingmei!" Sonomi gave a soft chortle.

"_It's Taeko now, remember, Sonomi?_" One-half of the Kashii screenwriters, Taeko Kashii, replied to her old friend's gesture. "_So, how's it going there in your busy studio?_"

"So far, so good, Jing— I mean Taeko. My daughter and Sakura just stopped by a few seconds ago to visit me. Goodness gracious, Sakura at seventeen is almost like Nadeshiko's long lost twin now!"

"_Haha, I know, except the short hair really makes her a whole lot cooler. My opinion, of course!_"

"Don't worry, I think the same way. At least we can easily differentiate between mother and daughter now. Sakura is Sakura."

"_Yup. You got that right. Anyway, next week, the second phase of the plan will commence!_"

"Second phase of the plan?"

"_Did you receive a text message from Yelan this morning?_"

"Ah, yes! Yes, I did! She didn't mention anything about a second phase."

"_That's because we wouldn't know what that is yet until Yelan and the entire head family of the Li Clan will be visiting Japan next week for Xiaolang's eighteenth birthday. It's next weekend, you know._"

Sonomi quickly turned to the wall, where a calendar is hung. "Is it next week already? Oh my, it is next week! My my, seriously, he's becoming way too handsome as he gets older. He's becoming very dangerous now, especially when it comes to girls…"

"_Sorry to say that he's got no reaction at all this morning when Sakura was around. We had that meeting with the Cool Rascals earlier this morning and I observed him all this time._"

"Well, that's Xiaolang for you. He was like that too when he used to live here as a kid. The only kids that he warmed up to aside from his sisters are Sakura, my Tomoyo, and Takashi-kun, the boy across the street from us."

"_Ah, Yamazaki-kun. So they were childhood friends too? That's just heartbreaking… here he is back in his old house and he still doesn't remember anything…_"

"On the other hand, according to my daughter, he really likes being around Sakura and vice versa. Even Meiling, his ex-girlfriend and fellow co-star, also noticed that too. She said that she has never seen Xiaolang so happy and smiling more often whenever he's around Sakura. I think that's the most romantic thing ever!"

"_Hahaha, I can't wait till Yelan flies over to Japan next weekend. Then the entire gang will be together again here in our sweet town of Tomoeda!_"

"Yeah," Sonomi sighed. "The entire gang…"

"_I haven't visited Nadeshiko yet since I arrived here, Sonomi. I planned to sometime this weekend, but now we learned that Yelan and the entire Li Family will be flying over here, I decided to postpone it._"

Sonomi nodded with a smile on her face. "Good idea, Taeko. Ugh, can I just call you Jingmei?"

"_Hahahaha, fine, fine. Yelan still calls me Jingmei until now even though I don't go by that name anymore._"

"Alright then. Next week will be an all-homegirls' day out!"

"_Yes indeed!_"

The two old friends continued to talk about other topics until they both hung up.

#

On one side of the basement the sound recording studio, where the Cool Rascals would often rehearse their pieces. On the opposite side of the basement is the film and TV recording studio. While their instruments were still in the sound recording studio, the screen test would obviously take place in the film recording studio at this point. On one side of the wall is a giant green screen and the other side, a blue screen. Cameras were already set up with the camera men and crew just setting up the minor details.

Across from the screens are two sets of bleachers. The bleachers to the left was where the main and supporting cast teens sat. The one on the right was where the local Tomoeda (and neighboring towns) teens chosen to be the special extras who will have more prominent roles but have little or no lines in the film. Right gazing at them is Director Terada, along with his assistant director, Masaki Toda.

At the local teens side, the Cool Rascals weren't the only one present. It seems the Beauty Belles dancers and four more random boys were also present, sitting right behind the Cool Rascals, much to Tomoyo's and Sakura's dismay. Maiko Horibe, the leader of this popular girl clique, even made a statement to Tomoyo that made the future heiress to the Daidouji Couture fuming deep inside.

"I'm quite shocked that you're here too, Tomoyo."

"You do realize that you're standing under my turf, don't you, Maiko."

"Huh, it's too bad that no matter how hard you try, you can never match the greatness and the high class reputation that your mother is right now."

Tomoyo shifted her eyes right at her. "You don't know my mother very well, Maiko, so I suggest you keep your words to yourself. Walls have ears, you know."

Sakura then hushed her best friend. "Just don't bother with her, Tomoyo. She's trying to mess around with you as always."

"She needs to know her place in this house, seriously," Tomoyo sighed. "Then again, she and her entire clique aren't the only ones that's bugging me right now."

"Oh. Yeah. You're right about that…" Sakura glared behind her once she spotted Tomoyo's ex-boyfriend, Ken Bunchin, and that meddlesome rich boy, Takuya Sakamoto, and two other boys before Sakamoto, were sitting two rows away from where they were sitting right now. It was obvious that the boys were avoiding getting close to them, noting that the suitor butcher, Touya Kinomoto was sitting right next to his sister.

"Touya," Yukito whispered, "is it really necessary to give death stares at those other boys behind us?"

"Hmph," Touya glared. "In case you hadn't noticed, Yukito, three of those four wimps behind us were the losers that Dad set Sakura up with a few weeks ago. The other one is that coward of an ex-boyfriend of Daidouji's."

"On the other other hand, I wonder what they're doing there. Did they audition as extras too?"

"Well if they didn't, they wouldn't be here."

"You got a point there, Touya."

Right then, Terada began their meeting regarding the screen test with a brief overview, the reasons why they were chosen as the special extras and all other relevant information. It turned out that the Beauty Belles and even the four extra boys sitting behind the Cool Rascals will be having a few prominent scenes as background dancers in dance scenes and all other appropriate scenes. They were not as prominent as that band, but nevertheless they needed to be there just for the meeting alone.

The actual screen test will only have "This is how the screen tests are gonna go," Terada went ahead with the process. "Our dancers will be heading out at the meadow area to do the screen test."

"Outside, Director?" Maiko gasped. "But why?"

"Why? Because many of the movie's scenes will take place outside. Even the parties and the dancing will take place outside."

"Oh. Um. Good to know…"

"So, while the dancers will do their screen testing at the fields, the band will be having their screen test using the blue screen for the time being. The supporting cast teens will be going with the dancers outside since they will be included, while the main cast teens— ten teens, five couples total— will be working with the band. Assistant Director Masaki Toda will take the outside screen test group and I will be handling the main couples and of course, the band. So, since we're all here, let's split in those two groups."

"Aw," one of the Beauty Belles girls moaned as they all stood up from the bleachers, climbing down slowly. "I thought for sure we'd be able to get closer to Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa…"

"Oh hell, at least we're part of the movie. It doesn't have to be today. Just you wait and see!" Another one of the girls exclaimed.

"At least we all know what types of girls Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa go for, so we shouldn't worry, girls."

Right then, Maiko turned her head and glared right at Tomoyo. "This is a setup, I swear! You just want me and the girls out of your house just because Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa are here."

Tomoyo reacted in a rather sarcastic innocent way. "I wouldn't know. This is my house after all. Have fun at your screen test! Bye bye!" She began waving with a smirk on her face, while Maiko snapped her head away. At that point, three of the four boys walking out gave death stares at the older Kinomoto, who was also giving death glares at them. The fourth one present slowly came to Tomoyo.

"Um, Tomoyo… after all this… can I… talk to you…?"

The lead singer of the band gazed at this boy with a rather unpleasant look. "So, after a month of you ignoring me, you want to talk to me now?"

"It's… very important… look, I'm just concerned that you'll be one of the girls who'd chase right after those idol guys, now that they're here—"

"This isn't the right time to talk, Bunchin," Tomoyo flatly answered, only referring to her ex-boyfriend by his surname. "Your group is waiting for you."

"I'll… I'll stop by after we're done." Quickly he exited the studio, with Tomoyo sighing.

"Hey," Yamazaki said, "since there's only five of us on this side of the bleachers, let's go to the other side."

"Ah yes," Director Terada chuckled. "Come on over here to the other I can see all of you."

The front row of the left bleachers was empty and the band proceeded to sit there. When Tomoyo took a seat, Eriol, who was sitting directly behind her, whispered.

"That lad who came up to you earlier… is that who I think it is…?"

Tomoyo dropped her head. "Who did you think it was, Eriol?"

"You know… the bastard who tore your heart in to pieces long ago?" She slowly nodded. "That's what I thought. He did look like a coward to me."

"He… he wanted to talk to me after the screen test, he said. I don't really know if I should trust him this time…"

"Then, I must ask you this. Do you still—"

"Eriol, we're starting now. Chit-chat later," Terada warned him.

"Ah, sorry, Director. Please proceed."

The director gave huge grins at the remaining group, clapping his hands. "Well then. Here's how our screen test is going to be like. Of course, the individual main cast members already had their screen tests last month so we wouldn't have to do that again. This particular screen test will be involving our main cast plus our mysteriously cool unknown band from this lovely little town of Tomoeda. The idea is, you band members are always going to be present whenever our main characters are— except of course when they have their 'alone' moments, but other than that, you're always going to be there from the beginning till the end."

Touya interrupted to confirm what was said earlier. "So, we're just gonna be there where these main characters people whatever are doing their scenes. We'll just be there. We won't be saying any bunch of lines and all that, right?"

"The only line that you Cool Rascals will be having will be your singing voices. I was told that all five of you can sing well despite the fact that Tomoyo Daidouji here is your lead singer."

"Not very good," Sakura, Touya, Yukito, and Yamazaki answered simultaneously.

"Nah, don't listen to them," Tomoyo chuckled. "All five of us can sing well. They're just not that confident. I mean, Tomoeda has a lot of strict requirements for their children. They want all Tomoeda children to be well-rounded, so in turn, the entire town is… almost… well-rounded."

"She's right, Director," Syaoran broke his silence without being aware of what he was about to say first. "At the elementary school age, Tomoeda children are all required to join and participate in the Tomoeda Children's Choir. Then their tenure in the children's choir end when they turn twelve…"

"Oh, is that so, Xiaolang?" Terada answered. "And may I ask how do you know that fact?"

"Yeah," Yukito gasped. "I didn't know you knew all that, Li-kun…"

"Er… I…" Syaoran quickly covered his mouth, once he realized what he just blurted out now. Sure, he knew for sure that he doesn't remember a thing about Tomoeda but how could, of all his lost memories, how could he remember that? "It's just that I… I overheard a few of the Daidouji Couture designers talking about it earlier… one designer was complaining.. Well she was complaining to another about how her daughter has to join the Tomoeda Children's Choir even though her daughter can't sing that well… so yeah… that's where I heard it…"

"Ah, I see. That's an interesting fact. Thank you for sharing that with us, Xiaolang."

Syaoran gave a sigh of relief as Eriol whispered softly to his ear. "Nice cover, Xiao. We'll talk later…" The amber-eyed idol dropped his head, hiding his embarrassed face.

"Er… well… yeah… we'll talk later, Eriol…" Syaoran gritted his teeth.

"Well then, moving on. First portion of the screen test will be a band-only screen test. The Cool Rascals will be performing one song as a band right in front of the blue screen. And then at the green screen, they will be saying an introduction and a small message together as a group. That's basically it for the first portion."

"Ah okay, that sounds cool," Tomoyo nodded, with Sakura, Yamazaki, Yukito, and Touya also gave their own reactions.

"The second portion of the screen test will be individual screen tests. You will be having a short interview with the camera primarily focused on you. This is where our main five couples present here come in."

Sakura swallowed nervously and turned her head towards Tomoyo. "Oh don't be nervous, Sakura. I'm sure it's just a simple interview."

"But… I… I don't like interviews… especially if it's from someone… important…"

"Maybe if it's from the not-too-famous couples, it'll be easy for you."

"I hope so."

"But you should be alright if it's Li-kun, ne?"

Sakura sighed. "Well, it's okay if he's alone… but with that Mai Hirashiki who kept clinging on to him around, it'll be difficult for me…"

"I'm sure it won't be that bad as you think, Sakura. Think positive."

"I'll try, Tomoyo."

After everyone settled down, the director continued on. "As you all thought. The couples will be interviewing you one-on-one. The questions are pre-written already so each couple will receive one sheet. The objective here is that rather than just answer and question, make this whole session in to a one-on-one friendly conversation as if you were just talking naturally. Sure, the band members won't be having any lines in the movie, however, your facial expressions can make a difference in portraying roles when you're not singing or performing. That's why we are having this as the second part of the screen test. Everyone understood?" Everyone answered with a yes.

"Good. The third portion of the screen test—"

"What? There's a third portion too?" Touya quickly complained. "How long is this screen test is going to be?"

"Well, Kinomoto-kun, if we don't start as early, we will be finishing really late."

"Dangit, I still gotta go to work at the diner tonight—" Right then, Yukito hushed his best friend.

"You're not the only one who has to work at the diner tonight, Touya. Look, I'll call my grandpa to let him know that we may be late or not be able to show up at the diner."

"Something wrong, Kinomoto-kun?" The director asked curiously.

"It'll be taken care of, Sir," Yukito gave a positive grin. "My grandfather is the owner and manager of the diner that Touya and I work for. He's already aware of the whole extras audition thing."

"Well, we can always continue until tomorrow if needed—"

"Um, that won't be necessary, Director, heheheh…" Touya nervously grinned and sighed in relief.

"Y-yeah. Please continue."

"Very well then. The third portion of the screen test will have all five of you individually sing a song that you will be choosing for yourselves. It could be your favorite song or a song that you enjoy singing, just any song. You won't be just singing in front of the camera, you'll also be singing with the main couple you are being randomly assigned to from the second portion of the screen test. For example, let's say Li Xiaolang and Mai Hirashiki randomly picked Tomoyo's name from the raffle for the second part of the test. They will stick to that same band member for the third part of the test. Understood?" Everyone nodded. "Now, the couple will be given a random scenario where they will be acting using actions and with no words. The individual band member they're assigned to must sing the song they picked for themselves and apply themselves to the scene. For example, you can be the third party to that couple, or a guardian angel who's dedicating your song to the love for this couple, or maybe just a BFF of one of the two. Be creative. The purpose over here is how you express yourself when you're singing by yourself with other cast members aside from your fellow band member."

"The hell…?" Touya gritted his teeth. "Why the hell do each of us got to sing?"

"You signed up for this, Touya, so stop complaining," Yukito muttered.

"I hate singing in front of the camera, let alone all by myself. I'm better singing harmony with the rest of you guys."

"Don't wimp out now, Touya-senpai," Yamazaki grinned. "It's just a screen test—"

"Who said anything about wimping out, Yamazaki?" Touya tightened his fist as Yukito gently pulled him back.

"Calm down, Touya," Yukito warned him.

"Is there anything wrong there, Kinomoto-kun?" Once again, Terada curiously wondered regarding the Kinomoto boy's discomfort.

"N-no… nothing." Touya muttered.

"Ah, before we start on the screen tests now," the director continued, then grinned, "I would like to inform you that each of you band members will be paid a good lump sum of 50,000 Yen just for today—"

Immediately after hearing the words lump sum and 50,000 Yen, Touya knew he was completely sold. "Okay. I'm in."

"Good," Terada snickered, knowing the pattern of this rather troubled young man. "Then let's get started. The Kashiis here will talk to you about what you're going to do with your scenes with the band members and they will also hold a raffle for you to pick and see which band member you will be assigned to for the next two parts of the screen test. So you kids can stay here." He then gazed right at the band. "Cool Rascals, follow me towards the blue screen. Your instruments are already there, all set and ready."

Quickly, the band stood up and followed Terada towards the side where the blue screen is hung. Sakura turned around to gaze at the idol couples left behind. While Mai was currently talking in a whisper to Syaoran, he paid no attention to her, found Sakura gazing at him, and then simply gave her a thumbs up. With just that gesture, Sakura moved on to the blue screen with a smile on her face.

Once they got to the blue screen and then grabbed their instruments, Director Terada instructed them. "First, we'll have you perform one song— an upbeat song this time."

"Well," Yamazaki cleared his throat. "You see, Director, even our upbeat rockin' songs have really depressing lyrics…"

"Doesn't matter. Just something catchy, Yamazaki. Just play us your best rockin' song you've ever played. It doesn't even have to be an original. It can be a cover of a popular rock song or something. Just something that would make people dance."

Tomoyo turned to the rest of the band. "Something that would make people dance? Suggestions?"

"Shouldn't rock songs that would make people dance should have a happy message in the lyrics?" Yamazaki gently scratched his head.

"Not really," Sakura, Yukito, and Touya answered simultaneously.

"Oh man…" Yamazaki dropped his head, sighing. "Seriously I'll never be happy with the songs we play because fast or slow, happy-sounding or sad, they still promote broken hearts and breaking up…"

"Well," Terada interrupted, "how about an upbeat song that all of you enjoy playing?"

"How about an instrumental?" Yamazaki gave a grin. "I mean Tomoyo can play acoustic guitar and the keyboard too!"

"I don't care really," Touya shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just play what we gotta play."

"Tomoyo's decision then," Sakura pointed to her best friend. "I really enjoy playing 'I Can't Do It.' My keyboard part rocks in that song!"

"Hey, I like that song too," Yukito grinned. "It's because Tomoyo isn't a solo vocalist here. We all sing here, of course, back vocals, but still. We're singing… except Touya, of course. Most drummers in bands don't sing anyway."

"Damn right!" Touya snickered. "Okay, 'I Can't Do It' then."

Yamazaki shrugged. "Sure thing."

"And we got our song!" Tomoyo grinned towards the director.

"Alright then. Do you guys need to warm up or anything?"

"It's an old song," Tomoyo said. "It's actually our second original single that we performed, so we already know how to play it in our hearts."

"Okay. Let's do it then."

The director then sat on his seat as the camera crew prepared for the screen test.

"We call this _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf Presents The Cool Rascals_ screen test!"

The clapper boarder steps in front of the camera and calls out. "_Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf Presents The Cool Rascals in 'I Can't Do It' _screen test. Take 1!" He clapped the clapper board and steps out.

"Action!"

The song begun with Yamazaki playing the first four measures of the song, then the rest of the band began playing their parts that make up the song. As they performed with confidence without even staring at the camera, the five pairings left at the bleachers having their own meeting with the screenwriters found attraction towards the song that a few of them stood up and began to dance.

_(I got to tell you now)_

"_Love me or let me go"_

_(And yet I know somehow)_

_You'll break my heart and so_

_I can't do it_

_I can't do it_

_(Sometimes you treat me nice)_

_But you're not mine alone_

_(I thought of it once or twice)_

_To go off on my own_

_I can't do it_

_I can't do it_

_Maybe you'd be hurt up here_

_(If I should say goodbye)_

_But I'm not sure as yet_

_That's the reason (why)_

_(I know I'd be the blame)_

_If you should laugh at me_

_(I'd be alone and ashamed)_

_And still would not be free_

_I can't do it_

_I can't do it_

_I can't do it_

_(Oh no)_

Once their song ended, the entire band took their bows and then received applause from the crew and the main cast, with Meiling whistling and cheering for the entire band like a crazed fangirl. "I'm your biggest fan, Cool Rascals! I love you!"

"Right," Terada said. "And cut! That's a wrap!"

"Huh, that was it? Just one take?" Tomoyo gasped, then jumped for joy. "We did it!"

Touya snickered. "Man, just one take for 50,000 Yen. I approve."

"Group hug! Group hug!" The five-member Cool Rascals huddled and embraced each other for such an amazing performance even though they didn't have a huge crowd. Terada also joined the applause and approached them.

"Well then, you really do know how to perform the song from heart. Great job, kids!"

"Thanks," the entire band answered.

"You sure really do know how to make people get up and dance. You have almost majority of our main cast lovers get on their feet and dance,, you know." Terada said. "Keep that up throughout the entire shoot and this movie will be nominated with various awards. Best Picture… Best Performance… Best Soundtrack… you get the picture."

"My gosh," Sakura blushed, covering her cheeks with her hands. "I can't believe that we're in the movie even if we don't have any speaking lines…"

"See? Anything can happen if you put your mind to it, Sakura," Tomoyo said, placing her hand around her.

"For sure!"

Terada turned to the main cast. "Okay, get back to what you're doing now. No more free live music for the rest of you at this point."

"Aww…" A few of the main cast pouted. All this time, Syaoran remained sitting at the bench, just tapping his foot while Mai attempted to dance seductively in front of him. Unfortunately for Mai, his eyes gazed more towards the band than with her. Whenever she got in front of him, he would scoot over just to have a better view of the camera.

"Alright then," Terada said, turning to the band. "The next part of the first phase of the screen test will be just the six of you in front of camera reading the cue cards that will be provided to you. First, you introduce yourself as a band and then introduce yourselves one by one. Then you read what's on the cue cards. Understood."

"Got it!" The band exclaimed with thumbs up.

"Now, you see that small elevated bleachers there at the center? You just sit there so we can see all of you. Girls at the front, boys at the back. The way you introduce yourselves, say 'Hi everyone! We're The Cool Rascals!' Then when you introduce yourselves, Tomoyo will go first, then you can go counter-clockwise. You mention your name and your position in the band, or simply the instruments you play. After that, you just read what's on the cue cards that will be shown to you right in front of you. Got that?" The band responded with a thumbs up. "Okay then. Let's get started."

The usual process occurred, with the clapper boarder raising the clapperboard in front of the camera.

"_Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf Presents The Cool Rascals Intro _screen test, Take 1!" He clapped the board and stepped out.

"Action!"

Unfortunately for the band, their first take was not their final take. Tomoyo spoke the "Hi, everyone!" immediately but the rest of the band looked like they saw a monster with the way they gave the nervous stare towards the camera.

"Cut!" Terada called and approached the band. "Tomoyo, always enthusiastic. The rest of you, don't be nervous. Remember, you have to say 'Hi, everyone! We're The Cool Rascals!' at the same time. If you want I can give you the cue count so all of you are on the same page."

"Good idea, Director," Tomoyo smiled. "I'm sorry about that. It's just that Yamazaki, Yukito-senpai, and Touya-senpai have never really been in front of a professional camera before. In case of Sakura, I love recording her with my camcorder but she never really liked being in front of the camera at all. They're all shy!"

"I know, Tomoyo, that's why I want the rest of the band to take a deep breath and just relax."

"Okay, thanks Director," Sakura sighed in relief. The rest of the band also thanked him for the advice.

"Well then. Let's do it again."

Apparently, the second take, the third take, the fourth take, the fifth take, and so on, the band still were not unable to say the first few lines simultaneously. A few of them ended up mumbling the wrong words or wrong pronunciation that made the director call out cut immediately. The retakes were continuing to increase with some of the band members giving a rather awkward-looking expressions on their faces whenever they say their lines or that some of them even gave a rather monotonic, tiring voice when they spoke.

After about forty-five takes, the band finally came together and got their lines right.

"Hi, everyone! We're The Cool Rascals!"

"Tomoyo Daidouji, lead vocals, acoustic guitar, and sometimes keyboardist."

"Sakura Kinomoto, back vocals, keyboardist, sometimes acoustic guitar."

"Takashi Yamazaki, back vocals, lead guitar, sometimes lead vocals."

"Yukito Tsukishiro, back vocals, bass."

"Touya Kinomoto, drums, sometimes back vocals."

"Watch out for The Cool Rascals ready to invade your town with our ultra-fresh blend of pop rock and ballads that would surely melt your heart in the upcoming teenage romance comedy flick, _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_, coming to a local theater near you!"

"And cut!" Terada called out. "Finally, that's a wrap."

"Whew…" The band took huge deep breathes and sighs of relief. Goodness, that was tiring, they all thought.

"Well, it's only natural that you would mess up. It's not because this is the first time that you are being filmed in front of a professional film camera before," Terada advised the band. "All professionals mess up all the time. Even our main cast here are prone to messing up their lines and their actions during the shoots. That's why they take months, even to a year, for the shooting alone to finish. Let's just hope that our movie project is well worth the spend once we reach post-production."

"I bet," Tomoyo said. "That would be really bad if so much money was spent on this movie and then the movie critics pan it."

"Well, we'll work the best as we can to make this film as perfect as we want them, Tomoyo. Every little detail counts."

"Yup. Agreed."

"Well then, let's all take five. Besides, it's almost lunch."

The band then placed their instruments down and then headed to the empty bleachers. They headed back to the right bleachers as to not disturb the main stars' briefing with the screenwriters at the left bleachers. Terada joined the band.

"Don't worry about lunch, it's being catered." He turned right at Yukito. "I heard that your family owns Mooncastle Diner?"

Yukito nodded with pride gleaming on his face. "Yes, Sir!"

"I was recommended by the Kashiis to try your Bento Lunch specials. Good food at a very good price, so we're having your diner cater those Bento Lunch specials over here."

"My grandfather noted that to me this morning over breakfast," Yukito said. "We'll be having Mongolian Curry for today's Bento Lunch special."

"Their curry dishes are the best in the world!" Sakura exclaimed. "That's one of Mooncastle Diner's specialty dishes in their menu. I mean they make other stuff too but their huge variety of curry dishes are a must!"

"Well then, I guess we'll be having a wonderful lunch later on then," Terada grinned.

Moments later, the Kashiis called out for the other group at the other bleachers. "Director Terada, we're ready," Toshifumi called.

"Great! After we're done with this, we'll be having lunch courtesy of the Mooncastle Diner," Terada grinned. "Let's all thank Tsukishiro-kun for serving such wonderful curry and Bento Lunch specials, ne?" Everyone applauded, with Tomoyo and Yamazaki patting Yukito at the back.

"Alrighty then," Toshifumi called attention to the rest in the studio. "It's time for our five couples to draw a name in this little raffle box." He brought out a box and began shaking it. "Inside this box are five folded pieces of paper that has the name of a Cool Rascals band member. Each pairing will pick up one name and then keep it folded to themselves until all the couples picked up a name. And then on the count to three, everyone unfolds the paper to see which member they ended up picking. Then, one by one, I will be calling the pair and they will call out the name written on the paper they picked. Both the couple and the band member will come right here at the center where I'm standing and get-together. Then the trio can sit at the right bleachers at the back. Everyone got that?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Good. Let's get started."

As Toshifumi passed on the raffle box, Terada turned to the Cool Rascals. "Just relax, okay? The questions they will be asking are the same for everyone. However, the interview would be just like a conversation as if the three of you have been long-time friends who haven't seen each other in awhile. There will be a point where one or both of them may even prod questions not included in the list depending on how you answer their questions written on paper, so be prepared for that."

"I… I really hate interviews… they make me nervous so much…"

"I'm sure it wouldn't be the really popular ones who will interview you," Tomoyo reminded her. "I mean, the pick is so random. There's no way Li-kun and Mai Hirashiki would pick your name."

"I'm serious, Tomoyo. I don't know what it is, but… I feel so much at ease around Li-kun when he's by himself. I mean, I can't say that I know him really well, but it just feels like… it feels like… I've known him forever…"

"Who knows, Sakura," Tomoyo chuckled. "Maybe sometime in your past life, you and Li-kun knew each other like peanut butter and jelly… and that you were lovers!"

"Hoe…"

At that point, the raffle picking is done. The band members turned their attention to the set of bleachers next to them, where the five main couples now have their folded paper on their hands. Toshifumi began.

"Okay. Those who have the five pieces of paper, please raise them up." Syaoran, Meiling, two boys, and one girl, raised up the papers they picked from the box.

"Now, on the count to three, everyone open your sheets. You can see the names but do not say it out loud, nor you show your paper to all the other pairs. Now, ready?" The couples' eyes were now completely towards him. "One… two… three!"

Quickly, the couples opened their paper slips. The band members watched their expressions, primarily towards Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling. The other three couples looked rather perplexed or simply indifferent. Eriol and Meiling, both paired up together, simply smiled, showing their content with their random choice. As for Syaoran and Mai, the girl gave a rather sour look while the boy remained mum with no emotion on his face.

"Alright then, now you know the names of your chosen band member, time to call each of you pairs up in the center. Then you will call out the band member you randomly picked from the raffle box. Okay, let's start with…" Toshifumi revealed another raffle box with five different pieces of paper with the names of the pair in each of them. He reached one at random and called out.

"Ryuichi Kanzaki and Aya Teramura. Please come up here at the center and then face the band members."

One of the pairs, a tall and lanky pretty-boy-like young man and a sophisticated-looking girl with long dark blue flowing hair stood up and then headed to the center. The boy, Ryuichi Kanzaki, was chosen to call out the particular band member they randomly chose.

"Yukito Tsukishiro," he called. The bespectacled young adult gave a humble grin as he exchanged hi-fives with both Touya and Yamazaki.

"See you guys later!" Yukito stood up and approached the couple. "Nice meeting you two. I hope we work well together."

"Same here," Aya Teramura grinned happily.

"Alright, you three, you may take a seat at the back row behind the remaining band members." The first group did as Toshifumi commanded them to do as he went on with the same process.

"Moving along. Next we have Eriol Hiiragizawa and Meiling Li."

Quickly, Meiling jumped down happily with Eriol simply following her from behind. Once the two reached the cente,r Meiling called out cheerfully. "Girlfriend— Tomoyo Daidouji!"

"Oh my!" Tomoyo gasped and waved at her two friends. "Coming!" She and Sakura embraced each other as she exchanged hi-fives with Yamazaki and Touya. She approached her friends and gave each other embraces. Then the three headed back up the benches, where they sat next to the first couple with Yukito.

Tomoyo then whispered to both Eriol and Meiling. "I'm a bit worried about Sakura."

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Meiling asked curiously.

"She's been really nervous since the first screen test. Well she was doing fine since she's with us, but the part where we were doing the intro stuff, she kept messing up so much that it took us about over forty takes to get our parts right."

"Really? But Sakura's a really cheerful and open girl," Meiling sighed. "I hope there's nothing out here that's making her so nervous…"

"Hm," Eriol began to mutter. "I wonder if Xiao has something to do with all this…"

"Eh? Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked curiously. "But why? I mean, don't they get along well?"

"Too well," Eriol muttered. "It's not like I don't like it or anything, but… the way Xiao has been talking about her as of late, well, talking to me about it of course, the way he talked about her, even though they've only known each other for three days, it seems as if they've known each other for a really long time. Does that make sense?"

Meiling gave a slight smirk. "I wonder if Xiaolang has finally found a new love?"

"Eh?" Tomoyo gasped. "Sakura? If that's true then I would surely be happy for both of them!"

"Well, first, let's find out which couple Sakura's gonna end up with," Meiling said. The process then continued on.

"Sakuya Tendou and Erika Handa."

A rather sophisticated-looking blonde young man, almost the color opposite of Eriol, and another posh-looking shoulder-length pink-haired beauty climbed down and headed at the center. This time, the girl called out the next name.

"Takashi Yamazaki." He stood up from his spot and exchanged hi-fives to both the Kinomoto Siblings, who are now the only two band members left. He approached the couple he would be working with and then they turned to the back bleachers and claimed their spot.

"Well then. Two couples left and two band members left. They are Li Xiaolang and Mai Hirashiki, and Kotaro Ninomiya and Michiyo Kuno. Both of you couples, please stand at the center."

The remaining couples followed as Toshifumi said and were now standing at the center, facing the Kinomoto Siblings.

"And both Kinomoto Siblings, please stand up." The two siblings slowly stood up. "Reason why I had the remaining standing up is because we will be playing a game. And since Li Xiaolang is the main character of our story, he will decide which game that we will play." He then turned to Syaoran and gave him a nod.

"Well, alright," Syaoran began to contemplate to himself while the others waited for him to decide. Moments later, he gave a nod. "Here goes. Both the Kinomoto Siblings will play Jankenpon against each other. One round, one chance."

"What the hell… Jankenpon?" Touya raised an eyebrow. "Why not just read the damn names on the paper and get it over with?"

Toshifumi gave a slight snicker. "That'll be an extra 5000 yen to the 50,000 yen if you go along…"

"Okay, let's play."

"Oniichan?" Sakura called out her brother with an upset expression, already figuring out his own personal conditions. It seems that the entire movie crew figured out Touya's main weakness with this whole situation that they decided to take advantage of it should he ever refused a request.

"I'm not finished yet," Syaoran interrupted. "Whoever loses this one-round Jankenpon will be with Mai Hirashiki and me. The winner goes with Ninomiya and Kuno. That's the twist."

"What?" Mai gasped in shock. "What on earth kind of a ruling is that?"

"This brat is insane…" Touya muttered while glaring at him with suspecting motives. He then turned to his little sister and whispered. "This is not good…"

"Why's that?" Sakura asked curiously.

"I know how much you suck in Jankenpon—"

"Shut up, Oniichan, did you have to say that out loud?" Sakura glared at her older brother with both her fists tightening.

"— But I have to lose this game so that brat won't have to be way too close to you—"

"Oniichan, will you cut it out, please…" Sakura whispered while gritting her teeth. "You're embarrassing everyone here. Let's just play the game…"

"That kid may be some popular idol star but he's also manipulative and way too cunning. Whoever loses this Jankenpon game goes with him? What kind of a game he's playing here…"

"Oniichan, let's just play the game, okay? It's only a screen test…"

Right then, Toshifumi walked right close at them. "Are you brother and sister ready?"

"We're ready, Kashii-san," Sakura answered promptly before Touya began to complain.

The siblings faced each other and then began their rock-paper-scissors game. After four rounds of the same form, we finally got a winner.

"You idiot!" Touya exclaimed when he noticed that he had paper and Sakura had rock. "I purposely am trying to lose to you and you still lost!"

"You're the idiot, Oniichan, for not taking this game seriously!" Sakura grunted in return.

"Well then," Syaoran approached the siblings. "I guess you're with Hirashiki and me, Sakura…"

Touya gave the usual death stare at Syaoran even though he already knew that his stare alone would not intimidate this Chinese idol. "Listen here, you little brat. Touch her and your ass is mine, got that?"

"It's only a screen test, Kinomoto-senpai," Syaoran responded with his rather cool yet stern tone. "Besides, I pretty much have the same motive as you."

"Same motive?" Touya raised an eyebrow. "And what on earth is that?"

"Protecting Sakura from any bastards who would try to harm her."

Just as Touya was about to open his mouth, Sakura immediately gave her own version of the death stare towards him. When that death stare comes right at him, he already knew what she was trying to say to him. They were just simply two words: Back off.

With that, Touya then joined the couple he was assigned to as Sakura went with Syaoran and Mai. Once they sat at their spots, Mai turned to Syaoran with another complaint. "Li, you knew that green eyes was going to lose this one, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about, Hirashiki? If Sakura won the game, it wouldn't count, since her name was the one on our paper…" Right then he handed the folded paper to Mai with Sakura's name written in Kanji.

"Um…" Sakura then offered a handshake to the couple. "It's only a screen test, I know, but, let's do well together, ne?"

Syaoran and Mai then gazed right at the humble yet nervous Sakura. With that, Syaoran shook her hand. "Yes. We will, Sakura." He released her hand, as she also offered the handshake towards Mai.

"I suppose…" Mai reluctantly shook her hand.

At this point, Terada took over the meeting to give them the overview of the second portion of the screen test, however, one of the Daidouji maids stopped by to let them know that their Bento Lunch specials from Mooncastle Diner had just arrived.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay. I know what you guys are gonna say. This chapter is way too long. There's about 20,000+ words in here. Well, what can I say? I'm just brimming with ideas, ne?

Anyway, here's the deal. I recently accepted a job, which means I won't have any time to write any fanfics during the daytime. This is how I was able to put up fast updates in the first place because I've been unemployed and such. And now, I finally got a job and I can finally pay my own bills.

Anyway, moving on. A couple of notes regarding this chapter:

At the first part (breakfast scene), "Ieran" is the Japanese reading for Yelan. Chin is obviously a made-up maiden name that I gave for Yelan. Li Xiaojin, Syaoran's father, of course, I made up the name also.

MBA means Master of Business Administration, which is the master degree that Touya is currently studying in grad school before he and Kaho get married.

500,000 Yen, according to today's exchange rates, is equivalent to about $5400 USD.

In the lyrics that I wrote down, the ones in parentheses mainly indicates that all the back vocals are singing the line or they are singing along with the lead vocal on that line. The song is "I Can't Do It" by a 60s indie rock group known as The E-Types. Of course, I changed the words a bit, using "you" for "she." (Since Tomoyo's the lead vocal, it's weird for a girl to say "she" so I changed it to "you" instead)

That's it for now. Shoutouts and replies!

**Azrayah: **Welcome aboard non-CCS reader/writer! Honored to know you like this fic. I promise I won't disappoint. Hopefully LOL.

**DualStarduster: **There have been plenty of CCS fanfics that doesn't involved the Clow Cards, but I have to admit that plenty of those have the characters completely OOC just so it would fit the story they're trying to plot out. Thank you for your support for "Stuffed Animal," still. :)

**Rinail:** Both Syaoran and Sakura are naïve anyway (although Sakura is more dense obviously), so I thought him forgetting about his Ying Fa stuffed animal would be a bit hilarious. Thanks for reading!

**OtakuThatIsMe** and **VP**: Thanks for keeping in touch with me in PMs. I'm available whenever you need anything, even help with your fics if you like. :)

Off to the next chapter! :D


	8. 07: The Lovers and a Rascal

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 7: THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

The Cool Rascals (as well as the five couples) received a rather surprising welcome when the Mooncastle Diner caterers arrived at the Daidouji Residence. Touya and Yukito almost forgot that both Kaho and Nakuru have the daytime shift for today, and that Yukito's grandfather and owner of Mooncastle Diner, Soun Tsukishiro, assigned the girls to deliver the huge orders of the Mongolian Curry Bento Lunch specials for the movie cast and crew's lunch. The chefs of the Daidouji Residence were able to earn a kitchen duties break for this afternoon.

Adding to the surprise, the two meddling fanclub presidents, Chiharu Mihara and Rika Sasaki, as well as the inspired local youth blogger Naoko Yanagisawa also arrived on the scene, hitching a ride with Kaho and Nakuru so they would be able to get inside the Daidouji Couture House. It would have been a whole lot more convenient if they just call Tomoyo, but whenever the famous fashion designer Sonomi Daidouji is at home, not even Tomoyo would even have the authority to let anyone in without her mother's consent.

Still, Sonomi Daidouji did permit these not-exactly-invited guests in to the premises. After all, they're her daughter's friends and it would be rude as a mother to not even let them in at all. At this point, the cast and crew will be having their Bento lunch specials at the pool area of the backyard, where there are shaded patio tables are neatly positioned and ready to be used. The concave-shaped almost Olympic-sized pool, was currently under maintenance and that a drape over the pool was present.

Completely aware of Syaoran's and Eriol's, as well as other high-named stars present, Touya and Yukito decided to help their fiancees serve and cater, but both ladies refused their help.

"You're not even working at the moment, so why on earth would you have to help, Touya?" Kaho curiously asked.

"Hey, what's wrong with giving you ladies a little helping hand?" Touya retorted. 'And another thing… why are you in a Mooncastle Diner uniform, Kaho? You don't even work for the diner!"

"Hey, the diner is currently short-staffed and I'm not gonna let Nakuru do all the catering services by herself so here I am. Is there a problem, Touya?"

Touya then cleared his throat. "Erm, I didn't say anything like that, Kaho. It's just that… well… I didn't expect you to be here and with that getup too…"

Yukito interrupted with a shy grin on his face. "Unless of course Kaho-san has another reason… a certain particular seventeen-year-old handsome male idol, perhaps?"

"Why don't you shut up, Yukito?" Touya fumed.

"Anyway," Nakuru interrupted and changed the subject. "You guys will be coming up here and pick up your boxes. We're just gonna stand here and set up the box, utensils and everything. The jug of iced water and a cooler of sodas and iced tea are at the end. It's all self-serve from here."

Yukito gave a slight concern. "Are you sure you ladies can handle it?"

"We'll be fine, sweetie," Nakuru grinned, patting her fiance on the shoulder. "You worry too much, Yuki-chan."

"Oh, I'm not worried at all, Nakuru," Yukito gave his humble grin. "Touya is."

Nakuru gave a slight frown and turned to Touya. "You know, it's not everyday that you get to see hot celebrities living in the same turf as you do, you know, so Kaho and I get really excited whenever we see the coolest and the hottest teen idol in all of Japan. Ne, Kaho-chan?"

Kaho snickered. "See, the difference between Touya and Li Xiaolang is that they're both the same— except Li Xiaolang can contain himself while Touya thinks it's the end of the world whenever he sees his little sister or myself trip down the stairs if you know what I mean…"

"What? How could you compare me to that… that brat?" Touya gripped his fist. "That's rather unfair! I'm your true love, he's just eyecandy!"

"Uh huh," Nakuru joined along, giving out a chuckle. "And I can see a lot of similarities between the two."

"Similar? The hell? I'm a lot older, more mature, and cooler than he is! He's just… he's just a bit more good-looking than I am, that's all." Touya continued to protest.

"You see those three guys at that corner table there?" Nakuru snickered. "Aren't they Sakamoto and those other dweebs with him the ones your dad set up to date your sister before, Touya?"

Touya and Yukito slowly stared at the corner table,where those dancer boys have been sitting. Their eyes are right at a table distant from them, sulking at the same time. "Huh," Yukito muttered. "They don't look so good. Maybe the summer sun gave them sun strokes or something."

"They're sulking because the girl they tried to screw around with, the sweet yet strong and innocent Sakura Kinomoto, has someone else acting as her guardian today— and his name ain't Touya Kinomoto."

"What the—" Touya quickly turned his head to the table far across from them and spotted his sister conversing alone with the movie's main star. "Hey! Why that little brat has got some guts! Sitting right next to her when she's all by herself— and right in front of me? Oh he's gonna have hell—"

"Ahem," Yukito interrupted. "Touya, you do remember that we're not sitting together in the same table, right? We have to sit with the couples we're being teamed up with earlier. I don't know where Hirashiki went but it looks like Sakura's feeling very comfortable with Li Xiaolang being with her."

"Damn," Touya frowned. "Forgot about that. Man, why the hell are we sitting with a bunch of bratty strangers, Yukito? Who's idea is it that we sign up for all this bull anyway?"

"Well, it pays 500,000 Yen and a few extras just for today, Touya," Yukito reminded him again.

"Dang… tuition and wedding money…" Touya sighed.

Kaho gave a slight giggle. "You know, I could just run up to Li Xiaolang and just… cuddle him because he's so adorable, but you know, I really do think he and sweet Sakura-chan look really good together."

"Mhmm," Nakuru nodded in agreement. "Look at those two. These movie stars haven't been here in Tomoeda for a long time and yet Li Xiaolang and Sakura act as if they've known each other forever. Look at the way their eyes shine and sparkle when they look at each other…"

"You know," Yukito muttered, "I would have to agree with you ladies…"

"Whose side are you on, Yukito?" Touya demanded. "Seriously, what is up with that kid? Everyone around town all think he's so great and all that like he's some kind of god! Does he have magical powers or something that put the entire town under his spell?"

"Touya," Kaho called, then proceeded with her sarcasm. "Being a supposedly responsible 24-year-old adult that you are now, you should already be aware that one day, someone will win Sakura-chan's pure heart, just like how I've won your strong-willed heart, Touya. Even Sakura knows that one day that someone will become first place in the list of people you love the most, right?"

"She's only seventeen. Too young to go out dating with guys," Touya frowned.

"You were only sixteen when we started dating, Touya," Kaho reminded her. "I was already eighteen and one of your Dad's students on my first year of college and it was that time that we started getting closer with each other and the rest is history. Sakura hasn't had the chance to actually being on a date with a guy. You know, just dates! Nothing serious! Why? Because she's got a megalomaniac of a brother guarding her like a pitbull!"

"Well it's different when you're a guy, Kaho!"

At that point, Director Terada arrived on the scene to check up on the lunch. "Good afternoon ladies… and Kinomoto-kun and Tsukishiro-kun!"

Kaho and Nakuru bowed to the director. "Good afternoon to you too, Director Terada!"

"Well now, I can smell the eclectic spicy flavors of the Mongolian Curry! Is it ready yet?"

"Just fifteen more minutes and we'll be ready to serve, Sir," Kaho reminded him.

"Nothing but a good home-cooked meal. I heard that this Mongolian Curry recipe has been passed down from generation to generation, Tsukishiro-kun?"

"Something like that, Director, heh," Yukito answered shyly.

"Well, for our first day, all is definitely well! And I'm glad, especially with our main cast mingling with new faces."

"Oh, why do you say that, Director?" Nakuru asked curiously.

"For many years that I've worked with many of these stars, especially Li Xiaolang, just mingling with fellow celebrities whom they've never worked before is one of the most difficult tasks that a director must go through. Especially Li-kun…"

"Why? Why do you say that about Li-kun, Director?"

"Well, when I worked with him before, he was very difficult to deal with as an individual. He would normally be by himself or with Eriol or Meiling if one of them or both of them are included in the cast. He rarely mingles with anyone else included in his cast. When he reads his script, he's always by himself. Whenever he eats his three basic meals on the set, he's always by himself. But this time… well… I wonder what that young lady Sakura Kinomoto has that got Xiaolang's attention so much…" He then gazed right at the two, who seem to be playing with each other's hands. "They've only known each other for two days and it looks like they've known each other all their lives…"

"Oh hell no…" Touya glared right at the two. "Why are they playing with each other's hands? Is he making his move already?"

"Stop thinking all that nonsense, Touya," Kaho warned him again. "Jeez, you are so paranoid, you know that?"

"Well then," Director Terada changed his tone back to his enthusiastic self. "I hope he keeps this up and he'll be a whole more likable person to work with in his future projects."

Meanwhile back at that particular table, Sakura couldn't help herself giggling when Syaoran insisted that he has the power to read a person's palm and predict their futures or guess a hidden secret within them. "I'm serious, Sakura. Let me try reading yours."

"Hoe…" Sakura quickly placed her hands in her pockets. "But I'm ticklish…"

"I'm not gonna tickle your hand, Sakura, I'm just gonna look at it," Syaoran gave a soft chuckle.

"Okay then, Xiaolang," Sakura chuckled, referring him by his first name this time. She didn't want to be rude to others by calling him by his first name in front of everyone else. Aside from that, she felt a whole lot more comfortable calling him by his first name when they're alone together. She lifted her right hand from her pocket and opened it to him. "Okay, so, I'm letting you read my palm. Do I get something in return?"

"Sure," Syaoran grinned.

"What is it? What are you gonna give me?"

"Secret…"

"What? I'm giving you my palm to read and you won't even tell me what you're gonna give me in exchange?"

"You're no fun, Sakura."

"Fine, fine," Sakura laughed. Syaoran proceeded by taking her palm and then he began to gaze at it closely. "Okay, Xiaolang. Go!"

She waited while he used his targeting amber eyes to examine her palm. Few seconds later, he spoke.

"Let's see. This little anchored line leaning to the bottom says that you're very adventurous and daring on the inside. You're not afraid to try anything, but smart enough to know whether it's safe or not."

"Well, of course, I love going to places and try things out."

"This line says that you're still undecided what you want to be after you graduate from high school."

"Eh? How can you know that?"

"Shh," he hushed her, then he continued. "This line says that you like to keep things simple and your lifestyle be simple as always. I can live with simple."

"But it's true, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Okay, next…" He continued to examine for a few seconds, and then found a rather small little hook at the right side of her palm. "This little hook here is telling me that you're currently in love…"

Sakura then began to blush. "In love… but…"

"It's also telling me that you've been in love with this same person for a very long time… and that you have been waiting for him to return to you…"

Right then, Sakura knew that Syaoran wasn't lying at that point and then gave a sigh. "Yeah. Something like that…"

"That's all I'm gonna read for now, Sakura. Thanks." What Sakura did not notice at this point also was that Syaoran somehow felt another painful beat that just struck a part of his heart. He couldn't tell whether this type of pain was that he was hurt of the fact that Sakura is in love with someone else or he was completely touched by this girl's patience and dedication for the boy she's loved for a very long time. Either that or it could be someone else a whole lot stronger than the previous two thoughts mentioned.

"I… I know… I'm really hopeless, am I, Xiaolang?"

He shook his head. "Not hopeless at all. Somehow, I feel inside of me that he will return to you. I'm sure of it."

"But… how can you know that, Xiaolang? I mean, we haven't known each other that long for you to say something like that. I mean, you don't even know the guy I've been in love with for the longest time…"

"I don't know, Sakura. It's really hard to explain… I'm just getting these weird vibes, that's all. But… it's just that… I know he'll come back to you, sooner than you think."

"Xiaolang…"

"And in the meantime, stay optimistic and happy always, and simply wait for him." Without any expectations, Syaoran gently lifted her hand and planted a small yet gentle kiss on her palm.

Sakura found herself turning tomato red and bit her lip. _What… what just happened… he… he kissed my hand!_

And as for Syaoran, he also has his own thoughts as well, also with a rather startled expression. _What the… why did I do that? Stupid, stupid Xiaolang… now she's gonna think I'm some kind of a flirt…_

_But then…_ Sakura's thoughts continued to flow. _I… I didn't react at all… it's like… if it's Li Xiaolang it's okay… With the other guys, I'd end up slapping them or… screaming at them… but not Xiaolang…? Why…?_

As well as Syaoran's own thoughts… _I know I don't normally make the first move with a girl at all no matter how much I liked her… but with Sakura, it feels so… so natural… so… right…_

_Oh no, what do I do now?_

_What do I do now? She's gonna hate me for sure…_

With all these thoughts in their minds, they both found themselves gazing at each other's eyes once again. Without words exchanged, they simply smiled at each other as if nothing happened.

"For… for good luck!" Syaoran immediately exclaimed, finding his reason for the quick action he just made.

"G-good luck?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Um… well… I noticed you earlier during the first portion for the screen test and it looked like you were about to have a heart attack, so… I uh…"

Right then, Sakura blushed once she got his intentions. She felt that he kissed her hand as a sign of good luck. She then buried her right hand against her chest with her other hand, with the palm against her heart. "That's so sweet, Xiaolang."

"Eh? R-really?" Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-you're not angry with me?"

Sakura shook her head. "You were just worried about me, that's all. I like your way better than my brother's way."

"What? My way?" Syaoran gave a chuckle.

"Whenever I get nervous, Oniichan would just ruffle up my hair and tell me to break a leg… but you… you're very gentle and sincere and… caring and… really sweet… and… well… thank you!"

Just like her, Syaoran found himself blushing at the same time. "S-sure. Um… no problem…"

"Alright, everybody!" Terada's loud voice called out throughout the patio area. "Bento lunches are ready! Come up and get your share!"

"Wow, smells really good," Syaoran grinned.

"I'm starving!" Sakura exclaimed. The two stood up and joined in the long line. Behind them were Tomoyo, Eriol, and Meiling.

"Hey," Eriol said, "where's your partner, Xiao?"

"She's in front of me," Syaoran raised an eyebrow.

"I mean Hirashiki, dear lad, not the human cherry blossom."

"Oh." Syaoran then shrugged his shoulders. "She was on her costume fitting earlier with Daidouji-san, so eh."

"You know," Meiling snickered, "forget about that Hirashiki bitch. Just do the one-on-one interview with just you and Sakura. It'll be a whole lot better!"

"Oh I wanna see that!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "I'll ask one of the maids to record it for me so we can watch it over and over and over again and then we can all get all 'squee' every time we see such a cute moment!"

"You wouldn't…" Syaoran glared at the best friend. "Get all 'squee' every time you see a cute moment? What the hell does that mean?"

"Oh come on now, Xiaolang," Meiling chuckled. "No, seriously! This is like the first time that we've seen you smile a lot on the set! You're never like that in the past, you know? What's gotten in to you?"

"What?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "Just because I don't smile that often, doesn't mean I would never smile at all."

"True," Eriol sighed with a shrug on his shoulders. "But seriously, you should smile more often. Do you ever wonder why you're more popular than I am fan-wise? It's because girls melt big time when they see your smile. I mean, take Mihara and Sasaki over there at the end of the line. They're already getting giddy down there because they spotted you smiling often when you're with our dear Sakura."

From out of the blue, Sakura joined in the conversation. "Huh? I heard someone mention my name…"

Tomoyo gasped and then changed the subject. "Sakura and Li-kun— smile!"

Sheepishly, both Sakura and Syaoran naively flashed a smile at them. Immediately, she, Eriol, and Meiling quickly took out their phones and took a snapshot of the two with those silly grins.

#

After a rather tasty lunch, the band and the main cast teens headed back to the film studio basement of the Daidouji Home for the second portion of the screen test. The two sets of bleachers were occupied again, with the left belonging to the five couples and the right belonging to the Cool Rascals. Terada and the screenwriters stood right at the center again, re-explaining how the second portion of the screen test was going to be like.

"It'll be the same order as the order when I picked the couples' names," Toshifumi said.

"So in short," Taeko continued from where her husband left off, "Ryuichi-kun and Aya-chan will go first and interview the band member they picked, which is… Tsukishiro-kun, correct?"

"That's right, Mrs. Kashii," Yukito answered politely.

"Taeko's fine, Tsukishiro-kun," Taeko reminded him.

"Alright then, Taeko-san."

"After Kanzaki and Teramura with Yukito Tsukishiro will be Hiirgizawa-kun and Meiling-chan with Tomoyo Daidouji. Next will be Tendou and Handa with Takashi Yamazaki. Then it'll be Ninomiya and Kuno with Touya Kinomoto. Last, but not least, Li and Hirashiki with the little sister."

"Hoe," Sakura winced once she heard the words _little sister_ coming from Taeko's mouth.

Toshifumi took over from where Taeko left off. "Before we dismissed to have lunch, the couples and us already spoke about the types of questions that they would like to ask each and every single one of the band members. They're all going to be the same questions, but the couples themselves may even prod for more questions not in the list if they do get interested in one particular thing that they may find interesting about you. So, that's a heads up for all five of you."

"At this point," Terada said, "the couples group right now will discuss about the questions they talked about earlier and make their final decisions. In the meantine, let's wait, shall we?"

The Kashiis headed to the left bleachers to have their meeting with the couples, while Terada headed to the camera crew to have his own meeting, leaving the band completely unsupervised by anyone.

"Hoe…?" Sakura gulped while Tomoyo whispered on her best friend's ear.

"Why so nervous, Sakura? I mean it's Li-kun who's gonna be interviewing you."

"But… but what if he asks me embarrassing questions… you know?"

"Why would Li-kun do such a thing? I think he's a very respectable guy," Tomoyo winced.

"Respectable?" Touya overheard their conversation and decided to intervene. "Seriously Tomoyo you need to check your head sometimes. Why is it that whenever they see good-looking goons like that Chinese idol brat over there they all automatically say that he's a respectable guy?"

"Well… he is a respectable guy, Oniichan," Sakura said. "He's not like those guys that Dad tried to set me up with in the past. He thinks it's cute that I still have my Chiirou bear!"

"Bah," Touya rolled his eyes, "if you ask me, he's only saying that because he feels sorry for you. Hell, he's probably just acting nice to you because he knows how hopeless you are when it comes to guys. Good-looking goons like him can't say cheesy stuff like that to hopeless girls. I bet he's probably thinking the same thing as that Sakamoto ass regarding your obsession with that old stuffed animal of yours…"

"Oh don't be such a spoiler, Touya-niichan," Tomoyo frowned. "You're already engaged to the love of your life and you're still putting your sister down."

"Yeah, Tomoyo's right, Touya," Yukito joined in. "I mean, what if that Li kid actually is fond of our Sakura? How are you gonna react to that?"

"I still don't trust that kid. Hell I don't trust any dude who comes up near Sakura!"

"Eh? Even me?" Yamazaki overheard the conversation, pointing to himself.

"Well you're different, Yamazaki! You've got someone else already!"

"I really think you're going overboard with the sister complex, Touya," Yukito gave a frown. "I'm beginning to worry that your sister complex may affect your relationship with Kaho. I know she's an understanding person but if you continue with this reaction you won't be having a wedding to earn money for…"

Moments later, the meeting with the couples was finally completed. Terada arrived just in time. "Well then, the camera crew is ready. The green screen is ready. Remember though, even if this is an interview, you also have a 10-minute limit in your interview, meaning that not all of the default questions may even be asked."

"10 minutes?" Sakura began to panic again. "That's… that's too long…"

"Oh Sakura," Tomoyo giggled, once again patting her friend on the shoulder once more.

"Let's get those interviews started!"

Toshifumi then called the first couple. "Ryuichi Kanzaki and Aya Teramura, you're first! As for the rest of you, you'll be portraying the audience watching this live interview. You can cheer and clap at the right times, just to give the screen test a little bit of realism. I'm sure all of you would be able to do that."

As a response, the others sitting at the bleachers applauded.

#

**CHERRY BLOSSOM, LITTLE WOLF presents "THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL" - a two-to-one interview with today's hottest teen idol pairings and a Cool Rascal!**

**LOVERS' INTERVIEW 1: YUKITO TSUKISHIRO**

**RYUICHI KANZAKI/AYA TERAMURA**: Wassup, all you teenhearts out there! This is THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL!

**RYUICHI: **First up, thank you for anticipating and showing your support for our movie, _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_! I'm Ryuichi Kanzaki, also known as "Hokuto Shinjo" in the movie.

**AYA: **And I'm Aya Teramura, playing "Kanna Tachibana," in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_. Ryuichi and I are here to give a special two-on-one interview with one of the awesome members of that mysterious pop rock band in the movie, known as The Cool Rascals!

**RYUICHI: **That's right, Aya-chan. In the first episode of THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL, we are here to have an exclusive convo with one of the more mature members of The Cool Rascals. Let's all give a big welcome to the Cool Rascals' bass player! Let's give it up for Yukito Tsukishiro! _(He and Aya applauded with cheers as the camera pans towards Yukito, sitting right across from the pair)_

**YUKITO TSUKISHIRO:** _(bows) _Thanks, thank you all for having me here!

**AYA:** So, as a start, why don't you tell our fellow teenhearts watching us right now a little more about yourself, Tsukishiro-san?

**YUKITO:** _(coughs softly)_ Ah, it's that time already, ha ha. Well, alright them. I'm Yukito Tsukishiro of Tomoeda. I live with my grandparents in a humble neighborhood. My parents died in a car accident when I was a kid but I'm glad that my grandparents were there to help raise and support me. My grandfather was a former college professor but he retired and is now currently opening one of Tomoeda's popular resturants, known as Mooncastle Diner. I just finished my Masters of Education and I do plan on becoming a teacher and a school administrator one day. I like music, reading, sleeping, and food. That's about it for now!

**RYUICHI:** Music, reading, sleeping, and food? You look really lanky for someone who loves food.

**YUKITO:** Ha ha, I have an insane metabolism that's all, heh heh…

**RYUICHI: **Well, anyway, first of all, how did you end up in The Cool Rascals?

**YUKITO:** _(chuckles)_ Well, actually I'm a replacement member of The Cool Rascals. The original member playing bass sadly moved out of town and couldn't continue on with the band. Since I live in the same neighborhood as the original members of the band, I volunteered to fill in the void. But here's a little secret. I'm actually the one who taught the original bass player of the band how to play it. When he moved out, Tomoyo-chan came up to me, asking me if I can be his replacement. Knowing I was the one who had been teaching him, I felt honored and joined the band.

**AYA:** How long have you been playing bass guitar? Or just got in to music altogether?

**YUKITO:** Oh, since I was a kid. Music is a major part in Tomoeda culture, so each kid born or raised in Tomoeda are required to take at least one type of music class. When we were in elementary, we all started getting in to music through singing and playing recorders and all of the Tomoeda elementary school kids were required to participate in the Tomoeda Children's Choir too.

**AYA:** Ah, a musical town! What was your reaction when you first learned that The Cool Rascals were chosen to be part of our movie?

**YUKITO:** Me? I was excited, of course! This is one of those once-in-a-blue moon opportunity and if you don't take a grasp of it, you'll never have another chance again. Plus, I only agreed for experience, you know? You see, next year, I'm getting married, so I guess you can say that being in a movie, even if I was just a cameo extra, would be one of the few things that I'm experiencing now as a single, curious young man, you kno?

**AYA:** _(gasps) _Oh that's so sweet! Congratulations on your engagement! So, how long have you and your fiancee been engaged for?

**YUKITO:** Well, I believe around three years now. Ah, it feels like forever, but that's alright. Ours is a very simple yet complicated relationship, but there's nothing wrong with taking things slow, ne? So, I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have the girl I love as my soon-to-be wife!

**RYUICHI:** _(he and Aya began to clap) _Oh man… I feel for you, Senpai. I wish I was an adult already so I can finally ask the girl of my dreams to marry me…

**AYA:** Eh? Who's that, Ryuichi-kun?

**RYUICHI:** Oi, this is about Tsukishiro-senpai, not about me!

**AYA:** Ahahahaha, right! _(turns to Yukito)_ So, do you have any wisdom to share with us younger generation?

**YUKITO:** Well, two things. When a huge and rewarding opportunity suddenly comes to you, don't ignore it, grab it and own it. But don't rush on things. It's always best to take it slow so you'll have a lot of time to think through things without panicking.

**RYUICHI:** I agree with you, Senpai! If you ever had a chance to enter showbiz, would you do it? I'm asking because you mentioned something about seizing an opportunity should the time finally came to you.

**YUKITO:** Well, that would depend on real life too, you know. I also gotta face reality as well.

_(Right at the camera, Terada makes a signal that their time is almost up.)_

**RYUICHI:** Wow, we sure branched out a lot from the questions we wanted to originally ask you, but that's okay. Thank you so much for having us interview you, Tsukishiro-san!

**YUKITO:** Thank you for having me, and I do hope that everyone watching would take the time to watch _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ and find me there! _(bows his head)_

**AYA:** And there you have, teensters! Next episode of THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL, new hot teen pairing Eriol Hiiragizawa and Meiling Li will be having their lovers' interview with The Cool Rascals' founding leader! Don't miss it!

**RYUICHI/AYA:** Thank you for watching! _(bows)_

At this point, Terada calls the cut and the three gave out sighs of relief. Those watching applauded. "Cut! That's perfect! Very natural! Ryuichi-kun, Aya-chan, looking great on camera as always. Tsukishiro-kun, you're a natural up there!"

The three thanked the director and the others as they take their seats. "Oh, the three of you will be staying together from this point. Go and see Taeko Kashii for the third portion of the screen test. Let's call the next group now!"

Toshifumi then called out the names: "Eriol-kun, Meiling-chan, and Tomoyo Daidouji, you're up!"

As Eriol and Meiling stood up, Tomoyo gave two thumbs up towards Sakura. "Just watch me and learn, then you'll do just fine, okay, Sakura?"

"I will! Have fun, Tomoyo!" She waved at her best friend as she headed out to the green screen.

Once they were in position, the screen test begins for Tomoyo.

#

**LOVERS' INTERVIEW 2: TOMOYO DAIDOUJI**

**ERIOL HIIRAGIZAWA/MEILING LI:** Hey hey teenhearts! It's time for THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL!

**ERIOL:** I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa, portraying the role of "Takeru Yamanaka" in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_.

**MEILING:** And I'm Meiling Li, playing the role of "Tomoko Domyouji" in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_.

**ERIOL:** We're now here on the second episode of THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL, where a pair of lovers from the movie has a chance to interview two-on-one on the freshly-discovered hidden gem of the Japanese countryside, and we're here to present to you the most hidden of all these hidden gems just for you!

**MEILING:** And here she is, boy teensters and girl teensters! Let's all welcome the very beautiful, multi-talented lead singer and captain of The Cool Rascals— Miss Tomoyo Daidouji! _(She and Eriol applauded, while Tomoyo joined in the applause as well)_

**TOMOYO:** Yay! Hi everyone! Good to meet you Hiiragizawa-kun and Li-chan!

**ERIOL:** _(chuckles)_ Just Eriol and Meiling are fine, Daidouji-san.

**TOMOYO:** Well, Tomoyo is fine too! _(laughter came from the audience)_

**MEILING:** Although we would normally ask Tomoyo to introduce herself, there's no need. For those who are keen with the fashion industry, Tomoyo's family name is no stranger to all the celebrity fashionistas far and wide out there! She isn't just the low-key lead singer of The Cool Rascals, she is also the future heiress to the prestigious fashion design empire, Daidouji Couture! Tell us more about your family and your thoughts about your legacy, Tomoyo!

**TOMOYO:** _(nods)_ Sure thing! Fashion and designing has been flowing in the family blood for generations and generations and… generations! _(chuckles)_ My dad is more of a businessman and his business promotes fashion and the arts in general. His main headquarters is in England so he works there, but more often when he can, he would come home to visit us. My mother, as many of you know already, is Sonomi Daidouji, the founder and designer of Daidouji Couture. She has a lot of inspirations flowing through her and all over her, ever since she was a kid. Although she looks like a high-class sophisticated businesswoman, she is actually a purebred country girl at heart. She was born and raised in Tomoeda, just like me, and even though her creations have reached far and wide around the world, she still finds Tomoeda her home. She spends more time in Tokyo of course, but whenever she gets in to a brand-new collection, she would isolate herself from the cities, come back home, and work on her newest creations in peace. Right now, she's also in charge of designing and making the costumes for the movie.

**ERIOL:** Now that we speak of your family, Tomoyo, let's talk more about you. You're the heiress to the Daidouji Couture but we actually haven't seen your designs.

**TOMOYO:** Ohohohoho! That's because for now, my fashion designs are low key that I only design and make clothes for my closest friends. Girls' clothing and guys' clothing, even clothing for the little doggies and kitties too! And I make clothes for Barbie dolls and plenty of kinds of ball-jointed dolls and all other dolls as well. I even make clothes for old raggedy dolls too!

**ERIOL:** So one day, you will give us a preview of your own designs then?

**TOMOYO:** But of course, dear Eriol! In fact, I'm also responsible for designing the clothes for The Cool Rascals band whenever we have concerts and live events. Of course, they're not finished yet. I'm saving those for the movie, so stay tuned for that!

**MEILING:** Wow, I can't wait for that! Now that we're talking about fashion, you're so multi-talented. I mean, you make clothes, you sing and write songs, I even heard that you rock in drawing and painting, and you're also good at filmmaking as well!

**TOMOYO:** Yup. My dad is a filmmaker himself so he does part-time directing of independent movies. I learned a trick or two about filmmaking myself and I got in to it too! But I'm more interested in documentaries than creative filmmaking like this one. Documentaries are easier to edit and interpret. I love to capture the real world, so to speak.

**ERIOL:** Of course. Well, maybe someday you'd let us watch some of your documentary films. What kind of documentaries do you speak of?

**TOMOYO:** Oh, anything! But since I'm a teenager now, my main interest is capturing daily lives and trends of fellow teens in Tomoeda and the neighboring towns. My mother's designs belong to the city and to the elite, so I find my fashion inspirations through watching local documentaries. That's it for now.

**MEILING:** Have you made any documentaries yet?

**TOMOYO:** Yup. I made five so far. Two of them were for school projects. The other two, just for treasured memories.

**ERIOL:** Maybe you should show them to us one day, Tomoyo.

**TOMOYO:** Uh huh, definitely!

**ERIOL:** So then, because you are a young jill of all trades, being a leader of a band and a budding fashion designer and a filmmaker as well. Which one of the three do you plan on pursuing more after high school?

**TOMOYO:** Well, I also plan on going to a college of the arts to pursue both music and filmmaking. Fashion designing, I can work as an intern at the Daidouji Couture, helping out my mom and of course, try to create my own line, you know? There's just plenty of choices and opportunities. And time goes by fast because I'm graduating high school in the spring next year.

**MEILING:** No matter which path you choose, Tomoyo, you already got plenty of connections to help you climb up your first baby steps to the working world, ne? You already have your parents, your friends, and now you got us!

**TOMOYO:** Aw, that's so sweet, Meiling! Thank you, all of you, for having The Cool Rascals be part of your movie! I'm so excited!

**ERIOL:** Well then, let's talk about the upcoming movie, _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_. I don't know if you had the chance to hear the summary of what the movie is about, but the theme of young love is very prominent in this movie. I'm sure being a teen yourself, do you have any thoughts or experiences regarding young love?

**TOMOYO:** _(nods)_ I have plenty, but here's an advice. Young love is not always perfect. You meet your first love but he's not necessarily the one you will be forever. I don't know about guys, but most girls always felt that their first love will be their last. I felt that way when I had my first love, but unfortunately, it wasn't the type of love that I expected. But I won't get in to that, it's just too painful to talk about. I guess that's why our latest songs so far are all depressing breakup songs, you know? It's a part of the process of me getting over a broken heart.

**MEILING:** But even so, do you believe that you may find a new love that will sure last longer? Even forever?

**TOMOYO:** Of course, I do. But right now, seeing my friends in love and being with the ones they love is what's making me happy at the moment. One day, I will find a new love of my own too. I mean, it could be anybody… he's just… out there somewhere…

**MEILING:** And I agree! And for all we know, he could be the one sitting right across from you!

**ERIOL:** Meiling! _(At that moment, he and Tomoyo began to blush a bit)_

**MEILING:** Just an example, Eriol! _(giggles)_ What do you think, Tomoyo?

**TOMOYO:** Eheh… well… God would only know that… right?

_(They receive a signal from Terada that their time is almost up.)_

**ERIOL:** Oh, we're running out of time already! But no worries, everyone! You'll get to see more of Tomoyo in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_, so don't forget!

**TOMOYO:** _(waves)_ Definitely! Watch out for The Cool Rascals making their debut appearance at _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_!

**MEILING:** Till then, thank you for watching and see you later, teenhearts!

"And cut! That's a wrap!" Everyone present applauded and cheered.

"Wow!" Sakura cheered and whistled. "You look so good up there, Tomoyo! I mean, you have serious star quality!"

Tomoyo arrived and then embraced her best friend. "Whew, I thought I was gonna mess things up there!"

"You really shined up there, Tomoyo," Yamazaki said. "That's what band leaders should be like!"

"Thanks, guys!"

Eriol and Meiling arrived at their spot. "Wow, you're a natural, Tomoyo!" Meiling chuckled. "You have better PR skills than I do!"

"Aw, it was nothing, Meiling," Tomoyo grinned. "Besides, I know you two already so it's easy for me to just… naturally talk to you guys!"

"Seriously though," Eriol said, "that was a wonderful job there."

"Say," Tomoyo grinned and turned to Meiling. "What's that about finding my new love that it could be someone who's already sitting across from me?"

"That's right, Meiling," Eriol lowered his tone. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, that?" Meiling smirked. "Nothing! Nothing!" Quickly she dashed away from them.

"We're not finished with you yet, Meiling! Come back here!" Eriol followed her from behind, with Tomoyo shrugging her shoulders.

"Looks like it's your turn now, Yamazaki. Good luck!" Tomoyo patted Yamazaki on the shoulder. "And you, Sakura, I hope you watched carefully. You'll do fine." She gave a soft slap on Sakura's shoulder as he headed to the other side of the bleachers.

Toshifumi called out the next group. "Well then, you know you're next: Sakuya Tendou and Erika Handa. Let's go!"

Yamazaki turned his head towards Sakura and Touya. "Welp. My turn now. See you guys later."

Touya simply gave him a thumbs up while Sakura cheered for her friend. "Good luck, Yamazaki! Be sure you speak the truth and nothing but the truth, okay?"

"Ha ha, very funny, Sakura."

#

**LOVERS' INTERVIEW 3: TAKASHI YAMAZAKI**

**SAKUYA TENDOU/ERIKA HANDA:** Yo-hooo~! How's it going, teensters? It's that time again— Welcome to THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL!

**SAKUYA:** This is the third episode of THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL and we're happy and honored to be the interviewers for this third episode. I'm Sakuya Tendou and I play "Tatewaki Hibiki" in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf._

**ERIKA:** I'm Erika Handa, also known as "Nanako Matsumura" in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf._

**SAKUYA:** Obviously we're counting down to giving a two-to-one interview with that awesomest cool band we keep on seeing throughout _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_— The Cool Rascals! We'll give you a little previous summary of who we interviewed for the last two episodes in case this would be the first time you're watching this segment.

**ERIKA:** On our first episode, we had the ultra-cool real-life couple Ryuichi Kanzaki and Aya Teramura interviewing the really cool bass player Yukito Tsukishiro. Then the last episode, the second episode, the ever-so-hot and popular Eriol Hiiragizawa and Meiling Li take on the lead singer and captain of The Cool Rascals, Tomoyo Daidouji!

**SAKUYA:** So that's two down and here we are, Erika-chan. We're about to interview yet another Cool Rascal. Who could it be?

**ERIKA:** Well, that's why we're here for, Saku-chan, so we can introduce our next Cool Rascal to our fellow teensters tuning in right now!

**SAKUYA:** Yup. Alrighty, let's not prolong our lovey-dovey randomness, Erika-chan, because here he is with us right now. Let's all give a big welcome to the lead guitarist of The Cool Rascals— Takashi Yamazaki!

**ERIKA:** Yay! _(she and Sakuya applauded cheerfully)_

**TAKASHI:** _(gives a two-finger salute)_ Yo! Yamazaki here. Good to meet y'all.

**SAKUYA:** We were told that you're one of the founding members of The Cool Rascals along with the lovely and the multi-talented Tomoyo Daidouji. Please tell us more about yourself and of course, the band.

**TAKASHI:** _(grinning) _Why sure, Tendou-kun, Handa-chan! I'm Takashi Yamazaki, age seventeen going on eighteen this November and I was born and raised in Tomoeda. I like music and reading and watching documentaries and spots. I'm currently the student council president of Tomoeda High School— my second and final year of course. I'm thinking of entering law or politics when I get to college, but it's only July, so I got plenty of time to decide about that later. I'm also the most popular guy in this side of Tomoeda. Everyday I get chocolates and love letters and other funky-looking cards from girls here and there. One time, Tomoyo-chan actually gave me a box of chocolates—

**ERIKA:** _(clearly coughs)_ Well! I'm sure you really do have a high reputation of being the ladies man!

**TAKASHI:** _(immediately he could see Sakura and Tomoyo glaring at him and then sighed)_ I was just kidding on the last part. I'm just a student council president and I'm a member of the soccer team and track and field. I'm not really a ladies' man. That's actually my best friend when we were in elementary. Man I envy him so much.

**SAKUYA:** _(blinks in confusion)_ Ah. Right. So, anyway, Yamazaki-kun, how did you and Daidouji come up with The Cool Rascals?

**TAKASHI:** _(clears his throat)_ Seriously, this time, I'm not making things up. Well, we were still back at elementary when we decided we would make a band. You know, just a local band. See, every year back at elementary we would always have yearly talent shows and that each of us are required to perform. Most of us could sing since we're all required to be in the Tomoeda Children's Choir, but the talent show gives us the opportunity to showcase some of our other talents, you know? When we were seven-years-old, we had this idea when we were watching some music videos of J-Rock bands on TV at one time and then we decided that we can be a band as our first gig at the talent show. There were four of us back then: Daidouji, Kinomoto— well, Sakura Kinomoto obviously, and another good friend of ours who used to live here in Tomoeda.

**ERIKA:** Oh I see. So, I guess Tsukishiro-san was right about him being a replacement member.

**TAKASHI:** The lineup used to be like this. I actually played the drums first. Our old friend was playing bass. Sakura-chan was actually our lead guitarist back then. Daidouji was our keyboardist then. We just called ourselves the 2-B Band since we were all from Class 2-B. We didn't come up with The Cool Rascals name until we got to third grade.

**SAKUYA:** Third grade, huh? So how'd you guys come up with the name "The Cool Rascals"?

**TAKASHI:** Hahahahaha, I was a genius then, of course. We needed an awesome band name that would make other kids remember us, so I came up with the name "The Cool Rascals"!

**ERIKA:** So you came up with the name, Yamazaki-kun?

**TAKASHI:** _(once again, he noticed Sakura and Tomoyo glaring at him again)_ I was just kidding. Our other friend came up with the name "The Cool Rascals."

**SAKUYA:** Ah, so your other friend, the original bass player of the band, actually came up with the name? Man, this other person must be a very important member of your band. Too bad he had to move…

**TAKASHI:** Well, he actually came up with the name randomly. See, he had four older sisters— quadruplets to be exact— and one of them was reading a book called _Rascals of the Wild_ and another sister was watching some random J-Rock music video on TV. At that time, he was doing his homework and he was getting distracted because his sister kept on yelling "cool" in English several times towards that J-Rock band. Her other sister who was reading that book made a comment. She said something in the lines of "Man, they're such cool rascals!" Right then, he got those words from his sisters and then suggested the name to us. We all unanimously approved, therefore, we are now known as The Cool Rascals.

**ERIKA:** Aw, what a wonderful story, Yamazaki-kun! Would've been really nice if we also had a chance to meet with the original bass player of your band, you know?

**TAKASHI:** Man, you guys should meet him big time! I gotta say this though. Li-kun really reminds me a lot of our missing friend.

**SAKUYA:** Li-kun… you mean Li Xiaolang?

**TAKASHI:** Yup, Li Xiaolang. I mean I've seen him on TV several times since my girlfriend is a major fan of his, but when we first saw him in real life, I was like "Dude, that Li Xiaolang reminds me of my best friend who used to live in our town! Maaaan!"

**ERIKA:** I know this may be some kind of a trivia for you, Yamazaki, but Li Xiaolang also plays the guitar in his spare time. Of course, I don't really know if it's regular guitar or a bass guitar…

**TAKASHI:** Really? That's awesome! He should play the guitar with us one day, you know, sample sample.

**SAKUYA:** Well, we'll have to ask him for that. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. _(he cleared his throat again)_ Well then, let's all move on to the next question. Somehow you had a rather shocked expression when you heard that Ryuichi Kanzaki and Aya Teramura are a real-life copule, ne?

**ERIKA:** Well, Sakuya and I are also a real-life couple too!

**TAKASHI:** _(gasps)_ Well I'll be! Could've fooled me!

**SAKUYA:** And you mentioned something about having a girlfriend?

**TAKASHI:** _(nods)_ Yup! You all heard it. Yes, I do have a girlfriend. That's no lie.

**ERIKA:** You also mentioned that your girlfriend is a huge fan of Li Xiaolang, is that correct?

**TAKASHI:** Yep. She's actually the president of the Tomoeda branch of the Wolfpups or something like that.

**ERIKA:** Oh my! The Wolfpups are the official Li Xiaolang fanclub! Your girlfriend is the president? How can you cope with her being the president of a fanclub for a guy who's way heaps more handsome and more popular than you?

**TAKASHI:** Well, we've been officially dating since late elementary and then middle school and I guess we just couldn't separate ourselves from each other no matter what. I mean at first I was a little jealous that she'd spend all the time and at times, money, just for her to get closer to her idol?

**SAKUYA:** And yet you're the one who seems to be getting closer to your girlfriend's idol than your girlfriend by being a part of the _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ cast of cameos. Isn't that ironic, don't you think, Yamazaki-kun?

**TAKASHI:** Hahahaha, well, you know… I guess I have more charm than she does. Besides, it's better I become friends with the guy than actually picking a fight on him so he wouldn't go near my girlfriend, you know?

**ERIKA:** Wow, you really are dedicated. I know most guys would just break up with their girlfriends who are obsessed fangirls, but you're different.

**TAKASHI:** We have our differences, but then, I don't need to have a specific reason to be in love with her, you know? All I know is… I really love her very much.

**ERIKA:** Awww… you really make me cry…

_At this point, the couple found Terada signaling them that they're almost out of time._

**SAKUYA:** I'd like to ask a few more questions, but it seems we're running out of time.

**TAKASHI:** Awww, maybe next time, ne? There's always plenty of time!

**ERIKA:** Thank you for letting us interview you, Yamazaki-kun, it's been awesome hanging out with you like this!

**TAKASHI:** No problem, yo. I told ya I'm lovable!

**SAKUYA:** _(to the camera)_ Now that we're out of time, it's time for us to let you know that we've got two more interviews left to wrap up THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL!

**ERIKA:** That's right, so stay tuned for yet another exciting interview with another Cool Rascal! On behalf of THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL, I'm Erika Handa.

**SAKUYA:** And I'm Sakuya Tendou, we're signing off right now. Thank you for tuning in!

**TAKASHI:** _(waves)_ Thanks for showing us some love! You really do love me!

"And cut!" Terada clapped his hands, while the others give a round of applause. "Awesome job, you three. Yamazaki, you look very comfortable in front of the camera. That's what I like to see!"

Yamazaki winked. "Thanks, Director! I guess I'm a natural too!"

"Indeed you are, Yamazaki! Well, off you go with Handa and Tendou now at the other bench!"

"Yessir!" Yamazaki saluted again. Before he headed to the other set of bleachers, he passed by the Kinomoto Siblings and gave each other hi-fives.

"You actually rocked that interview, kid," Touya made a compliment.

"Heh, now it's your time to rock yours, Senpai!" Yamazaki grinned.

"I really envy you and your interviewing skills, Yamazaki," Sakura gasped. "Oh I wish I wouldn't be so nervous…"

"Eh, you'll be fine. Besides, it's Li who will be interviewing you. And you and Li really like each other, ne?"

"Hoe…" Sakura sighed as Yamazaki headed his way to the other side with his couple, waving at the Kinomotos.

Toshifumi then called the next couple. "Alright, second to the last, the fourth interview: Kotaro Ninomiya and Michiyo Kuno. You're up!" He then turned to the Kinomoto Siblings. "Your turn up the green screen, Touya-kun."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know." Touya shrugged as he stood up, heading his way to the green screen.

Meanwhile at the other side, as Yamazaki was about to sit down at his spot, he felt his collar being grabbed by someone from behind. "O-oi, what gives?" He then turned his head and found Syaoran staring at him. "Whoa! Li!"

"Hey, sit with me for a bit…" Syaoran patted to the space next to him.

"Sure thing. What's up?" Yamazaki took the space next to the amber-eyed idol.

Syaoran then turned to Mai, who had been helping herself by clinging around his arm. "Hey. Hirashiki. Wake up."

Mai gasped. "Wh-what? What?"

"Do you mind? I need to talk to Yamazaki."

"Huh? What do you mean?'

"As in— leave?"

"But we're partners in this one!"

"This is a personal matter between me and Yamazaki, so don't make me raise my voice."

"Alright, alright… I'm going… I'm going…" Mai stood up and moved all the way at the end of the bleachers row so she would not be able to hear the boys talking.

Syaoran turned to Yamazaki. "Tell me something, Yamazaki…"

"Yeah? What's going on, Li?"

"When you guys were talking about how you got the name Cool Rascals… and how Handa said that I play the guitar…"

"Yeah? What? They're lying?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that… well… I learned how to play both acoustic and bass guitar. Someone taught me how to play bass guitar too… it was by a neighbor, but…"

Yamazaki's eyes widened in shock. "Li…" At this point, Syaoran lowered his head with his hands grabbing both his sides. "What's the matter, dude?"

"I…" Suddenly he stood up with his hand on his forehead. "Let me… let me go to the restroom to freshen up a bit. I'll be back before it's my turn to interview."

"You want me to go with you, dude?"

"No, I'll be fine. Tendou and Handa need you right now, so be with them. Um… let's talk about this later."

"S-sure, Li." Syaoran excused himself and headed to the restroom.

#

**LOVERS' INTERVIEW 4: TOUYA KINOMOTO**

**KOTARO NIMOMIYA/MICHIYO KUNO:** O-ha~! Welcome back to THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL!

**MICHIYO: **Kota-chan and I are so excited that it's our turn to be the hosts and interviewers of the fourth episode of THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL— a _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ exclusive! I'm Michiyo Kuno, also known as "Chisato You" in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf!_

**KOTARO:** And I'm Kotaro Ninomiya, also known as "Masaya Hasegawa" in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_. In the past three episodes, the three couples before us introduced the first three members of the rockin' cool band in the movie, The Cool Rascals. Now we'll be introducing yet another one!

**MICHIYO:** So, without further ado, let's now meet and get up close and personal with electrifying drummer of The Cool Rascals!

**KOTARO:** Let's all welcome and give a hand to the Cool Rascals' real rascal, Touya Kinomoto! _(a loud applause roared right there)_

**TOUYA:** _(lifts his head as his way of greeting the masses)_ 'Sup?

**KOTARO:** I hope you didn't get offended when I said that you're the real rascal of The Cool Rascals.

**TOUYA:** _(shrugs his shoulders)_ Nah. 'Sall good.

**KOTARO:** Word on the street's been spreading through the movie cast and crew about your reputation throughout Tomoeda. Is it true that you're possibly the most notorious man as the townsfolk has made you to be?

**TOUYA:** _(began to contemplate in silence, then answered a few moments later)_ Dunno. Depends.

**MICHIYO:** Well, whatever it is that you've been doing that made you earn that kind of reputation, I'm sure there's gotta be for the greater good.

**TOUYA:** Heh. Greater good, alright.

**KOTARO:** It seems that you have a very contrasting attitude compared to the rest of your fellow band members. Was that intentional for the sake of the band's reputation or you just happen to be like that?

**TOUYA:** _(raises an eyebrow)_ What are you saying, we're out looking for fame? We're happy being where we are right now. Hell everyone should be thankful that we exist to uplift your lonely hearts through music. I'm just different from the rest, that's all.

**MICHIYO:** Well then! _(chuckles nervously)_ Let's move on, shall we? _(clears her throat)_ Ne, Touya-san, when did you start playing the drums?

**TOUYA:** _(sighs in relief)_ Now that I'm cool talking about. I gotta admit first that I ain't the nicest guy around. Hell, everyone else thinks so too, even my dad and my sister, but 'sall good. My parents, especially my mom, really loved music no matter how soothing or garbage they may sound like. Aside from requiring to be in the Tomoeda Children's Choir though, all the guys are also required to learn an instrument. Sure, I get good grades and all that and I worked real hard to get those good grades, but for some reason I just don't get along much with some of the teachers and the rest of the kids. Our music teacher even wrote me off as being a "problem child" because I often get in to fights with other kids just because they're being lame dweebs and for the first time I was sent to the principal's office and got in trouble by the parents. Then my mom suggested that I should play the drums as my instrument because she thinks it'd help me control my stress. I can bash and beat the drums as loud as I can, a lot safer than beating up some random kid. And yeah, eventually, I got good at it.

**KOTARO:** So you came from a musical family?

**TOUYA:** Yeah, I guess you could say that. My dad plays the violin and the piano. My mom played the flute and the piano. They both hired a piano teacher to teach me and my sister how to pay the piano and then discover our secondary instruments if we wanted so we could be like our parents. The drums are my secondary, my sister's secondary was guitar. We were a really happy, run-of-the-mill simple family, you know? My dad is a professor in the university, my mom was a part-time model and a writer, but when she got pregnant with me she gave up being a model and just concentrated being a writer so she can also be a housewife and a mother while I was growing up. We were really happy as one complete family….

**MICHIYO:** "Were"… you kept saying "were" when you mention your mother… what happened to your mother?

**TOUYA:** Well, she died three years after my sister was born. She wasn't exactly completely healthy, you know. She had this chronic disease that she was diagnosed when she was a child and she was really frail and weak physically. Still, she had so much power to sacrifice herself just to have me and my sister. My father didn't care how weak she was because he loved her even though he already knew that she wouldn't last as long as we would like. Who would have thought that she would die so soon? Since then, things are a whole lot more difficult and different, but even so we still retained our happiness as a family.

**KOTARO:** Wow… that's just… deep, man… _(changes the subject) _Well, let's move on, shall we?

**TOUYA:** Sure thing.

**KOTARO:** So, according from the previous interview with Yamazaki, he said that originally they were a four member band. How did you come in to the picture?

**TOUYA:** Simple. They needed a drummer. Since Daidouji was our main attraction of the band it was wise for her to be a lead singer without playing the instruments. Yamazaki knew how to play guitar so he took over. My sister had no choice but to be a keyboardist since no one else among the guys can play the keyboards. And with that, they had no drummer, so my sister asked me to be their new drummer. We became a five-member band then and we've been playing together ever since.

**MICHIYO:** That's amazing. And you guys have gone a long way! I'm rather curious though. Tsukishiro-san said that he's engaged. Yamazaki said that he has a girlfriend. What about you?

**TOUYA:** _(snickers) _Heh, they ain't the only ones who have a love of their own. I'm engaged also to the most wonderful woman all of Tomoeda has ever seen.

**KOTARO:** Ah, so all three of you are taken! Good for you!

**MICHIYO:** Tomoyo-chan recently broke up with her boyfriend. What about your sister, Sakura-chan?

**TOUYA:** _(shrugs)_ Never had a boyfriend as far as I know of. Although what's embarrassing was that she kept talking about how much she misses her childhood buddy that she even claimed that he was her first love or something weird like that. Well, I dunno how to say this. I guess love comes in different shapes and sizes.

**KOTARO:** And is it true that you're just getting in to random fights with other guys just so you can keep them away from your sister?

**TOUYA:** What? It ain't like that, man. I have a responsibility as the only son and the older child. I have the obligation to protect my family and our family name, especially Sakura. Sure, she may not look all that, I mean she can't pass on for being a beauty queen but she still is very important to me. I ain't letting some turd getting near her and then hurt her in any other way.

**MICHIYO:** _(chuckles)_ But Touya-san, how would Sakura ever get a boyfriend with you acting as her bodyguard?

**TOUYA:** Feh! The sad part about dudes in Tomoeda is that most of them are a bunch of gutless wimps. They see me standing next to Sakura, they start cowering around like a bunch of headless chickens. Any dude who dares face me and actually ain't afraid of me… sure, I may consider it…

**KOTARO:** _(laughs) _Whoa, dude! Is that a global challenge? You'd approve of the guy if they stand up against you and actually beat you?

**TOUYA:** Yeah that's right. Some dweebs are just all talk but no walk if ya know what I mean.

**KOTARO:** Now that we're on a subject, let me ask you this question. This is just a what-if, okay? What if it's someone famous… say… a celebrity… like me, for example… falls in love with your sister and then wants her to be his girlfriend? What would you say?

**TOUYA:** Fame don't make no difference to me. As long as he devotes his life to Sakura, cares for her, loves her, maybe even more than my father and I would, then… yeah. I approve.

**MICHIYO:** Wow, so courageous! You act more like the father if you ask me! What does your fiancee say about all this?

**TOUYA:** She understands, but sometimes I get out of control. When that happens, she would be there to stop me. I couldn't ask for anyone more than her being my future wife. But yeah… I know… I really have to learn to let go once Sakura finds herself the right man for her.

_At that time, Terada signals them that time is almost out._

**KOTARO:** Thanks for letting us hang out with you, Touya-san. Unfortunately we're running out of time. But you're a really cool guy to hang out with, believe it or not.

**MICHIYO:** I wish I had a brother like you, Touya-san. I have two older brothers in real life but both of them are a bunch of unreliable losers who only care about themselves and their girlfriends than with their little sister.

**TOUYA:** _(shrugs)_ It's cool.

**KOTARO:** Well then now, on the next and final episode of THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL… well… who else?

**MICHIYO:** Sorry, no spoilers. Guess we'll just let you wait until the final episode is finally here!

**KOTARO:** Thank you for joining us and let's all watch together the final episode of THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL next time!

**MICHIYO:** Thank you for tuning in. See you around teenhearts!

"And cut! Great job!" More applause came through as the three stepped out of the green screen. Terada turned to Touya and made his comments. "Touya-kun, you sure are a man of little words, aren't you?"

Touya shrugged. "Just speaking the truth you know."

"You could be a bit more expressive and enthusiastic there, Touya-kun, but I guess you being sullen like that is just a part of your persona within the band."

"Eh. I guess you could do that."

"Now, I know you must hate singing, but it's all for the third portion of the screen test that all five of you are required to sing something."

"Hey, as long as I get paid, sure thing. I'll sing." Touya shrugged.

"Good. Now go over there with your couples so we can finally wrap up this second portion of the screen test." Terada began to look around knowing someone was missing. "Where on earth is Xiaolang?"

Right then, they heard the door open and Syaoran entered with a cup of tea. "Sorry, I had to step out, everyone. I was having a migraine…"

"Oh boy," Terada sighed. "It's that time again, ne?"

"No worries, Director," Syaoran smiled. "This tea really works wonders. Daidouji-san's maids were kind enough to suggest me a much healthier alternative than aspirin."

"Good then. You and Hirashiki are the last ones to go. You all know what to do."

Syaoran nodded. "Right, Director." He took a few sips of the tea and then turned to the other two. "Hirashiki, Sakura, let's go."

The two girls stood with Sakura looking slightly nervous. Mai, on the other hand, whispered closely to her partner. "Um, I'm curious, I mean you don't normally call anyone by first name except for your closest friends, but… why are you calling green eyes by her first name?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "There's another Kinomoto in the same room, remember? He just had his interview a few moments ago."

"Oh! Right. Right." Mai gave a slight frown, not because of the fact that the stranger was more special to him than she was, but more of the fact that the handsome partner just humiliated her right then.

#

**LOVERS' INTERVIEW FINAL: SAKURA KINOMOTO**

**LI XIAOLANG: **_Ni hao ma! _That means hello there, teenhearts!

**MAI HIRASHIKI:** We're here! We're here— the very final episode of THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL! We finally made it! Yay! _(she and Syaoran applaud)_

**SYAORAN:** Before we proceeded with our final interview of this really cool five-part mini-series, let's start off with the previous highlights from the beginning to the end. I'm Li Xiaolang, or if you prefer, "Hinata Chiiro," in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_.

**MAI:** And I'm Mai Hirashiki, also known as "Sakura Kumamoto," in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_! If you have just tuned in, here are the highlights. At the first episode, we had Ryuichi Kanzaki and Aya Teramura interviewing The Cool Rascals' bass man, Yukito Tsukishiro!

**SYAORAN:** In the second episode, we had Eriol Hiiragizawa and Meiling Li interview the captain and lead singer of The Cool Rascals, Tomoyo Daidouji!

**MAI:** And on the third episode, we had Sakuya Tendo and Erika Handa taking on the band's lead guitarist, Takashi Yamazaki!

**SYAORAN:** And in the last episodes, we had Kotaro Ninomiya and Michiyo Kuno take on the elder Kinomoto, drummer Touya Kinomoto!

**MAI:** Now it's the main attraction couple will now take on another Kinomoto— the one we call Kinomoto the Younger!

**SYAORAN:** Alright let's get the ball going! Every teensters out there, let's all welcome and give a big hand to The Cool Rascals' cute keyboardist— Sakura Kinomoto! _(applause came)_

**SAKURA:** _(bows humbly) _Hello, everyone! Thank you for having me!

**MAI:** You know, first of all, I gotta say that it's a bit of a coincidence. You almost have the same name as my character, except the spellings of the surnames are a little different, but still. I know this may be a dumb question, but wha's the story behind your name?

**SAKURA:** Hoe? _(laughter came while giving a rather puzzled look)_ Oh! My name. Right. _(she cleared her throat and swallowed in nervousness)_ You see, my mother wanted to have her daughters to have names of flowers, just like how her name is that of a flower. And I was born on April 1st, so yeah, that's why my name is Sakura.

**SYAORAN:** Ah, makes sense. April is when all of the cherry blossom trees around the world are in full bloom. That's really cool.

**SAKURA:** _(nervously chuckles) _Hehe… yeah, something like that!

**MAI:** I would ask how long you've been in to music but I heard about this requirement about being in the Tomoeda Children's Choir, so I won't ask about that. I heard that you also have a secondary instrument that you play aside from the keyboard.

**SAKURA:** I used to play lead guitar when we first started. I taught myself how to play it. My brother and I would perform music sometimes to entertain my dad and his colleagues whenever they have research sessions and stuff. He would play the piano and I would play the guitar. I tried learning how to play the drums but it's hard when there's no melody to play, you know? Just beats.

**MAI:** Ah, I see. You seem to be the opposite of your brother. You're a whole lot more… outspoken. He seems to be a man of little words.

**SAKURA:** Hahaha, yeah, everyone says that. But I think he's only like that because he wants to remain the coolest guy in town, you know? But once he gets married next year, he won't be that coolest guy anymore, hehe!

**MAI:** _(she gave a soft cough and then changed the subject)_ So, we're being told by the locals that you're a girl who holds a record of almost everything!

**SAKURA:** Hehe, I don't know if I would call it that way…

**MAI:** Well, for starters, you're known by your fellow peers for being the most athletic girl in town. You have been in the cheerleading squad since elementary school and you were also a member of the track and field team, the softball team, the soccer team, the volleyball team, and even the basketball team.

**SAKURA:** And I was also a part of the Hip-Hop troupe too! _(grins)_

**MAI:** _(curious)_ Hip-hop troupe?

**SAKURA:** Yup! Well, I can't break but you know, just some smooth, swag steps that would help the cheerleading squad come up with their own dance routines, heh. But I really like doing really cool and smooth dance moves. Not always graceful, but you know, just right!

**SYAORAN:** That's amazing, Sakura-chan!

**MAI:** For such a fragile-looking delicate girl like you, where on earth do you get all that energy?

**SAKURA:** _(starts to contemplate to herself. While in that mode, she noticed Touya glaring at her and at that time, Sonomi Daidouji entered the studio and is greeted by Taeko Kashii. They sat together at the empty right bleachers together to watch the screen test)_ Well… how do I put this…?

**SYAORAN:** Take your time, Sakura-chan.

**SAKURA:** _(gently scratches her right temple)_ You see… erm… Dad and my brother kept reminding me that… um… I should be my own person. Sweet like Mom but completely different. Dad said that Mom promised him and Oniichan that when I get older, I should grow up to be Sakura Kinomoto. She didn't want other people to compare me to my mom in terms of… similarities. For sure, Dad knew that I was gonna look just like Mom when I grow up, but at the same time he and Oniichan would never allow anyone to have any expectations that just because I'm Nadeshiko Amamiya Kinomoto's daughter, that doesn't mean that I should be just like her.

**MAI:** _(raises an eyebrow)_ Um, that isn't exactly what my question—

**SYAORAN:** _(interrupting Mai)_ Go on, Sakura-chan.

**SAKURA:** _(blinks)_ Hoe? Oh right. Whenever I see something interesting and new to me, I always wanted to try it out. Dad and Oniichan would normally let me. Thanks to Dad's encouragement to always stay healthy and Oniichan's love for soccer, I grew to love sports. I got in to various types of sports: basketball, baseball, volleyball, soccer, track and field, cross country running, dancing, oh, and my very special best friend who used to live next door to me also taught me a bit of martial arts and Tai Chi too! And because of my new-found love of sports, whenever I see something daring and adventurous, I just couldn't help myself! It's a good thing too! Thank God!

**SYAORAN:** Oh? Why do you say that?

**SAKURA:** _(falls silent at first and then gazes at Touya again, hoping he would at least give her permission to talk about an issue that was becoming too personal. Few seconds later, Touya just gave her a nod.)_ You see, my mom was born with a rare chronic disease with no cure but she did her best to stay alive as much as she can. I was around three or four when my mother died so I don't really remember much about her. But at home, there's always photos of mom all over the place. Dad would always change them every morning. She was so beautiful but she was so fragile and delicate and was really weak. Whenever I think of mom, sometimes I couldn't help myself but shed a few tears, you know? I mean, thinking of all the things she had to go through… not being able to do any strenuous athletic activities and then… giving birth to two children and… _(At this point, she also spotted Sonomi and Taeko with facial tissues in their hands. The two gently wiped off the tears that were falling from their eyes. On the other side, Touya's head was lowered, not showing his face towards her. At this point she knew that her brother was also shedding tears himself)_

**SYAORAN:** _(from out of the blue, reaches inside his pocket, where he reveals a small pack of facial tissues. He hands one to her)_ It's okay. You don't have to continue if you don't want to. We can talk about something else.

**SAKURA:** _(gently smiles as she dabs the facial tissue on her cheeks and eyes)_ I… I don't mind at all, Li-kun.

**SYAORAN:** I'd really appreciate it if you call me Xiaolang, Sakura-chan.

**SAKURA:** _(nervous chuckle) _S-sure… Xiaolang-kun…

**MAI:** _(smiles)_ Yes, no need to be formal after all, ne Xiaolang-kun?

**SYAORAN:** _(shifts his eyes towards Mai)_ You may call me Li, Hirashiki-san.

**MAI:** _(frowns)_ How mean…

**SYAORAN:** Anyway. Please, go on, Sakura-chan.

**SAKURA:** _(nods) _Okay! Well… you know, Dad reminded Oniichan and me that even though Mom is no longer with us, it still is a wonderful blessing that she was able to bear the two of us to this world. Best of all, both of us were born with no inherited genes related to her sickness and that both of us are perfectly healthy. This was our chance to grow stronger and more active, both inside and out. It was one of Mom's final wishes to Dad. So, that's why even though I have my mother's face, I have strength, courage, and energy that I developed on my own, not inherited. _(she then turns towards Mai, still with a smile on her face)_ I hope this answers your question as to where I get my energy from, Hirashiki-san.

**MAI:** _(blink in surprise)_ Y-yes… it did… th-thank you…

**SYAORAN:** You and your family seem to have a way with sentimental objects around the house. Like for example, you see a different photo of your mother on display every morning, thanks to your father.

**MAI:** _(gasps)_ Hey, you're right. It's almost similar to my character in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_! Which brings me to my next question!

**SAKURA:** _(nervous laugh) _Eheh… sure thing! I don't know how similar a fictional character could be with me, but okay..

**MAI:** Well, my character has a special stuffed animal that is the only reminder of her one true love, which is Hinata-kun, played by Li-kun, as you know. You know, maybe I'm just being real but I'm quite surprised that I'm playing a character who relies heavily too much on stuffed toys that were given to them by their childhood love in hopes that he would finally return to her and be with her forever. I mean sure, it's fiction, but then… who comes up with these silly things? Anyway, my question is, do you believe in miracles… such as your long lost true love finally returning to you?

**SAKURA:** _(feels rather offended at the stuffed toys statement but decided to ignore it)_ I believe in any kind of miracle no matter what they may be. And… I don't think clinging on to a gift that your childhood love has given to you is silly at all. Well… I don't think that way…

**MAI:** Oh? Why do you think it's not silly?

**SAKURA:** Because I have a special gift that I always cling on to because it's the only memory that I have of my childhood love! _(just as she realized what she answered, she quickly covered her mouth. She then noticed Touya shaking his head while the rest watching gave mixed reactions)_ Um… ignore that!

**MAI:** _(gasps)_ So… you are in love with someone… a local boy…?

**SYAORAN:** _(interrupts)_ Hirashiki, I think that's a little too personal…

**SAKURA:** _(shakes her head)_ No, it's okay Li— Xiaolang-kun. If… if this would get his attention then… sure… I'll tell you more about him…

**SYAORAN:** _(concerned look)_ Sakura-chan…

**SAKURA:** _(smiles at Syaoran)_ It's alright, Xiaolang-kun. _(nods, then gazing at Touya, her brother shrugs his shoulders, signaling her to just say whatever she wanted)_ He used to be my next-door neighbor and he was the only son and heir to a very powerful family clan who used to live here in Tomoeda. They're so powerful, even Tomoyo's family only comes second in the Tomoeda elite, you know? Heh… Also… He's tall… he's got really deep, rich eyes like amber… and he's got rich mocha hair and… he's got this really intense gaze that would really kill you. If you're a girl, you would drown in the invisible sea of love when he gazes at you. If you're a guy, you would find yourself choking and losing your breath because normally his eyes would mean death if he stares that long… _(laughter came from the audience)_

**SYAORAN:** And then…?

**MAI:** _(gasps) _Li-kun, I don't think Sakura-san has enough time to describe her childhood boyfriend to the rest of us because we really are out of time…

**SYAORAN:** _(glares at Mai)_ She's describing her childhood love to us, Hirashiki. I'm sure there are people who are interested. _I'm _interested.

**MAI:** _(rolls eyes)_ Sure. Whatever.

**SYAORAN:** _(turning to Sakura)_ Please go on.

**SAKURA:** _(blinks)_ Hoe? Are you sure? I don't want to bore everyone with my silly childhood stories… _(tightens her fists and continued on) _Bu I wanna tell everyone this! My shou-ookami is not an imaginary friend or anything, okay? He's very real! And he gave me my adorable "Chiirou" bear as a special gift before he had to move back home to Hong Kong! My friends— the entire Cool Rascals band— can attest to everything I've said about my Chiirou! Just ask them— even my older brother Touya even if he hates his guts! What my fellow band members said about the original formation of our band! He was the one who came up with the "Cool Rascals" name. He was also gonna be our original bass player instead of Yukito-senpai if he didn't have to move back home to his country… and… he was the boy next door whom I really love with all my heart!

**SYAORAN:** _(gave a soft gasp and felt a slightly sharp pain on his head while the others watching gave mixed commotion)_ S-say that… again?

**SAKURA:** _(blinks) _Hoe? S-say what again…?

**SYAORAN:** _Shou-ookami_? "Little Wolf"?

**MAI:** _(becoming curious)_ What are you two talking about now?

**SAKURA:** _(nods)_ Y-yeah! You're right, Xiaolang! Shou-ookami… and Chiirou…

**SYAORAN:** _(softly mutters) _Both mean "little wolf"… ne?

**SAKURA:** _(nods) _Mm-hmm… he really was a real wolf. He was strong, brave, a risk-taker, very disciplined and responsible… he showed no mercy whenever he was in some kind of a competition or in a duel… but he really is a true friend to those who took a chance to get to know him… and he can be really sweet when he wanted to be.

**MAI:** _(gives a rather sarcastic smirk)_ Why do you call him "little wolf" anyway?

**SAKURA:** _(takes a deep breath and then placed her hand on her heart)_ Well… it's because his name also means… little wolf… my very special… little wolf… _(right then she realized what she just __blurted out and covered her mouth quickly. She dropped her head to hide her face)_

**MAI:** _(eyes wide open and then turns slowly towards Syaoran)_ What on earth is going on here, Li-kun? Sakura-san names her stuffed toy "Chiirou," which is the same last name as your character, Hinata Chiirou, and then she even gives her long-lost sweetheart the nickname of "little wolf"? Doesn't your name mean "little wolf" in Chinese too?

**SYAORAN:** _(gives a soft cough)_ It's just coincidence, Hirashiki. "Little wolf" is also a rather common name in China, you know. It would also be a simple Japanese name also. Anybody who's anybody can be named "little wolf"…

**MAI:** But Li-kun! _(quickly she glared towards Sakura)_ Just what are you trying to pull here? Are you trying to make some dramatic scene that the boy sitting across from you is the same as that of your childhood love? Are you making yourself obvious that you're just another lovestruck fangirl who is now up close and personal with the boy of every girl's dreams?

**SYAORAN:** _(glares) _That's enough, Hirashiki, we're in front of the camera and in the middle of an interview here!

**SAKURA:** _(protests)_ I am not a fangirl! You've got it all wrong!

**MAI:** _(rolls her eyes)_ You are such a commoner, you know that?

**SYAORAN:** _(quickly interrupts)_ Well then, we were given the signal that we are out of time! On behalf of the cast and crew of _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_, we thank you for giving some time to watch the five-part interviews of THE LOVERS AND A RASCAL! And once again, on behalf of Mai Hirashiki and Sakura Kinomoto, I'm Li Xiaolang, signing off!

**MAI:** _(sighs, then waves)_ Don't forget to watch _Cherry Blosom, Little Wolf, _coming to your local theater near you!

"And cut!" Terada called as the second portion of the screen test ended. While everyone started to make their own reactions after the slightly controversial interview, the director then headed to the three still sitting down. "Well… that's a rather… interesting… interview…"

Syaoran stood up from his seat, still with his hand on his head. "What the hell was that all about, Hirashiki? So what if Sakura-chan's first love happened to have the same name as me?"

"What? I was just surprised that…" Just as Mai was about to make her own apology, Sakura began to mutter a few words.

"I'm sorry… I humiliated you… Xiaolang-kun…"

Syaoran blinked right at her. "What? No, you didn't do anything…"

Sakura lifted her head, this time with tears trickling down her eyes. "I just got caught in the moment and just blurted to everyone about my… well… you know already!" She stood up from her seat and bowed down. "I'm sorry!" Quickly, she dashed off from the studio and out the door.

"Wait a minute, Sakura!" Syaoran reached his arm towards her, but instead the pain in his head returned and almost stumbled down to the ground. Luckily Terada was there to catch him.

"Xiaolang, take it easy there. You're not feeling well… you better lie down, kid."

Syaoran, who slowly got up from Terada's catch, muttered. "Sakura…" From behind, Wei arrived with another cup of tea.

"Here's the tea, Master. Maybe you need to lie down." Syaoran sighed while Terada turned to the others in the studio.

"Well then, looks like we'll have to cancel the third portion… or postpone it for tomorrow. We can't proceed without Sakura-chan and Xiaolang completely fatigued."

"Sakura!" Tomoyo gasped and ran after her. "Wait, Sakura!" Behind her, Touya ran after her as well.

#

Sakura ran back home and locked herself in the door to cry out her tears after that interview screen test. What on earth was she under at for her to reveal almost everything about her little wolf to the public? Good thing it was just a screen test, on the other hand. That portion was not going to be released in the public anytime soon. But still, after Mai's revelations about Xiaolang's name having the same meaning as that of her beloved Syaoran, she knew she may have offended someone along with utter humiliation.

Meanwhile outside, Touya reminded Tomoyo that Sakura needed some time alone for now and that he as her brother would take care of it. Tomoyo sighed sadly and headed back home to return to her basement studio with the idols and the rest of the band. Touya, on the other hand, headed back inside the house. At the family room, Fujitaka was busy having a huge active discussion meeting with his colleagues from the university and that it was best to just let him be with his business.

When he got upstairs, he knocked on his sister's door. "Sakura? Are you alright?"

Sakura wiped off her tears with a facial tissue and called out. "The door's open." Touya invited himself in and closed the door behind him.

"Hey squirt. Are you alright?" He sat down right at the edge of the bed.

"I'm so stupid, Oniichan…" She crawled to her brother, as Touya placed his arm around her, embracing her.

"Hey, hey. Come on now, sport. Stop crying…"

"But… that was humiliating… and right in front of Li Xiaolang too… and Mai Hirashiki really does hate me, doesn't she?"

"Bah, who cares about those dumb teen celebrities? There's plenty of reasons why you and I are normal people compared to them!"

Sakura then broke in to tears as Touya gently patted her. "I know you hate him, Oniichan, but… you know he's real… you know Syaoran Li is real…"

"Hey, I hate that kid's guts but of course he's real. No one said that he's an imaginary friend, you know. Of course unless if your name happened to be Takuya Sakamoto then it's time for me to open a can of whoop—"

"Oniichan… I'm really hopeless, am I?"

"Eh? Of course not! You're just a very happy, energetic, and optimistic girl who happens to be in love with the boy who used to live next door, that's all. Good thing that was only a screen test and it ain't gonna be released in public." Still, the little sister continued to shed more tears.

"Oi… hm…" Touya began to contemplate. "How do I say this… look, if you're so worried about that Chinese brat then only thing you gotta do is talk to him."

Sakura lifted her head from his shoulder. "Eh? But I don't know where Syaoran is…"

"Not that Chinese brat, squirt. I'm talking about that Li Xiaolang brat!"

"Hoe?"

"Look… I don't trust that brat either but… he seems to be an okay guy when it comes to you. In the interview he sounded… er… what's that word… sincere. That Hirashiki bitch really annoyed me. But that's beside the point. Yeah. If you're really worried about how you're gonna be around him, then… just talk to him. He understood you during your little interview… I don't see why he wouldn't now…"

Sakura then slowly released herself from Touya. "You think so, Oniichan?"

Touya shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

"Thanks, Oniichan. I… I'll do it. I'll talk to Li Xiaolang when I have the chance!"

"The sooner, the better, squirt."

She stood up and then reached for her Chiirou teddy bear. "Oniichan… I think I'm gonna go for a quick skate to the beach really quick. I… I need to have some time alone."

"Sure thing, Sakura. I got night shift at the diner later though so I won't be home. Be sure to be home before dinner 'cause you know Dad's home with his colleagues right now."

She placed the stuffed animal in her mini-backpack and then grabbed her arm and knee shields. "I'll call, for sure."

"Awrighty then. See you later."

#

Sakura, using her rather slick-looking white and black rollerblades and donning white elbow and knee guards and her backpack, skated her way through the streets and making her way to the forest. Once she found the dirt trail leading deeper through the forest, she removed her rollerblades and wore her cross country running-designed air pump sneakers. She placed her rollerblades inside her backpack. With that, she began to run like a real cross country and marathon runner through the forest. The trail was a fifteen-minute distance, which would be a tedious walk for most people but a good run for Sakura.

By the time she finally reached the white sandy shores of her very secret beach (and yes, it's a very secret beach. This is a different beach from the Tomoeda beach that the town knows and often hangs out at), she found the tallest cherry blossom tree, still blooming its white blossoms at its glory, serving as a marker for the dirt trail leading back to the main boulevard leading to the town entrance. From there, she counted the thicker and taller cherry blossom trees until she got to the seventh tree to the left. On the trunk of this particular tree, Sakura found a very old but still very intact carving of an umbrella with two names on each side of the umbrella's handle. She reached for the carving and then traced the names written on those names: "Syaoran" on the left side, written in Katakana, "Sakura" written on the right side, written in Hiragana. Underneath the umbrella and the names was a date: "April 9th." The year indicated that this carving was written when they were only eight-years-old.

At the bottom of that umbrella carving were messages written in both Japanese and Chinese:

_KEEP OUT! NO TRESPASSERS ALLOWED! This Super Secret Special Spot is SK & SL Territory. Leave now or you'll be sorry!_

She laughed after reading the message in Japanese, however, she traced her hand on to the same message written in Chinese, then closed her eyes. _Oh Syaoran… you were as silly as I was… writing this warning message in Chinese even though you and your entire family are the only Chinese family in Tomoeda…_

She brought out her Chiirou bear. "You see this? It's still here, Chiirou. Your master carved these names here on the day he confessed to me… and also shared our first kiss too. We found this super-secret special spot when your master wanted to find the most secret spot where he can do his martial arts training by himself. I'm so happy that he invited me in here. He wouldn't allow anyone in this spot except me."

She blushed and then cuddled her teddy bear tightly to her. "Syaoran… how long do you really want me to wait? I know you said that I should wait for your return, but… it's been seven years already…"

She then sat underneath this tree, leaning on the trunk just next to the carving. Facing the ocean, she wanted to clear everything off her mind at this point and didn't want to make herself present in the public without any form of commotion or humiliation. Right then, she felt a vibration in her pocket. She reached down for her smartphone.

On the screen was the envelope icon. A new text message just came from Tomoyo:

_Are you alright, Sakura? I'm worried about you. Please call me… or email me… just… please contact me. - Tomoyo_

That's Tomoyo alright, she thought. She no longer shed any more tears now that she found peace and solace at this particular spot. It was okay for her to reply.

_HI, Tomoyo. I'm sorry I ran off like that… it's just that… well… I just want to be alone right now…_

She took a deep breath and soaked in the fresh afternoon air blowing through her direction. Moments later, her phone vibrated again.

_I understand, Sakura. But lemme tell you two things first, Sakura. First, the third screen test has been postponed. Apparently my mother stopped by to let the director know that the producers of the movie will be visiting Tomoeda later tonight and that they will be having a general meeting regarding the movie over dinner. I think they'll Second, although Li Xiaolang had to lie down because his migraines are kicking in again, he just got up from nowhere and just ran off. Now the main couples and even us band members have to search throughout town for Li-kun because he won't answer his cellphone. Can you believe that? - Tomoyo_

Sakura gasped to learn that she wasn't the only one who ran off the studio. She had to answer to this.

_Where did Xiaolang go? Oh no… I hope he's alright… I have to look for him… I need to talk to him about what happened earlier…_

She sighed deeply and waited for Tomoyo to reply. Some time later, another vibration from her phone.

_He said to Director Terada that he wanted to look for you himself… but then he still doesn't know his way around town, so now Eriol and Meiling and even Director Terada are worried. - Tomoyo_

She typed her reply immediately:

_But… why would he go to all this trouble? I mean, he's got so much on his plate right now. You know what I mean? I don't understand him…_

"Seriously, Chiirou," Sakura spoke to her stuffed animal again. "Why would Li Xiaolang care so much about me just for something that's not his business, you know?"

Few seconds later, another reply from Tomoyo.

_If you think that Li Xiaolang thinks you're some kind of a joke now after what happened in your screen test, you're wrong. I've been hearing from the people who have worked him before in his previous movie projects that he was really stern and cold and doesn't like to waste his time dealing with stuff unrelated to the movie project. Eriol and Meiling think that Li-kun changed big time since their arrival here in Tomoeda. I don't know what he's thinking right now, but it's rather obvious why he's going through all the trouble finding you. He cares about you, Sakura. As in. Somehow, my gut feeling is telling me that he wants you more than just some random person he met at a local area where he's shooting a movie. - Tomoyo_

"Still," Sakura muttered to herself. "Now the entire screen test third portion has been postponed because of him… well okay, it's partially my fault too." She began typing her reply:

_Tomoyo… tell me honestly. Who is Li Xiaolang? I mean… who is he really? Why is it that all of a sudden that I've been having dreams about him and Syaoran together and then revealing to me that they're the same person? If they really were the same person, wouldn't Xiaolang recognize me immediately? Even if it's just a mention of my name?_

"Yeah…" Sakura muttered to herself. "If Xiaolang is really Syaoran… as the dreams kept telling me… then… wouldn't he recognize me by my name alone? Sure, it's impossible for someone to recognize another when they get older but… by name…" She dropped her head and gazed at Chiirou again. "What am I gonna do, Chiirou? What if Li Xiaolang really is our little wolf?" Quickly she felt her heart pounding endlessly and then placed her hand on her heart. "What's happening to me? Why is my heart racing so fast just thinking about this? Hoe…"

While contemplating and taking a few breaths to calm her heart down, she curled herself in to a ball, keeping her stuffed animal warm to her. She hid her face, closed her eyes, and felt her tears trickling down her cheeks once more.

"Why is life so unfair for me? I've… I've worked hard to be the best as I can be… only to take my real loved ones away. First, Mom, now Syaoran… Why are you doing this to me, Guardian Keroberos? One day, Dad may even find a new lady love, even though I don't think he'll ever remove his wedding ring anytime soon… and then Oniichan will marry Kaho-neechan next year… Chiirou, it seems that you're my only friend at the moment, but it's not the same without Syaoran here…" Quickly she wiped off her tears with more facial tissue from her backpack and then continued to cry her tears out.

"Syaoran… please come back home… have you… forgotten about Tomoeda now? Have you… forgotten about me… and all the promises we made for each other? And… and my stuffed animal that I made just for you… even if it's pink and it has wings and… Where are you now, Syaoran? Are you still in Hong Kong? Did you move somewhere else far, far away without telling me…? Or… are you still alive…?"

Right then, she stood up and then ran towards the ocean, where she battled the incoming low tides and then stopped just as the water was just above her knees. She then called out:

"Syaoran! Where are you, my little wolf?! My name is Sakura, remember? Have you… have you forgotten about me?! Answer me, Syao-kun! Please answer me!" She stood still as the water continued to crawl forward and back, right past her knees. She thought that maybe if she let the air speak to her that she would hear her beloved little wolf's voice answering her call.

Instead, she heard her answer just behind her. "Sakura!"

She opened her eyes and thought that from magically out of the blue that her little wolf has finally come home to see her. However, once she turned around, she found the uncanny twin with a celebrity status instead. Sure, she should feel sad and heartbroken at this point, for she did want to see her little wolf Syaoran, not the handsome Chinese teen idol who almost bears the same name as her little wolf. But rather than feeling the disappointment and the heartbreak, her heart instead leaped for joy.

"Li-kun… I mean… Xiaolang… kun…" Sakura muttered.

Syaoran dashed right towards the sea to join her, but not before he removed his shoes and socks and rolled up his jeans. "Sakura!"

"Xiaolang… um…" Quickly, she slowly walked back on shore and then faced the idol. Once again her heart began to pound faster and faster as she got closer to him.

"I'm glad I found you, Sakura…" He gently pulled her to him and then held her in his arms.

Sakura found herself resting her head against his broad chest and then closed her eyes. "Xiaolang… you… came…"

"Come on… let's hang out for a bit here… shall we?"

Sakura gave a nod, and without realizing it, they held hands and then headed to the carved tree and sat right there. Once they sat down, Sakura gasped when she realized that there was someone else other than herself or her little wolf who appeared at their super secret special spot. She needed to calm down and not panic. If Li Xiaolang was able to find this particular spot that only she and Syaoran only knew about, then that would mean that someone else must have discovered this spot too.

"H-how did you find me…?" Sakura muttered, looking rather nervous.

"I… I'm not sure…" Syaoran answered, gently scratching his head. "I took a nap again when I got another case of migraines… some minutes later, I woke up and somehow, I… envisioned something unexpected. I saw a view of a secluded beach… very isolated beach that no one goes… and… there was some carving on a particular tree… and then somehow my gut feeling was telling me that you may be here… I don't know how to explain it exactly, but…" He then gazed right at the green-eyed girl next to him. "All I know is… somehow… I just knew where you would be and… somehow… unconsciously… I ended up here… and then I saw you standing in the water…"

Sakura blushed and then without hesitation, she scooted a little closer to him. "I'm… I'm happy you found me… Xiaolang…"

"I'm glad I did…" Syaoran smiled. He then cleared his throat and changed the tone of his voice. "Listen, Sakura. Director Terada's original plan for that second part of the screen test was that he would add those as extras and as TV promo videos once the movie is almost nearing completion. He was rather unhappy with the turnout of your screen test so tomorrow before we do the third portion of the screen test that we'll have to redo yours."

Sakura sighed and dropped her head. "I'm so sorry… I've caused so much trouble… this is all my fault…"

"It's not your fault at all, Sakura. It's that stupid Hirashiki girl… I don't know what her beef is against you. I've already warned her several times during our interview that she should stop asking personal questions. I have to admit I felt rather uncomfortable seeing you talking about your first love like tat…"

"I'm… I'm sorry… I promise I won't mention his name again… I should've considered your feelings…" She sighed once more. "I'm so hopeless…"

"N-no, I don't mean that, Sakura!" Syaoran nervously chuckled. "I mean to say… I don't want you talking about your first love right in front of the camera and right in front of everyone too…"

Sakura gasps and then quickly responded. "I… I won't speak about the little wolf in front of everyone ever again!"

"Although…" Syaoran gave a gentle grin. "I am… interested…"

"Interested… in what…?"

"I'm interested about the guy who won your heart completely, Sakura. Would you… tell me more about him?"

"Eh?" Sakura gasped. "But… I thought you said…"

"I mean… don't talk about him in front of a huge group of people, Sakura. But I'm alone now so… please, tell me more about your first love. This… 'little wolf' guy…"

Sakura found herself chuckling, yet at the same time blushing. "You really are a complicated person, Xiaolang…"

"Am I?" Syaoran snickered. "It's strange… most people wouldn't understand you, but somehow I can relate… a lot. I don't know what's going on with me lately. It's like… I'm a whole different person ever since I've arrived here. Normally I don't meddle with the happenings going on with the locals like it's my business, but… I don't know why but my gut feeling has been reminding me that… well, how do I say this actually…"

Sakura curled herself up, but this time she rested her head on her knees, gazing right directly at the amber-eyed cutie sitting next to her. "Hmmm…?"

Syaoran placed his hand on his forehead, now in contemplation mode. Moments later, he muttered his words: "I can't leave you alone, Sakura…"

The green-eyed athlete shrieked in surprise again. "I… I'm sorry! It's my fault…"

Syaoran burst in to laughter. "Why do you keep on apologizing even though it's not your fault? Besides… my gut feeling kept telling me that I shouldn't leave you alone… but at the same time… I also… just don't want to stay away from you at all…"

"What did I do to deserve this…" Sakura gently traced her finger on the white sand next to her.

"It's because… you're… you, Sakura…"

"Thanks. That means a lot." Sakura gave a grin. Just as she continued staring at the boy's slightly tousled hair and his deep amber eyes, Syaoran then turned his head behind him and found the carvings on the trunk of the tree they were leaning on. Right then, he stood up. "Hoe?"

He turned to the carving and then traced his fingers on to them. He noticed the umbrella first and then read the names in Katakana and Hiragana. "So… Syaoran is his name…"

Sakura gulped nervously. "Y-yeah. He's my very special little wolf."

The boy with the namesake randomly laughed after seeing the Chinese warning message at the bottom. "Talk about being bilingual! Are there that many Chinese living in Tomoeda?"

Sakura joined in the laughter. "Well, he has a really huge family… it's like one-fourth of the clan even. But they all moved back to Hong Kong and… well… two months later after they moved out, I never heard from him or his family ever again." She bit her lip to prevent herself from shedding tears again. "Our final sweet moment together before the painful parting was… was on his birthday…"

"His birthday?"

"He just turned eleven on that day. A week before, the family announced the sad news that they needed to take care of things back in their homeland and had no choice but to go back home. I pleaded to his family, I even asked Tomoyo and Tak and even my father to at least let the kids stay. He didn't want to move back and his sisters also didn't want to move back either. But… I guess… they're such a powerful, important family that sometimes they just can't control things… you know?"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Syaoran said. At this point, even if they were just simple words, the way Sakura said it directly hit his heart right deep within. "He must be a really wonderful guy for you to miss him this much."

"He made a promise to me on the day he and his family had to go. In this very spot, the super secret special spot, we exchanged our stuffed animals. He gave me Chiirou, I gave him my pink one. I named mine Chiirou. He named mine with some Chinese name I can't remember. I… I wonder if he lost mine that he couldn't remember the promise we made?'

Syaoran laughed. "Nah, I don't think he'd lose something that special just like that. Because if he did, that means he didn't take it seriously enough to take care of it, you know?"

Sakura sighed. "I guess you're right, Xiaolang." She then changed the subject. "Ne, Xiaolang… I really can't believe that you would find this place. I mean, when I can, I come here from time to time whenever I feel down. I would bring my Chiirou here with me and then pretend that he would be here. I know, it's silly. But no one knows this place. No one in this town would ever find this special place except for me and Syaoran. You're the first one to ever find this place other than the two of us. That's just… amazing…"

"Am I?" Syaoran gently scratched his head. "I don't know why, Sakura. Like I said before… I just unconsciously ended up here. I don't know how to explain it but… it seems that wherever you may be around Tomoeda, I know exactly where you would be."

"It must be the legendary Keroberos magic," Sakura softly chuckled.

"Keroberos magic?"

"Well, legend says that when you are here in Tomoeda, whether you live here or just visiting, strange unexpected things happen. Maybe it's because of that old Keroberos magic that you started to feel like you have been to Tomoeda, you know? Aside from Tomoyo's mom, we don't know any celebrities who came from this town. Maybe the guardian Keroberos see special goodness within you, which is why he makes things happen without you being aware of it. Ne?"

Syaoran shrugged with a light smile. "I… I guess."

"Hehe, don't worry about it. It's just a little superstition." She gently patted Syaoran on the cheek, which immediately made him blush. Noticing the blushing, she quickly removed her hand from his cheek. "Hoe! I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

"No, that's okay… I… actually… like—" Just when the moment was about to get brighter between the two, they were interrupted by a repeating ringtone. Knowing that Sakura placed her phone on vibrate mode, she already knew that it was Syaoran's phone.

The boy reached for his phone in his pocket and then saw a photo of Mai Hirashiki along with a phone icon. He immediately pressed "Ignore Call" and then placed it back in his pocket. "Sorry about that."

"Was it a girl?" Sakura asked curiously. Syaoran replied with a sigh. "How come you didn't pick that up?"

"I don't want to talk to anybody right now. The director gave us all a break for now, but after dinner, we have to go back to the set to start shooting the late night scenes." He then gave a deep sigh. "I rather stay here with you… in this super secret special spot."

Sakura blushed immediately. "Thank you so much, Xiaolang. But work is work, ne?"

"I know." Once again he gazed at the carved message in Chinese and then read the message in his native language allowed: "'_KEEP OUT! NO TRESPASSERS ALLOWED! This Super Secret Special Spot is SK & SL Territory! Leave now or you'll be sorry!_'" Right then he gave a chuckle. "Your man sure sounds rather threatening."

"He's actually scary… I mean to say… when he first got enrolled in school, everyone was afraid of him. He always had that intimidating glare all the time and he rarely speaks to anyone. And then during lunch, he would always isolate himself to practice his martial arts and his Tai Chi or doing some kind of training. His mom said one time that he finally started becoming social to everyone when he first met me."

"Huh. I see…" He gulped nervously thinking that this mysterious love of hers sounded so much like himself. "By the way… SK & SL? I know SK is you… SL is Syaoran… what's the 'L' stand for?"

"Li," Sakura chuckled. "His name is Syaoran Li."

"I see…" He began to mutter the boy's name to himself. "Syaoran sounds more Japanese than Chinese…"

"Well, that's his name in Japanese, of course, but… he has a Chinese name. He doesn't have a trace of Japanese blood, but I guess he grew up here that he just adopted a Japanese name so everyone around school would easily remember his name. Chinese names can be hard to pronounce. I never knew his Chinese name though…"

"And you say his name also means 'little wolf'?" Sakura nodded. "But… if his name means 'little wolf,' that means his Chinese name would be the same as mine."

"I don't know, Xiaolang…" Sakura sighed. "I wish I knew his Chinese name… maybe it's a different dialect or something? I know Chinese has Mandarin, Cantonese, and all those different dialects."

He shook his head. "You said he's from Hong Kong, same as me, so it can't be a different dialect. Hm, Li is a very common name. Millions— billions even— of Chinese people have Li as their last name. Even Koreans also have Li as a last name too. And my name is pretty common too."

"Hoe…" Sakura knew that it was time to eliminate her father's idea that her Syaoran and the teen idol Li Xiaolang can't be cousins or any how related to each other. No family would name their children with the same exact first name if they were born in the same generation.

"When is his birthday?"

"July 13," Sakura grinned happily. "I always make a sandcastle to celebrate his birthday right here!"

_What the… my birthday is also July 13…_ Syaoran's voice spoke in his mind. _What on earth is going on here? Is it just me hearing things or is fate suggesting that her 'little wolf' and myself are the same person?_ Immediately he shook his head at the thought. _No way… that can't be possible…_

Sakura unconsciously reached for his hair and gently combed a portion of it to his side. "He has the same hair as you, style and color. I always have the habit of fixing it a little bit so his hair isn't in the way of his deep amber eyes… like yours!"

Syaoran chuckled. "So, he has the same hair as me, both style and color. He also has the same eyes as me."

"And he's got the most beautiful smile ever… his smile is like a rare gem still yet to be discovered, you know? He rarely smiles, so hardly anyone can see it. But whenever I'm around, that's when he smiles a lot?"

"Yeah?" Right then, Syaoran smiled.

"Yeah! Like… like your smile! His is… it's the same as yours!"

_This is becoming really weird…_ Syaoran's voice spoke in his mind again. _What the hell is going on now? Why is it that whenever she talks about him, I'm getting hit and pounded all over the place? And the weirdest part of all is that it's not jealousy that I'm feeling…_

Once again, that same ringtone rang again. Syaoran reached for his phone and showed another girl's name. Same as with Mai earlier, he pressed "Ignore call" button and placed the phone back in his pocket. "Ignore that…"

"Another girl?" Syaoran nodded. "You really are popular with the girls! And we're not just talking about fangirls either!"

"I don't know… I guess…"

"He was popular with the other girls too…"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow of curiosity. "Eh? Syaoran-kun?" Sakura nodded.

"He always gets love letters and chocolate boxes and all other little gifts filled in his shoe locker. In the beginning of course I thought it was cute but then later… I felt sad all of a sudden. He would take all of them home and he would read those letters and then he would never, ever talk about them whenever anyone asks him about it." She sighed again. "At that time, I was scared that someone would eventually take him away, you know?" He nodded, understanding her words.

"But he chose you, Sakura. Didn't he?" Sakura nodded. "So, there's nothing for you to worry about."

"Yeah. You're right."

"And until now you're still waiting for him to come back…" She nodded again. "But he's been gone for awhile… and with no more letters or any form of contact. What if…"

Sakura quickly shook her head. "No, that would never happen. He says that he would never make promises he can't keep."

"What did he say to you before he left."

"When I said goodbye to him, Xiaolang, he said that he refused to say goodbye to me. Instead, he said to me, 'Wait for me because I will return to you.' And so… that's all I've been doing all this time… waiting for him to return."

Right then, Syaoran felt more pounding in his heart and then placed a hand on his own heart. _Why do I feel this pain? I mean she's talking about some other guy… guys don't feel pain whenever a girl would show sadness for her lost loved one… it's like… it's like…_

"Dad is thinking that I'm having false hopes and that I needed help or something… I kept telling him and Oniichan that I'm fine just waiting for Syaoran to return, but they both think that I'm only having false hopes. They thought that in order for me to be happy and avoiding to learn the reality of not seeing Syaoran anymore, that's when Dad decided to…"

"Oh…" Syaoran muttered. "Is that why your father has been setting you up with a bunch of random nitwits so you can avoid having the greatest heartbreak you'll ever experience?"

"I have faith in Syaoran. He wouldn't… I just know that he wouldn't…" She tightened her fist as she placed it against her chest. "Syaoran would never break a promise… I know he wouldn't…"

He then covered his face, closing his eyes while contemplating. _What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I feel like I have a huge part in her sadness? It's not my business to stick my nose in to… no, this isn't my problem… but… why do I feel like… I feel like… I have to fix this… and make Sakura smile again…_

Right then, he noticed Sakura's silence and then her eyes watering once more. She then glanced right towards Syaoran, now with tears on her cheeks. "I don't want Dad to set me up with any of those random boys anymore. My heart is already set for him since we first met. I don't know why my father is so worried about my future… but… I just don't want to be set up with other boys anymore…"

Without even thinking or having any second thoughts, Syaoran pulled her in to his arms and held her tightly to him. With the same notion, Sakura felt more comfort and ease being in his strong, protective arms and freely cried against his chest.

"Sakura…" Syaoran whispered her name on her ear. "Next week… on Wednesday night… I won't have any night shooting… so… I'm free… for your dinner… and… Whisperjay Stew…"

Sakura lifted her head, gazing right at his rich amber red eyes. "R-really? You'll be free on Wednesday night next week?"

"Mm-hmm," he nodded. "I'll talk to your father, like you suggested, about my missing memories… and another thing."

"What is it?"

"I'm going to convince your father not to set you up with some random dimwit anymore, just for the sake of his worries."

"Xiaolang…"

"But… I need your permission for me to do this…"

Sakura gently released from him, showing a puzzled face. "Hoe? But why would you need my permission?"

"Well… um…" He cleared his throat quickly, then took a deep breath. "I know… this is gonna sound weird, but…"

"Yes?"

"Sakura… you won't have to wait for him to come back by yourself…"

"Hoe? What do you mean, Xiaolang…?"

"Because… starting today…" He then gazed down at her sparkling emerald green eyes. "Starting today, Sakura…"

"Yes?" She blinked her eyes, waiting for his answer.

"I'll…" Quickly, Syaoran closed his eyes, lowered his head, and tightened his fists. "Sakura… let me be your 'little wolf.'"

Sakura gasped and placed her hands on her mouth. "Xiaolang… but… but it's wrong…"

Syaoran shook his head. "I don't mind. I have to do character research anyway… not only that your childhood boyfriend has so much similarities as me, but also for the character I'm playing in the movie, Hinata Chiirou. Don't you realize something's really weird here? My character's last name is translated as 'little wolf,' just like the name of that stuffed animal your love gave you when he left. Syaoran-kun's Chinese name is the exact same name as mine. After all, both of us are from Hong Kong. And I have to add this as well, he has the same birthday as mine."

At that point, Sakura gasped on the birthday portion. She then remembered the magazine that she and Tomoyo looked in to a few days ago and all that time, she did not even catch that July 13 was also the birthday of her long lost childhood love.

"I… I don't know what to say to that, Xiaolang… I mean… for you to be my… my 'little wolf'…"

"This will be just between you and me. We can't let anyone else know… not any one of your closest friends or family, not even your bandmates. I would do the same with my friends and the people I work with. It'll be just the two of us, Sakura."

Without even a second thought, Sakura embraced him to her and then gave out a soft cry. "Xiaolang… I know you'd just be acting for your Hinata role in the movie… but… if you think that this would help me stay positive and optimistic… then yes, Li XIaolang… please be my 'little wolf.'"

He returned the embrace and whispered. "It'll be a win-win situation, Sakura, for both you and me. Tell me more about Syaoran-kun and I'll become him…"

Sakura nodded against his chest. "Okay, Xiaolang. I will."

Another interruption came when Syaoran's phone rang for the third time. The ringtone was different from the first two, which meant that it wasn't a random phone call. The two released from each other as he reached for his phone again. This time, it was a text message:

_FROM: Wei Wang_

_TO: Li Xiaolang_

_SUBJECT: Night Shooting_

_It is almost time for your first night shooting, Master. Please return to the Daidouji Manor. I hope that you are not lost within town and that you have found Sakura-chan._

Syaoran sighed and placed his phone back inside his pocket. "I have to go, Sakura."

She nodded. "I understand. It's your night shooting, ne?" He nodded to confirm.

"Let me take you home," he said.

"Thank you… Chiirou-kun!" Sakura cheerfully called her nickname for him.

"Say what?" Syaoran gave a soft chuckle.

"I call Syaoran by that nickname…" They reach for the tree as Sakura placed her Chiirou stuffed animal back in her backpack and carried it on her back. They headed back through the woods again and on that secret trail leading back to town.

"Does Syaoran-kun call you by some nickname also?" He asked curiously.

Sakura sighed. "I'm an idiot, Xiaolang… he always calls me by this Chinese name but I can't even remember. I suck at learning other languages…"

"Alright then. Then I'll make one up for you…"

"Okay then!"

"Hm… let's see… how about… Ying Fa?"

Sakura immediately gasped in shock. Now she finally remembered the Chinese nickname that her Chiirou used to call her. "Xiaolang… that name…"

"'Ying Fa'?" Sakura nodded. "What about it?"

"That's it… that's the nickname he would always call me…" She blushed thinking about the name and the fact that her new "little wolf" would even come up with the same name.

"So it is 'Ying Fa'?" She nodded. "You know, the name has the same meaning as yours."

"Cherry blossom?" Syaoran nodded. "Okay… Chiirou-kun!"

"Yes, Ying Fa." He played along with her. Right then, they found their way back to town, where they found Tomoyo, Yamazaki, Eriol, and Meiling hanging around at the archway entrance.

"Where in the bloody hell have you been, Xiao?" Eriol gasped. "We were so worried about you! I mean you're still unfamiliar with this town!"

"Unfamiliar?" Syaoran smirked. "Right. Unfamiliar."

Right then, Sakura stopped walking and then gave a low bow. "I'm sorry, everyone! This is all my fault…"

Tomoyo approached her and placed her arm around her. "Oh come now, Sakura. Get up now. Let's head back home."

Sakura followed Tomoyo's arm. "Well… okay." The teens entered town again, with Yamazaki making another statement.

"You smell like sea salt," Yamazaki muttered. "You were at the beach all along?"

Meiling gasped in shock. "Waah! You found the path to the beach, Xiaolang?"

"Erm… I guess you could say that…" Syaoran shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh my gosh I wanna see!" Meiling pouted.

"Relax, Meiling," Eriol grinned. "Soon we'll be having our shooting scene at the beach too."

"Mou, but that's not like until next month. What the heck…" Meiling pouted once more. At that point, they walked together as if they were just a group of old crew of friends since childhood, making their way back to their neighborhood.

* * *

**A/N:** Whew. Yes, I started my 2-3 day job last Friday and it felt really good going back in to the work force again. Lucky for me I was still able to write this chapter and then upload it in a timely manner. Uh-huh! :D

Yes, folks, another long-ish chapter, but a thousand-ish lesser than Chapter 6. Glad you guys don't mind the long-ish chapters hehe.

And now, just a few notes regarding this chapter! (actually I don't have any. Eep.)

First up, I would like to give a shoutout to all the followers and those who made "Stuffed Animal" a part of their favorites list. I really do appreciate it!

And of course, shoutouts to the reviewers!

**SakuraFanatic** – Hello anonymous reviewer! It's funny how you ask to post the next chapter on the same day I uploaded ch. 6. But here's a new chapter! XD

**DualStarduster** – Hehe, yup. At least I won't have to worry about money issues anymore. Who knows, I might make a CCS fansite again, just like back in 2000, but as of now, my fics stay in . ^^

**End Noesis** – Thanks for reading "Stuffed Animal"! Really appreciate it! Please continue reading and reviewing. Don't be afraid to give me any constructive criticism if you have any. I appreciate them also. :)

**CherryShore** - "Stuffed Animal" is a very old abandoned fic of mine that I started writing in 2001. It wasn't until just weeks ago that I started reviving it and rewriting it to become a story that everyone would be able to read. I've read a lot of CCS fanfics as of late and I hate to say it, but a lot of them seem to have the same tone as each other (ie. Angst, hurt, etc.), which really isn't my cup of tea. Hope I'm progressing with my intent. ^^

**Aizawa Li Syaoran Vessalius** – Whew, long name LOL. The dinner party with Syaoran and the Kinomotos is coming up really soon! As for Mai... well... no comment. LOL.

And that's it for now! My real job starts this Friday (it's Wednesday midnight now) so the next chapter may take some time to be written and uploaded. But please, do stay tuned! ^_^


	9. 08: Singing Scenarios

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 8: SINGING SCENARIOS**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

Director Terada entered the family room of the Daidouji Household, temporarily used as a makeup for the cast for their movie shooting. On one side of the room were the girls getting their makeup done, while at the opposite were the boys. He approached the girls first to speak to Meiling, Mai, and the other three girls who participated in the screen tests earlier. After he was done with them, he headed to the boys' side to speak to them of the same subject as he did with the girls. At the moment, Syaoran, Eriol, and the other three boys involved in the screen test earlier were being prepped by the hired makeup artists for the upcoming first shoot.

"As you know, our first night scene that we're going to do takes place upstairs in this house. Tomoyo-chan was kindly enough to lend us her bedroom as the setting of the girls' PJ party gathering. The guest room across from Tomoyo-chan's room will be the boys' room. This scene is actually the second scene of the entire movie, in which Hinata-kun will first make his appearance to the rest of the town's teenagers, and of course, meets his lost and forgotten first love, Sakura-chan—"

Immediately, the director was interrupted when Eriol burst in to laughter. "Is there something funny, Eriol?"

Eriol simply shook his head, trying to shake off his amusement. "I seriously cannot imagine that a girl like Mai Hirashiki would portray a role of a girl named Sakura. Sure, she can pull off the sweet, good girl role but her attitude in reality is just a bloody mess. I just find it rather bizarre, that's all."

"Why would you think it's bizarre?"

"Considering that at random, both Xiao and Hirashiki are being paired up as a couple at the screen tests and then both are partnered up with a girl member of The Cool Rascals named Sakura. It's just… well.. .bizarre…"

Director Terada glared at the bespectacled teen idol while Syaoran simply rolled his eyes. "I do hope you finally have an idea on how you'll go about your character research assignment, Eriol. It seems you're the only one who hasn't had a clue on how you will be doing your character research. The entire town is your research center, kid."

"Meiling and I already talked about this earlier and we'll do our character research together with the help of Tomoyo-chan. I learned that Tomoyo-chan also has a bit of acting experience on stage in school, plus she knows everything and anything about this town. She'll be our guide and everything."

"Well, alright, that's a start," Terada said. He turned to Syaoran at this point, who has his eyes closed while the makeup artist applied a bit of powder on his eyelids. "Xiaolang, I acknowledge your plan for your character research. Planning to spend more time with the Kinomotos across the street, I see."

"Just Sakura, Director. I'm seriously pretending that her brother does not exist."

Eriol gave a slight chuckle. "Are you scared of Touya-senpai, Xiao?"

Syaoran gave a snicker. "Do I look like I'm afraid? No bully's gonna try to muscle his way between me and Sakura. That goes for her brother as well."

"Well, it's not like you're afraid of anything or anyone at all, Xiao. That's my lad," Eriol grinned.

"That's strange. It'd be a whole lot easier if you and Mai and in some cases, the older Kinomoto, work together for the character research. It would be a whole lot easier this way," Terada suggested.

"I don't know if that's something you should say to Xiaolang, Director," Eriol warned him. "I mean, we've all worked together for a long while now and you should get used to his usual work ethic…"

"I work alone, Director," Syaoran reminded him, crossing his arms. "I've always had when it comes to character research and it works wonders for me. Even Eriol and Meiling know this."

"Well, it works in the past because those were martial arts action and adventure movies, Xiaolang, but this one is a sensitive, slice of life type of love story, which is something you have no experience with…"

"It's still acting, Director," Syaoran answered. "It's just a different genre. Besides, having other people hanging around with me during character research mode is distracting."

Terada sighed deeply. "Oh Xiaolang, I guess you really do have a strict routine, don't you?"

Eriol chuckled. "Strict upbringing and he's from the rare elite species after all."

Syaoran sighed. "I'm not at all that great, Eriol."

"Ahem," Terada cleared his throat once more. "That reminds me of something, Xiaolang. Mai felt responsible about what happened earlier with your screen test with Sakura-chan today and would like to redo the interview tomorrow morning."

"What?" Syaoran almost broke in to laughter. "That's a joke, right?"

"I don't understand why she wants to redo the entire interview when it's only a screen test for Sakura-chan," Eriol blinked his eyes. "Something's fishy…"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Director. I'm against it."

"Whoa," Ryuichi Kanzaki, one of the three other boys who participated in the screen test earlier today, joined in just as his hairstylist is currently styling his spiky hair. "You really got an iron heart, don't you, Li?"

"Daang," one of the the other two male idols with them, Sakuya Tendou exclaimed. "Li, I gotta admit, you're really intimidating at first but now I can see why you're _the man_ of teenage showbiz!"

"And to think, Mai Hirashiki is like the second most popular teen idol girl in our generation too," Kotaro Ninomiya, the third boy with them, joined in the conversation as well. "Meiling Li still is the hottest, that's for sure."

"And seriously," Ryuichi picked up from where Kotaro left off. "You used to date Meiling Li and even girls like Mai Hirashiki and all the other idol girls still doesn't phase you, dude."

"Hell if you asked me," Sakuya snickered, "I bet Li already has a special girl of his own and he ain't us anybody. That's why he's so immune to all of Japan's hottest celebrity babes!"

Syaoran then gave a smirk on his face. "Heh, you'd know."

"Aw come on now, Li," Kotaro laughed. "I know the three of us are taken ourselves but you gotta share us your mysterious love life you know."

Eriol snickered along. "You'd all know, that's for sure."

"What? You know about this too, Eriol?" Sakuya gasped.

"Why do you say that about me? I'm in no position to know in the first place," Eriol sighed, still with the smirk on his face.

"Even one little clue?" Ryuichi pouted.

"Well, alright, just one," Eriol grinned. Syaoran already gave a glare at his cousin, which also stunned the half-British idol. "One clue— You see this all year round all throughout Tomoeda."

"Oh what the hell," Kotaro frowned. "That's a lame clue! And it's not like we're gonna be staying here in Tomoeda through all four seasons for us to know that!"

"Sorry, but I'm afraid that's all I can give you."

"Hirashiki screwed everything up in the interview so she needs to come up with an apology," Syaoran immediately changed the subject. "Besides, I don't think Sakura will agree to redo the interview again."

Terada then patted Syaoran on the shoulder. "Well, I'll let you decide. If you're alright with it, just let me know tomorrow morning and we'll do it again before we proceed for the third portion of the screen test."

"Okay. Fair enough," Syaoran shrugged his shoulders. "That's all I need to let you boys know. Hopefully we'll finish this before two in the morning. I need all of you rested well for tomorrow morning."

Once Terada left them to have the stylists finish with them, Eriol removed his eyeglasses and placed on his contact lenses while being aided by his stylist. Once he applied them, he shifted his eyes towards his cousin. "Xiao… is Sakura alright?"

Syaoran nodded. "I think so."

"So, you ran off out of random earlier and you eventually found Sakura?"

"Yeah? So?"

"Now now, just being curious, dear cousin. I just want to know how big or small this town is so I too won't get lost on my way around town."

"You'll be fine, Eriol. Tomoeda's pretty easy to navigate around if you only pay attention."

"Sure thing. I'll keep that in mind." Just as Syaoran's stylist began to style his hair, Eriol changed the subject. "So, I heard that you'll be free from the night shooting next Wednesday. That's good you get to have a night break."

"Yup. Few days ago, Sakura invited me for a Whisperjay Stew dinner—"

"Yeah, you told me that already."

"Since I'm free on that Wednesday, I already told Sakura that we can have the dinner on that day."

Eriol gave a slight pout. "You're no fun, Xiao. I hoped that you'd take the night when all three of us are free— or rather the night when the two of us are free. You know I'm not free that Wednesday night!"

"Perhaps I should ask Sakura's father to save some of his Whisperjay Stew for you, Eriol?"

His cheeky cousin grinned. "Oh that would be much appreciated, dear cousin!" Syaoran shook his head. "Hey, that can only mean one thing now!"

"What's that?"

"You chose next Wednesday for dinner… does that mean you plan to have dinner with the Kinomotos at their home— by yourself?"

"Well yeah," Syaoran said. "I'd rather invite you and Meiling only but since neither of you are free on Wednesday night then I'm going there by myself."

"Egads, Xiao!" Eriol snickered. "Planning to have dear Sakura-chan all to yourself that night, hmmmm?"

"Hah! Please, take that smirk off your face, Eriol. It's not what you're thinking."

"Oh come on now, Xiao. Something special must have happened with the two of you at the beach that made you decide to have the dinner when you're the only one who's free. I sense a quest for true love here—"

"Her father and most likely Touya-senpai will be there, Eriol, so any of your strange ideas are deemed void."

"Awww…" Eriol moaned as they hear Terada's voice by the door area.

"Alright, kids! Let's get started with our shooting in five minutes!" The stylists finally finished with their work as the cast thanked their stylists and headed upstairs to the rooms.

#

"_Tell me more about Syaoran-kun and I'll become him…"_

"Kyaaaaa!" Sakura screamed out of the blue just after she loaded the dishes in to their dishwasher. Those words that the idol Li Xiaolang declared to her earlier just kept on repeating and repeating in to her head that she couldn't help but to scream loudly in pure bliss. Her girlish scream startled her father at the living room, who was currently watching some historical documentary on TV.

"Sakura! What's happened? Are you okay there?"

The green-eyed girl quickly closed her mouth and then turned on the dishwasher, making her way to the living room and sat on the sofa close to her father's recliner. Just like a girl in love should, she rested her elbows on the handle of the coach and rested her chin against her hands, gazing right at her bespectacled professor father.

"Daaaad…?" Sakura chortled excitedly.

Fujitaka slowly shifted his eyes to his daffy daughter. "Yeees…?"

"Next Wednesday niiiiight…"

"Eh? What's happening on Wednesday night, dear?"

"Dad, Li Xiaolang said earlier that he'll be free next week on Wednesday night… you know… for dinner!"

"Ah, Wednesday night would be good. I'll be at the university the entire day but I'll be home early enough to prepare the Whisperjay Stew."

"Oh don't worry about everything else, Dad. I'm gonna prepare the rest of the dishes including the rice and the salad and the soup. You just take care of the main entree!"

"Well now," Fujitaka grinned, "you seem to be in a very good mood tonight."

She nodded quickly. "I… I know that my heart still yearns for Syaoran, but… well… somehow… how do I say this… Dad, just… don't set me up with random boys anymore…"

"Oh? So you may found someone else whom you may like to be with?"

"Well… um… maybe…"

Fujitaka couldn't help himself but to chuckle. "Oh boy. Does your brother know about this?"

"Oniichan doesn't have to know, Dad. Besides… he already knows him."

"Eh? He does?"

"Well, he doesn't know the part about my feelings for him, but… yeah! He doesn't have to know."

Fujitaka simply shook his head. "Whatever you say, Sakura."

Right then, she got up from the couch. "I smell like sea salt, so I'm gonna go take a shower and then put my PJs on."

"Go for it, dear." She planted a light kiss on her father's head as she headed upstairs to get herself ready for bed.

Few seconds later, he heard the locks of the front door being unlocked. He got up from his recliner to see who it was. When the door opened, Touya arrived home. "Huh. You're early today, Touya."

"We're closing early tonight for some night shooting," Touya said. He sat down on the couch where Sakura was before and sighed in relief. "Would you believe that? That movie crew is gonna be shooting their scenes at the diner tonight till who knows how long. I'm not included in the shooting being an extra but Yukito and his grandpa have to stay there."

"Well now, that's quite early for Yukito," Fujitaka chuckled. "I'm proud of him! Well done!"

"I was told by the director when he stopped by earlier that I'll start my debut as an extra at the night shooting in two days. This weekend, the entire band will have to be at the night shooting too. Man, too many night shootings…"

"It's still warm past midnight, you know that, Touya. And besides, Mooncastle Diner is just a seven-block walking distance from the house anyway. That's good for you guys, especially for Yukito's family."

"Heh. Yeah, I guess."

Fujitaka took a sip of his tea from the coffee table and changed the subject. "By the way, Touya. How's your work schedule like next week?"

"Eh? Why you ask, Dad?"

"Are you free on Wednesday night next week?"

"Next week…?" Touya began to contemplate, trying to remember the schedule. "Hm… I think I have the night shift on that day… why, Dad?"

"Well, apparently that Wednesday night is the only time that Li Xiaolang will be available for our Whisperjay Stew dinner—"

Touya quickly grabbed his phone from his pocket. "I'm gonna call Yukito—"

"Why, Son?"

"I'm gonna ask him if he can switch my shift with Nakuru. She can work Wednesday night and I can work Wednesday morning—"

"I was afraid you would do something like this, Touya…"

"I ain't leaving Sakura alone with that Chinese brat!"

"Touya, they won't be alone in the house. I'm going to be there myself—"

"Still! You can never be too careful, Dad!"

Fujitaka sighed, dropping his head. "I did not raise you to be paranoid, Son. Please learn to calm down…"

"Well, I'm gonna go wash up too. I already ate dinner so it's all good!" He waved at his father and climbed upstairs, leaving Fujitaka at the living room.

#

"_Yo yo Tomoeda Teensters! It's a very, very, and I mean very early Thursday morning, 5:00 in the morning and the sun is already peering up from the hillside! The Keroberos meter has been giving little bird whispers that love is certainly in the air today, especially—"_ Slam!

Sakura woke up immediately after hearing the first few words of the morning DJ announcing the time the alarm just went off. By reflex, she pressed the snooze button to shut the alarm off. Nevertheless, she was up, doing her early morning stretches, and then dashed right at the restroom to wash up. Minutes later when she returned to her room to find a change of clothes, she heard the vibration of her phone at her desk. She quickly ran to it and saw the message icon flashing.

"Hey Chiirou, it's Xiaolang!" She giggled softly and then opened the text icon:

_Good morning, Ying Fa. Open your window._

She gasped in excitement and quickly turned to her dresser, where she started fixing her hair by wearing two red ribbons on both sides of her head and made sure that her chin-length hair curved around her face rather than outward. She also made sure that her fringes were as rounded to cover her forehead as neatly as she can. She even applied her morning cream and lightly powdered her face. Even with her white PJs still on, she was indeed ready to go.

She turned to her window and opened it wide. Across from her window was an open window, but somehow, no sign of her new "little wolf" anywhere. She then cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and then called out towards the window.

"Good morning, Chiirou-kun!"

Moments later, Syaoran shows up at the window, wearing a white tank top once more and showing off his well-defined muscles. His well-built frame immediately made her blush and turn away.

"Good morning, Ying Fa," Syaoran called out. "Oi, why is your back turned from me?"

_Hoe! I don't want him to see me blushing like this… he sure has a really nice build… gosh…_ She cleared her throat and slowly turned around. "Um… I thought there was something on my eye so… um… well, turns out it doesn't!"

"Right," Syaoran snickered. "Want to hang out at the tree?"

Sakura chuckled. "I now know the pattern of the stronger branches, so yeah, sure."

Slowly, the two climbed off from their windows and reached for the sturdiest branches. Carefully they moved from one branch to the next until they finally reached the center. They ended up sitting on the strongest branch, right next to each other.

"White PJs this time, ne?"

"Yup. I love wearing PJs."

"No nighties?"

Sakura giggled. "You pervert."

"What? I'm just curious!"

She sighed and lowered her head. "Syaoran always begged for me to wear a nightgown a few times when we were little. He matures really fast and he thinks girls who wear nighties are really cute. Well, I never really liked nighties because I'd look weird in them."

"Is that so?" Syaoran smirked. "Well, this little wolf wants Ying Fa to wear a nightie one of these nights."

"No… not you too… I guess you dated girls who wear nighties, huh?"

Syaoran ended up laughing. "So does that mean no?"

"I asked you a question first! Don't answer the question with another question!"

"Yes or no?"

"Hoe! You're teasing me!" In the end, the two teens broke in to laughter.

"Now, why are you up and early at this hour anyway, Sakura?"

"Um… I wanna get prepared early, that's all," Sakura answered humbly. "But what about you, Xiaolang? How many hours of sleep did you have?"

"Three hours," Syaoran shrugged. "But I'm used to it."

"Wow… your night shooting must be really long!"

"Yeah. We had to shoot in two locations today. We shot at Tomoyo's bedroom and then at Mooncastle Diner."

"Yeah, I was told," Sakura smiled. "Tomoyo had to sleep at another guest room while they were using her room for the shooting, and then Yukito-niichan and his grandpa had to stay at Mooncastle Diner throughout the duration of the shooting since they got the keys to the diner and all."

"Yup. And Yukito-senpai had his first debut as an extra in the scene too. He was already in the diner uniform so he just played as one of the diner employees. It was fun, although there are tidbits of it that I didn't exactly enjoy…"

"But it's acting, ne? It's not real," Sakura reminded him. "Sure it may make you feel uncool but it's part of the job."

"I know. It took me seven takes just for me to gently trace Hirashiki's cheek and stare at her like I was completely in love with her… it's really hard…"

"Aww," Sakura chuckled. "I bet you and Hirashiki would look really good on screen with that moment. It would make fans squeal all over, you know?"

"Don't say things like that, Sakura," Syaoran gave a frown. "Scenes like that would make girls cry, that's for sure."

"If they're your fangirls, I'm sure they would cry!" Sakura gave a soft chuckle.

"You're making fun of me now, are you?" Syaoran smirked.

"Um… maybe…" She began to whistle innocently while Syaoran shook his head.

"Right."

"Today is the final portion of the screen test, ne?" Sakura nodded.

"Oh, that reminds me," Syaoran blinked his eyes. "I was about to text you regarding what happened yesterday, but you were sleeping, so I decided to wait until you wake up."

"Aww… you're so sweet, Chiirou-kun!" Syaoran immediately blushed, but quickly dismissed it by slapping himself gently. "Ne, what's it about?"

Syaoran sighed. "Hirashiki took responsibility regarding the messy interview that we had yesterday and wanted to start all over as her way of apologizing to you. This time with more general questions."

"Eh? But it's a screen test," Sakura shrugged. "I thought that's not official…"

"That's what I was telling Terada. I voted against it."

Sakura was left with a choice. She knew at this point that she would have to be the deciding factor. "Well, um…"

"I know I shouldn't be judgmental," Syaoran began, "but I still have doubts about Hirashiki. She's one of the other celebrity girls who's… well… got it real bad for me… Eriol even made a list of those girls for me even if I didn't even ask for it."

"I guess that explains why she would act this way."

"Sakura, look. If you want to redo the screen test again then we'll redo it. I'll go along with it."

She shrugged, looking a whole lot more confused as ever. "But it's only a screen test…"

"Well, talk to the director about it so we won't have to waste time."

"Yeah. I suppose."

Right after a brief silence, the two began stretching their arms upward, as well as their legs forward. They made sure they were able to balance against the branch they were sitting on to avoid themselves from falling.

"So, ready for the final portion of the screen test?"

Sakura gave a puzzled look. "What's the final portion about again?"

"It's when we act on a given scene and then the band members would have to assimilate themselves in the scene and sing, It's like in those musicals."

Immediately she placed her hand over her mouth. "Oh no… that's bad…"

"Eh? What's bad?"

"I…" She dropped her head and sighed out. "I can't sing solo…"

Syaoran snickered. "Why do I have the need to say that I don't believe you?"

"Hoe?"

"If you think you can't sing solo then why are you in the band in the first place?"

"Well… that's because I'm really good at playing keyboards and guitar and…"

"You sing well with Tomoyo-chan, even if you're only singing the second voice."

"But that's it. I can sing well when everyone else sings, but… I'm not really confident with my singing abilities."

"For someone who's always chirpy and optimistic, you sure don't have very high self-esteem. What makes you think that you're no good singing solo?"

Sakura gave a sad gaze. "My mom had a beautiful singing voice and both Dad and Oniichan loved her singing so much. Well they say that I sing good also but they kept comparing and contrasting my singing voice to Mom's. Like the way they compare it, it sounded as if I was expected to sing just like Mom. But…"

"Let me guess… you've never heard your mother sing before because you were too young to remember?" Sakura nodded slowly. "Sakura, you don't need to think about all that. Just do your own thing and not be like everyone else. That's all there is to it."

"Hoe… but… what if I sound horrible in the screen test later today?"

"You won't. Besides, you will be the one to choose the song you want to sing. If it's your favorite song, then for sure you wouldn't sound bad singing it."

"Hoe… that's why Tomoyo's the lead vocal in the band because she sings so beautifully like an angel. Plus she has the star appeal… and she's so talented, you know?"

Syaoran sighed and then scooted himself closer to her. "Don't feel nervous, Sakura. Well, for now, let's not think about that. Let's wait until it was time for us to do that screen test."

"You're right, Xiaolang. I shouldn't worry so much." She gave a huge grin, shaking off the nerviness out of her system.

"Good." He then gazed at his wrist watch. "Oh snap! I promised I'd wake Eriol and Wei up around this time."

"Eh? You're not gonna wake up Yamazaki?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "He's horrible when he's asleep. He'd curse you out of nowhere if you try to wake him up, so I just let his alarm do all that."

Sakura chuckled. "That's Tak for you. He's always like that."

"Well then. I'll see you later?"

Sakura nodded happily. "See you later, Chiirou-kun!" Quickly she embraced him tightly, resting her chin on to his shoulder.

"Aww… see you later, Ying Fa." He returned the embrace, patting her on the back. Once they released from each other, they both headed back to their respected windows.

#

Some three hours later passed, breakfast and everything, the band and the five main couples are back again at the basement studio of the Daidouji Household. They had a complimentary breakfast of waffles, bacon, and eggs, thanks to the friendly, efficient catering services of the Mooncastle Diner. It was a way of saying thanks from the Yukito's family for having Yukito as an extra in their movie. Sure it was a small thing, but for someone from a small town like Yukito, it sure is an opportunity anyone shouldn't miss. Fujitaka had to head to the university at an early morning anyway. There was news of a huge excavation assignment in Mongolia somewhere that the archaeology department of Clow Reed University was invited to take part of, which in turn, the ambitious professor was called in to attend the meeting.

When they arrived inside, they were asked to wait at the dining room. One of the maids advised the Kinomoto Siblings that Tomoyo and her mother are doing attire fitting on Yukito and Yamazaki at the moment. Apparently, the third portion of the screen test will also involve The Cool Rascals wearing some kind of uniformed outfits that Tomoyo designed herself. Although the attire fitting on the two boys was for another set of attire in the future, she already finished one of the few creations she just made for the band alone.

While feasting on the complimentary breakfast courtesy of Mooncastle Diner's catering, the two siblings begin their routine morning conversation.

"Dad looked so ecstatic this morning that he just didn't have time to make us breakfast," Sakura chuckled. "Imagine… a brand-new excavation adventure for him!"

"Mongolia," Touya shook his head, just as he and little sister Sakura arrived at the Daidouji Residential gates. "Who would've thought. Of all places, seriously, Mongolia. No one in this modern time know anything about Mongolia except it's right smack dab in the middle of China and Russia, and that Genghis Khan was the country's resident bad-ass at that time."

"Yeah," Sakura giggled. "I wonder what kind of archaeological discovery they found this time over there. But on the other hand, Dad seems so free whenever he goes to these archaeological digs."

"Funny how none of us are willing to follow his footsteps," Touya snickered. "Well, I'm more interested in dealing with fellow humans than dealing with humans in the past."

"So," Sakura responded. "You're really gonna go straight for human resource management once you get your masters, Oniichan?"

Touya nodded. "If you dedicate your life in to working various part-time jobs just to gain experiences, that ain't the only thing you're gonna be gaining. You get to gain connections and friendships with the people you work with, whether if he's your fellow co-worker or a customer. You also get to learn different types of stories from everyday people about life in general. I thought of opening my own employment agency one day."

"Ne, that's a very good goal you're aiming for, Oniichan. You as a human resources manager would be able to do good for those who struggle to make ends meet. And then there's Kaho-neechan, who is currently a teacher and maybe one day she'll be a school administrator too, teaching children and even adults today's skills required for today's jobs."

"It'll be a win-win situation, Sakura," Touya grinned. "We'll settle down first after we get married, then find jobs related to our fields before we can open our own agency. It'll be awesome."

"Eh? No plans of having children, Oniichan?"

"You can move in with us when we get a new house," Touya grinned. "Then we can just adopt you as our child—"

"Idiot!" Sakura slapped her older brother on the shoulder. "I'll be eighteen by the time you get married! I'm no longer eligible to be adopted by law at that time, you know! And besides, no one in the world is going to believe that a couple who are only in the mid to late twenties would have an eighteen-year-old for a daughter even if she's adopted. Come on now, that's just not realistic, Oniichan."

"I'm joking, jeez!" Touya raised an eyebrow. Right then, he took a deep breath and sighed out. "Jeez. I have to admit that I still see you as that pesky little monster at ten until now. I still can't see you actually having a boyfriend of your own, but damn… I really have to face reality one day."

Sakura chuckled. "But you already know that I've already got one since I was seven or eight, you know."

"Bah, that's just naive kid stuff! Both you and that brat next door dunno what the hell real love really is. Look at today. Is he still with you today? No. And yet you still wait for him to come back to you? It's all child's play, squirt. Just move on and be happy with the life you have now."

"Hm, maybe," Sakura muttered, now thinking of Syaoran, that is, the idol Li Xiaolang, in her mind right now. "There's someone who would be willing to be my 'little wolf' until he returns, so I no longer worried."

"Really?" Touya gave a suspicious stare at his sister. "So you finally found a boy who would actually replace that brat? I ain't too keen with the idea of you actually dating some goon but what the hell…"

"You're not the only one in the family who's allowed to date, you know, Oniichan." She crossed her arms and turned her head away from him.

"So who's the lucky nitwit who volunteered to be your new little mutt—"

"Little wolf, Oniichan!" Sakura gave a hmph at her brother. "And that's my business, by the way."

"What? You won't even tell your awesomest cool big bro about the lucky dude?"

"Because if I mention his name, you'd hate him more than you would hate Syaoran."

"Urgh…" Touya gave a slight disgusted expression on face. The two finally finished their breakfast of Belgian Waffles, bacon, eggs sunny side up, and a small cup of fresh fruit when Tomoyo arrived with a huge grin on her face.

"Hey there Kinomotos!" Tomoyo giggled. "Your turn to have your measurements!"

"Awesome! Good morning, Tomoyo!" Sakura winked with a thumbs up.

"Yeah, yeah, let's get this over with." Touya shrugged. The siblings stood up and followed Tomoyo from behind.

#

For those who have been living in Tomoeda and are familiar with the town's most elite families, it should be common knowledge that there is no escaping the doll-faced multi-talented teenager who bore the name of Tomoyo Daidouji. As the lyric goes from a familiar Broadway musical: "Whatever Tomoyo wants, Tomoyo gets."

At the basement studio, things looked a whole lot different from yesterday. They actually had an audience consisting of the chosen extras who auditioned earlier this week.. Both sets of bleachers were already filled with these chosen extras which also included some select members of the Wolfpups and the Moonies fanclubs, and much to a surprise to the young adults, the fiancees of the two older members of The Cool Rascals.

Much to their dismay, The Cool Rascals and the ten main cast members, paired up again in to the five main couples just like yesterday, had to sit at the floor in front of the already-filled bleachers. Just like yesterday, the band was separated from the five couples, and as for the extras go, the teens from the town's elite are at the side of the five couples, while the rest were at the band's side.

Director Terada was once again in charge of the meeting. Yukito already advised Touya much earlier in the morning that there will be a lot of changes regarding this third portion of the screen test. Sakura and Tomoyo cheered to see Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko present at their side of the bleachers.

"I didn't know you auditioned for being an extra," Tomoyo chuckled, referring to the blogger Naoko.

"Me? Nah. But they gave me an exclusive pass to be on the set to do my reporting and blogging," Naoko gave a huge grin. "Director Terada and the crew were really kind enough for giving me this opportunity. I'm recording all of our verbal interviews so I can have some note references on my own when I write my entries."

"Sweet!" Sakura cheered. "With this awesome blogging project you've got, you're gonna get admitted to Todai for sure after graduation next spring!"

"Hope so!" Naoko winked.

Chiharu then changed the subject. "You girls are so lucky," she sighed. "I mean sure, you get to spend more time with my boyfriend now than I do, but I'm glad you're taking care of him as The Cool Rascals band."

"Who would have thought you guys are gonna be in the movie too?" Rika giggled. "And on top of that, you'll be performing in the movie too!"

"Yup! So excited!" Sakura cheered happily.

"And not just that," Chiharu chuckled. "You guys get to spend more time with the idols than us club presidents."

"But we're not that worried," Rika grinned. "You girls should consider yourselves lucky!"

Tomoyo chuckled. "Sakura is more lucky than I am. Well I only got lucky because they're using my house as part of the movie settings, you know? But see… Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa actually stay next door to Sakura's house instead of the Tomoeda Inn while Meiling stays over at my house!"

"Waaaah! Oh my gosh!" Rika gasped in shock. "I have heard rumors among the Moonies that he doesn't stay at the Tomoeda Inn with the rest of the cast… and all this time, he's right next door to you, Sakura? By the way, which house? Is it Yukito-senpai's or Yamazaki's?"

"Ha!" Chiharu snorted. "Those two guys are way too hot for them to stay at Takashi's pl—"

"They're actually staying at Tak's place," Sakura corrected them.

"Eeek!" Chiharu shrieked. "Oh my god… Takashi was actually telling the truth this time?"

"You mean after how many times he's told you about Li-kun and Eriol-kun, you've never believed him?" Rika gasped in shock.

"How can you all tell if he's lying or not? Even though we've been together for who knows how long I still can't tell whether he's lying or not. Damn him…" Chiharu pouted, crossing her arms.

"Well then," Tomoyo snickered. "As the saying goes, 'If you don't know, now you know.'"

At that moment, Chiharu sighs once she spotted a view of Syaoran on the floor and smiles, even though Mai Hirashiki and even the other three girls from the five couples were surrounding him at that point. Meiling, sitting right next to him, was on protect mode. "Gosh, Li Xiaolang sure looks more sinfully gorgeous in real life… the way he does his hair… even when it's messy he gets hotter all the time… and those gorgeous amber eyes that sparkle against the light of the sun and moon… and in whatever expression he has, he shows the true embodiment of a god… and the voice… oh man, that sexy yet boyish youthful voice… it's deep and rich that just hearing of his voice would seriously make you melt big time…"

Sakura could feel herself blushing in every description Chiharu described about her new little wolf. She began to think about the what-ifs in her mind as Chiharu went along. _What if Syaoran grew up to be equally handsome as Li Xiaolang now? I wonder if Chiharu and all those other girls would say the same about him?_ She then sighed, both smiling and yet at the same time she would feel a little bit of pain within.

Right then, Rika gasped in shock once she noticed Syaoran turning his head towards their direction. "Chiharu, don't look now, but the Chinese prince is looking at our direction!"

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Chiharu shrieked as she, Rika, Naoko, Tomoyo, and even Sakura turned their heads to face him. Although the first four glanced at him first before Sakura did, he showed no reaction. But when Sakura finally had her face right at him, he flashed a smile and a nod.

"Good morning," Syaoran greeted them. Chiharu and Rika squealed endlessly as Sakura, Tomoyo, and Naoko returned the bow and the greeting.

"Good morning, Li-kun." He acknowledged the greeting with a simple nod as well. Then he turned his head back to his own group. Chiharu, Rika, Naoko, Tomoyo, and Sakura turned to each other and then squealed in silence.

"Kyaaaa!"

"I didn't know he would look so adorable smiling like that," Naoko chuckled. "I'm not even a fan but I'm blushing like crazy when he smiled like that!"

"I wish Eriol would sit closer so we could see him too," Tomoyo grinned. "And then we can squeal some more!"

"Oh my gosh, you're right!" Rika chuckled. "I wish Eriol would move closer to us instead of him sitting all the way at the end. Those damn girls clinging all over him.

"At least Meiling's sitting next to him," Sakura smiled humbly. "She's all in protective mode right now so no girl could even get close enough to touch him."

"Mou, you guys should've taken a picture!" Chiharu pouted. "I mean it's very rare that we see him smile at all. In magazines, he smiles, but that's it. In real life he always looked so serious."

"Well," Sakura said, "they'll be here for awhile so you'll have plenty of chances to see him smile, right?"

"Oh! Maybe later today we get to see him smile again!" Chiharu squealed.

Right then, Director Terada arrived and the entire studio immediately fell silent. "Good morning, kids— both stars and locals! First of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming and have chosen to take part in the final portion of our screen test. Later today we start our first day shooting with our main cast. Tomorrow will be the first time that the movie's signature and, The Cool Rascals, will also start their first day shooting with the main cast and of course, all of you extras. This weekend will also be your first night shooting as well. We already got your phone numbers and emails at the extras audition day so in that way, you'll stay updated for the upcoming schedules and when you will be needed. Fresh faces, smiling faces, looks like you kids are ready to go!"

Everyone applauded as they let the director continue. "So, yesterday, the producers from Sunbow Pictures— I'm sure most of you have heard of that production company, you all know it's one of the biggest production companies in all of Asia— have arrived in Tomoeda yesterday and they simply briefed me a great idea that they had that would make a good screen test. We'll be doing a lot of work during this entire movie shooting, which includes shooting a few trailers, shorts, and of course, music videos for all of our participating acts including The Cool Rascals. Now how about that?"

"Whoa, that's so awesome!" Yamazaki cheered. "A music video starring us!" He and the rest of the band began to applaud, followed by the others.

"Now, this screen test will have some changes. The concept's the same but there are changes. Our five couples were already informed last night and the extras who are sitting with us here in the Daidouji basement studio already took part of the process. Now that The Cool Rascals are here, we're about to go in our final phase before we begin."

At this point, all eyes were directly towards Terada as he continued. "We came up with six scenarios in which five of them will have one teen star and one member of The Cool Rascals as the main characters. In short, from the main cast will be three girls and two boys in contrast to the three-boy, two-girl Cool Rascals band. The extras signed up to join one scenario that they will act as extras at. Along with that, the extras also voted on which one of the ten members of the main cast they would want to work with for this screen test. The top three girls and the top two boys will obviously be the ones who will participate in the five of the six scenarios. The sixth scenario, everyone will be included. In the first portion of the screen test, we only had the band perform one of their songs by themselves. This time, the band will be performing again, but then there will be other people in the scene including our five couples.

"With that being said, the screenwriters and myself have already counted the votes from the extras to see which top two guys and top three girls who will be playing the lead roles in these scenarios, so let's announce them right now." Right then, Toshifumi Kashii arrived with a folded piece of paper and handed it to the director. "Alright. Let's do the girls first! At the first rank, we have Meiling Li, followed by, respectively at second and third, Mai Hirashiki and Aya Teramura, so let's stand up here, girls!"

Meiling grinned, giving thumbs up to both Syaoran and Eriol, and then to the girls at the other side of the bleachers and stood up, just like the director asked them to. Mai and Aya followed her from behind, with Aya looking enthusiastic while Mai gave a slight pout. No partnering up with the movie cast's most popular teen actor this time for her.

Once the girls lined up next to the director, Terada then turned to the commoners side of the bleachers. "And now, let's have the boys of The Cool Rascals. Yamazaki, Tsukishiro, and Kinomoto, please stand up and line up here at my other side. Chop chop!" He clapped both hands as the three boys stood up sluggishly.

"This is dumb," Touya made a slight complaint, rolling his eyes.

"Touya, I forgot that I was advised by Terada last night during my debut as an extra last night that this is another 50,000 Yen since we didn't get to complete the screen tests last night."

"Urgh…" Touya, who just couldn't help but get tempted by the sound of money, decided to remain silent and went along with the plan.

"Good luck, guys!" Sakura cheered the boys on, while Yamazaki gave a one-finger salute to Chiharu.

"Hope we get to be in the same group, Chiharu!" He grinned and headed to the other side of Terada along with the two older boys with him.

Although in Chiharu's mind, even though her boyfriend became a higher-ranking extra than she was, wished that she would land in the same group as Syaoran. "I wonder which scene Li-kun is going to be assigned to…" she muttered and then sighed in bliss.

"Well then, now at this point, rather than picking the names at random," Terada said, "we will be having our teen stars choose which one of the band members they would want to be their leading man for their scenarios. So girls, choose your leading man—"

"Yamazaki-kun!" Meiling giggled.

"Tsukishiro-senpai," Aya grinned, which made Mai shriek in shock.

"Whaaa? I end up with the fanatical punk? But why?" Mai whined, while Touya raised an eyebrow with the rather irritated glare towards her..

"Sorry, but I know Tsukishiro-senpai more than any other band member," Aya chuckled.

"And Xiaolang and Eriol suggested for me to pick Yamazaki-kun, so sorry!" Meiling snickered. Although Mai will be playing the leading female character of the movie, she instead gets stuck with possibly the grumpiest member of the band.

"Well then," Terada grinned. "Please take a seat at the seats over there at the green screen now." The new pairings headed to the green screen as instructed. "Now, let's go for the top two boys voted by the extras. I think this is already obvious who those two are." Immediately, the Wolfpups and Moonies fangirls immediately squealed, knowing that those top two are obviously Syaoran and Eriol.

"Wow, you guys already know!" Tomoyo chuckled.

"Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa sure are really popular," Sakura grinned.

"Goodness, even the Wolfpups and the Moonies fangirls already knew who those two are!" Terada chortled and turned to the obvious. "Alright, Xiaolang, Eriol, come on up and stand right on my right side."

As Syaoran and Eriol stood up, the British boy's eyes sparkled in curiosity. "So Director, which one of us two ranks first?"

"That's not important now, Eriol. Let's get the process going."

"Aww… not gonna tell, huh?" Eriol snickered.

"Eriol, just shut up," Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Now that our two favorite hot boys are up here, it's time for the lucky ladies of The Cool Rascals to come for. Let's go Tomoyo-chan and Sakura-chan!"

Chiharu then gasped and turned to Rika. "Oh my gosh! What if Li-kun and Eriol-kun end up fighting each other? Obviously they both want Tomoyo to be their leading lady."

"Oh come on, what makes you say that, Chiharu?" Naoko interrupted.

"Poor Sakura," Rika chuckled. "Are you saying she's not good enough for either Li-kun or Eriol-kun?"

"I didn't say that… I mean it's just natural. Li-kun is the leading character of the movie and Tomoyo-chan is the leader of the band. Leaders always go with leaders!"

"Let's just see what happens," Naoko sighed.

Once the two girls stood at the left side of Terada, he continued on. "And the same as with Meiling, Mai, and Aya, Xiaolang and Eriol, please choose your leading—"

Just as he was about to finish, Syaoran interrupted him by staying silent while walking forward to his other side and took Sakura by the hand.

"Hoe?" Sakura muttered and then found herself blushing once Syaoran took her right hand in to his.

He then turned to Eriol. "The band leader's yours, Eriol."

"Why thank you, Xiao," Eriol grinned and gazed at Tomoyo. "Shall we go, my dear Tomoyo-chan?"

"We shall, my dear Eriol-kun!" Tomoyo chuckled and freely took Eriol by the arm as he lead her to the green screen area, following Syaoran and Sakura from behind.

"Whoa," Naoko chuckled. "Looks like Li-kun already knew who he wanted for his leading lady after all."

"Li Xiaolang… and our sporty sweet Sakura-chan?" Chiharu gasped in awe. "Sure, Sakura may not be as popular as Tomoyo but gosh, she's so darn lucky!"

"And I gotta admit that Tomoyo and Eriol-kun do look good together, if I say so myself," Rika smiled.

Terada then turned to the extras. "Now, the next step is that Toshifumi Kashii will have a raffle box again with pieces of paper that has the numbers 1-5 in them. You know what those numbers stand for, right?"

"Yup," Chiharu raised her hand. "Those are the numbers of the scenarios that we signed up to be extras with."

"Exactly," Terada smiled. "Our five top voted stars at the green screen area will be picking a piece of paper that has the numbers 1-5 in them. When they call out the number they picked, all you extras who volunteered to do those scenarios will be joining that star to head back to the green screen. That number represents the type of scenario that they will be working on. Taeko Kashii, our other screenwriter, will be presenting these five stars the scenarios on one sheet of paper. With that, you extras and the star will take the scenario to the band member that the stars chosen for their leading partner. According to the scenario written in their sheets of paper, that band member will choose the song that they will perform that best fits that scenario. We will go in order by the scenario numbers 1 to 5. After all five scenarios are completed and filmed, we will be doing the sixth scenario with everyone participating. When I call the group to do their scenario, they will have ten minutes to change in to their costumes before they begin their scenario. That's about it. Any questions?"

Syaoran raised his hand. "What about the other five of us main cast who isn't playing the lead roles?"

"Well, they will be playing extras too along with the local extras that we have in this studio right now." The remaining five of the ten main cast members nodded to confirm their new roles. "Any more questions?"

Silence fell throughout the studio, signaling him that they understood the new changes for this portion of the screen test. "Very well then! Let's get started!"

The stars randomly picked the numbers from the raffle box held by Taeko Kishii when they were separated from their band member partners for a brief meeting. They were given five sheets of paper explaining the type of scenario they just randomly picked and what they would present during the screen test with their band member partner and the extras who signed up to be in those scenarios. Once each main cast member received their information regarding their scenarios, they were separated in to five groups and plan on the setting, the situation, and how they will act this scene to fit the description of the given scenario. This, of course, included the song choice that the members of The Cool Rascals made to sing and of course, to match the assigned scenario.

The director also advised them that the scenarios they will be portraying will also be a dress rehearsal of sorts, therefore the group must choose their costumes appropriate for the scene. Once they have, they changed their costumes, now ready to perform their scenarios. As stated, by the order of the numbered scenarios, they have to wait until it was their turn to act.

Most of the music choices were originally written by Tomoyo and Yamazaki, however for Sakura's choice of song, it was one of her few songs that she wrote by herself. Because these were obviously not mainstream songs, the band will have to play the instrumental portion of the songs themselves.

#

**SCENARIO 01: Long Distance**

**SONG: **Come Home

**VOCALIST: **Yukito Tsukishiro

**FEATURING: **Aya Teramura

**SUMMARY:** Somewhere at a military war camp, the soldiers receive mail from their loved ones they left at home. One soldier receives a letter from his girlfriend, reminding him how much she misses him and how their distance has been tearing her up inside due to the war. Reading the letter, the soldier feels the same pain and he replies by writing another letter in which he promises her that he will return home soon. Meanwhile back home, the girl's friends, who also have boyfriends drafted in the military, share their sorrows with her.

Yukito and Aya were the first to do their scene as Aya picked the first scenario at random at the raffle box earlier. Yukito and the male extras, including Aya's real-life boyfriend Ryuichi Kanzaki, appeared as soldiers at war, with makeup even included. Aya and the female extras dressed in conservative-looking regular clothes. The scene is split in to two sides: The one on the left represented the war camp, while the other side represented home, where their girlfriends have been waiting.

Once they heard Terada's voice calling out "Action!", the music, only consisting of a bass guitar, lead guitar, keyboard, and drums, began, with Yamazaki on bass guitar, Touya on drums, Sakura on lead guitar, and Tomoyo on keyboard.

Yukito sat down reading the letter and then showed a rather sad expression on his face. He picked up a pen and then began to write on the letter. In the meantime, Ryuichi, also a soldier, sits next to him and then pats him on the shoulder to calm him down. Right then, Yukito starts to sing his solo:

_As I write my letter today_

_Tears start falling from my eyes_

_I remember things we used to say_

_And the ties that bind our love_

_(Only one thing I want to do)_

_(Come home), oh oh (come home)_

_(Long as I know, I'm coming home to you)_

_(I'm coming home)_

In the meantime, Aya stands up from her seat and then gazes out in the air with a handkerchief in her hand, thinking of her love out there in the battlefield. At that time, Yukito continues to write his letter.

_(Please remember while I'm away)_

_(I think of you night and day)_

_(Of the things, of the fun)_

_(While we were one)_

_(Only one thing I want to do)_

_(Come home, come home)_

_(Long as I know, I'm coming home to you)_

At this point, one of the male extras dressed as an officer hands Yukito a note stating that he has been honorably discharged. Yukito then expresses happiness.

_I didn't think I'd ever be_

_As bad as it's been_

_(But now I'm coming home)_

_(To give you a ring)_

The other soldiers came to congratulate him for his honorable discharge notice and that he won't have to fight in the battlefield anymore. He will be coming home soon.

_As I write my letter today_

_Tears start falling from my eyes_

_I remember things we used to say_

_And the ties that bind our love_

_(Only one thing I want to do)_

_(Come home), oh oh (come home)_

_(Long as I know, I'm coming home to you)_

At this point, the girls then comfort Aya, as she then thanks them with a now confident smile on her face.

_(Only one thing I want to do)_

_(Come home, come home)_

_(Long as I know, I'm coming home to you)_

And with that, the song ended and everyone gave a huge applause as Terada called out "cut." Right then, the group exchanged hi-fives with each other, with both Ryuichi and Aya complimenting Yukito on his naturally heartfelt singing.

"Alright, just take a seat at the bleachers," Terada called them. Once they sat down, he then began his discussion. "So, anyone from the audience here. Can anyone tell me what this scenario is about?"

Naoko then raised her hand, just as she finished typing out her notes in her laptop for her upcoming blog entry. "Well, it looks like Yukito-san and Aya-san are in a long-distance relationship and both really miss each other very much. Yukito-san the soldier receives a letter from Aya-san, probably telling him how much she misses him, which was why he had that melancholic reaction. So, he writes a reply letter to her making her a promise that he will be home soon. Once he gets home, he would ask her to marry him. That's about it."

"Exactly, Naoko-chan… although you're not one of the extras." Everyone present chuckled at Terada's statement. "This scenario simply shows that even long distance relationships can make love stronger than it is when they always see each other. As the saying goes, 'absence always makes the heart grow fonder,' and I do think that this first group had demonstrated that well through actions and song and nothing else. Thus, we call this first scenario 'Long Distance.'" He then turned back to Naoko again." But I'm glad that you're participating in this discussion also, Naoko-chan. Thank you very much."

"Thank you for making me a part of the discussion too, Director," Naoko bowed humbly.

Right then, he turns to the rest. "That was a very good song choice, Tsukishiro-kun. I've never heard of it before, so I'm guessing it's one of your originals."

"Tomoyo-chan wrote it," Yukito chuckled. "But this was very old, as in three years old. It was one of her first songs she wrote, I think."

"But that was a really nice, heartfelt song," Aya made her statement. "When I was at the green screen earlier doing our scenario, I acted that I was crying, but to tell you the truth, I was really crying at that time because the song was just so beautiful, you know? Really touched my heart. Thank you!" Yukito and Tomoyo bowed humbly and thanked her for the praise.

"Well, everyone, now you have just seen a fine example of how the movie format is going to be like. No words exchanged. Just actions and song. Tsukishiro-kun, you looked really natural up there. Are you sure you've never acted before?"

Yukito shyly grinned. "Well, I took a few drama classes when I was back in middle school but I only had very small roles."

"Well either way, you did wonderfully! Also, to the rest of the band who not only played the instrumental but also harmonized along with the lead vocals— that was amazing! Keep it up on the next four scenarios if needed!" He then turned to his list. "Let's move on forward now. Next up on the green screen would be the Scenario 2 Group! Touya-kun, Mai-chan, and the entire group, your turn."

Without any acknowledgment, Mai went ahead of Touya and all the other extras, while the older Kinomoto stood up almost reluctantly, making his way to the green screen.

#

**SCENARIO 02: Player Hater**

**SONG:** A Must to Avoid

**VOCALIST:** Touya Kinomoto

**FEATURING:** Mai Hirashiki

**SUMMARY:** A group of guys flirt with a group of girls, with their leader and the leader of those girls begin to flirt with each other like there was no end. The guys praise their leader for winning the heart of the prettiest girl around, however, things become on the downside when the ex-boyfriend of that said girl gives a warning to the love-sprung boy and the rest of their homeboys that the girl they swoon over is not who she seems to be. He warns the boys that the girl loves to string other guys along and eventually breaks their heart, for he was an unfortunate victim of that girl's charms himself.

Appearing as university students, a group of pretty and popular girls, lead by Mai, appear right in front of a group of hot and popular guys and then showed their flirty gestures at them. Mai heads over to Kotaro Ninomiya, the leader of the group of these handsome guys and then flirtatiously gave him a kiss on the cheek. Right then, she signals the girls to head to their destination, which is at their corner and they began to gossip about the cute guys they just flirted with.

At this point, Touya appears right after he witnessed what was going on. He noticed his homeboys drooling and staring at the girls across from them and then gets in front of them. From the sidelines, the band begins the instrumental, with Yamazaki on the drums this time, Sakura on lead guitar, Yukito on bass, and Tomoyo behind the keyboards. Touya gently pushes Kotaro backward and then he begins to sing:

_(She's a must to avoid)_

_A complete impossibility_

_(She's a must to avoid)_

_Better take it from me_

As Kotaro then faces Mai, who has been winking right at him, Touya interrupts by placing his arm around Kotaro, while Mai shows a disgusted look on her face.

_You think she's a prize at the start (Prize at the start)_

_But take my advice, play it smart (Just play it smart)_

_She's nuthin' but trouble_

_Better cut out on the double_

_Before she gets into your heart_

Another one of the guys from the sides try to get past Touya, but instead he catches him and pushes him back.

_(She's a must to avoid)_

_A complete impossibility_

_(She's a must to avoid)_

_Better take it from me_

Touya wraps both his arms around that same boy and Kotaro at the same time, this time he's facing Mai with a glare on his face.

_When you stare at her pretty brown eyes (In to her eyes)_

_There's no way to see through her disguise (Through her disguise)_

_But don't try to love her_

'_Cause you'll quickly discover_

_You're trapped in the web of her lies_

More boys try to pass Touya again, but instead, gets pushed back by him as well.

_(She's a must to avoid)_

_A complete impossibility_

_(She's a must to avoid)_

_Better take it from me_

At this point, Kotaro ends up getting himself hypnotized by Mai's charms and was already halfway to getting close to her. Quickly, Touya drags him back by his arm and then faces him.

_Her lips look inviting, it's true (Oh yes it's true)_

_But lots of other guys have felt like you do (Felt like you do)_

_She'll build up your hopes_

_And when you need her the most_

_That's when she'll say goodbye to you_

Here, the group of girls then try to get closer to the guys. Touya, on the other hand, uses himself as a shield to protect his homeboys from these group of girls, Mai, in particular.

_(She's a must to avoid)_

_A complete impossibility_

_(She's a must to avoid)_

_Better take it from me_

Unfortunately for Touya, Mai and the girls, drag him away on the side and then they reach for their desired boys. Just as Mai was about to place her arms around Kotaro, he then backs away from her and then carries Touya back to his group. The rest of the boys do the same with the other girls and they ditch them together, leaving Mai and the girls completely confused.

As the song and the scenario ended, they too received loud applause from everyone present. The Scenario 2 group sat at the same area where the Scenario 1 group had been sitting. Terada then stood up and faced the entire group.

"So, this type of scenario is rather interesting," Terada said. "Can anyone tell me what that scenario was about?"

Plenty of hands raised up and Terada picked one of male extras. Apparently, that particular boy happened to be none other than Touya's recent victim, Takuya Sakamoto. "Yeah. Somehow, the scenario really matches Kinomoto really well, except it's backwards."

"Hoe?" Sakura, who was still at the sidelines behind her guitar, blinked curiously, pointing her finger towards herself. Tomoyo chuckled and nudged her on the shoulder.

"He was talking about Touya-niichan, not you," Tomoyo giggled.

"Oh!" Sakura chuckled. "I knew that!"

Terada turned to Sakamoto. "This scenario matches Kinomoto… as in Touya-kun, am I right?"

Touya turned his head towards Sakamoto and the boys with him and simply gave him a glare. Sakamoto continued on. "In case you haven't heard, Director, Kinomoto here has got quite a reputation throughout Tomoeda, you know. That's why that sister of his can't get a real man because of sister complex dudes like him—"

"What'd you say?" Just as Touya was about to climb up to get Sakamoto, Eriol and Syaoran stood up quickly and held him back. "You wanna get your ass whooped right here and right now—"

"Calm down, Kinomoto-senpai, sit…" Eriol warned him.

"Now now," Terada calmed everyone down. "We're just discussing the scenario here, not to bash the star of that scenario. Let's all get back on subject."

Touya remained his glare at Sakamoto as he sat back down along with the others. Terada continued on. "Now, Sakamoto-kun, what exactly did you mean by backwards."

"Well," Sakamoto shrugged, "instead of beating up the guys who try to get with that girl, he pushes them away by talking smack about that girl."

"But then," right then, Rika interrupted. "I see in this scenario that Touya-niichan's role was that he was a heartbroken ex-boyfriend of that girl who lead him on and toyed with his heart while they were together. He was just being a friend to those guys who have been drooling on her and protect them from the likes of her, you know?"

"Oi, how on earth would you know that Kinomoto's role in that scenario was an ex-boyfriend and not the overprotective brother that he is?"

"Because," Rika glared, "Touya-niichan would never use that strategy on his beloved sister. If Touya-niichan loves his sister so much, he would rather beat you guys up than talk smack about her just so you losers would back off. That's why I figured that his role there was an ex-boyfriend. Duh?"

"Agreed, Rika-chan!" Chiharu raised her hand, as the rest of the girls also gave their gesture of agreement.

"Well, what a discussion indeed," Terada smiled. "And I have to agree that you picked an appropriate song, Kinomoto-kun. I also have to add that you've got a great singing voice. You just don't realize it."

"Sure," Touya shrugged. "Well, I gotta admit… I used to sing a lot to my mom whenever she was lonely and I wasn't near a piano. I stopped right after my mom died and I guess… I guess you could say that today was the first time that I sang as lead vocal."

"Good for you, Kinomoto-kun. Keep it up on the next upcoming shoots," Terada gave his praise at him. "Just a few more practices— and you will have practice times— you'll get there."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Well then! We call this scenario as 'Player Hater.' Let's move on to the next scene. Scenario 3 Group, you're up next!"

Just as the third group was getting up to the green screen, Syaoran made his own statement towards Mai. "I have to admit, I'm quite impressed by your acting at your scenario earlier."

Mai gasped and then scooted herself next to him with a huge smile on her face. "Y-you really think so, Li-kun?"

"I know so," Syaoran simply grinned. "With just actions alone, your performance was so real, I couldn't help myself but agree with Kinomoto-senpai that you truly are 'a must to avoid.'"

Mai's eyes widened in shock as those surrounding them began to laugh. "Why you have to be so mean, Li-kun?"

Eriol shook his head as he continued to laugh. "But you know, it really is a compliment. You really did well in your scenario! You oughta feel grateful that the great Li Xiaolang would give you such praise! He never does that to any of his fellow co-stars including Meiling and myself… hahahahaha!"

"Urgh…" Mai marched away from their spot and moved to another, while Syaoran simply gave a smirk on his face.

#

**SCENARIO 03: Love Advice**

**SONG:** Listen People

**VOCALIST:** Takashi Yamazaki

**FEATURING:** Meiling Li

**SUMMARY:** A lone boy receives news from his two best friends, another boy and a girl, that they confessed their love for each other and are now a couple. Along with the rest of their friends, who are also couples, the lone boy proudly gives his support to all of them by giving them a rewarding advice, for he too once was in love before.

In this scenario, Yamazaki does something different compared to the first two scenarios with Yukito and Touya. He sits at a spot playing his acoustic guitar. The rest of the band will still be playing the music, with Sakura on lead guitar again, Yukito on bass, Tomoyo on keyboard, and Touya on drums. The rather mellow-sounding song that Yamazaki chose for the scenario gives him a chance to be in the scene and playing his guitar for the first few chords of the song. As he played, all in a black blazer with an emblem, black slacks, dark red tie, white shirt, a group of teenagers lead by Meiling and Sakuya Tendou, all holding hands, representing couples. Meiling and Sakuya approach Yamazaki and Sakura gives gestures to him by placing his arm around Meiling and giving her a peck on the cheek. Yamazaki responds with a grin on his face but still continued to play the same chord on his guitar. The couples then sit around him, with Sakuya sitting at Yamazaki's right and Meiling sitting next to Yamazaki's left. Though the couples cuddle each other at this point, all eyes were right towards Yamazaki. That was when he starts to sing.

_Listen people to what I say_

_I say everybody's got to have their day_

After Yamazaki's solo guitar, the rest of the band begin to play the rest of the accompaniment.

_And don't you know that everybody's got to love somebody sometimes_

_Everybody's got to win a heart_

_Everybody's got to to love somebody sometimes_

_When you do, I hope you never part_

The instrumental went back to Yamazaki playing his acoustic guitar solo again. This time, he turns his head towards Sakuya.

_I once found love, found love just like you_

Then, he turns his head towards Meiling.

_But then he came, he might come to you_

He turns to all the couples, then the band plays again along with his guitar.

_And don't you know that everybody's got to lose somebody sometimes_

_But everybody can part_

_Everybody's got to lose somebody sometimes_

_So take care that you don't lose your heart_

The rest of the couples slowly crawl closer to Yamazaki.

_Take my advice and you'll always find_

_You'll be happy all of the time_

_Take my advice and you will see_

_You'll be happy as you can be_

Once again, Yamazaki plays his solo.

_Listen people to what I say_

_I say everybody's got to have their day_

And then the rest of the band play along.

_Don't you know that everybody's got to love somebody sometimes_

_Everybody's got to win a heart_

_Everybody's got to love somebody sometimes_

_When you do, I hope you never part_

As the band stopped playing, Yamazaki ends his song with another guitar solo. Sakuya and Meiling then patted him on the shoulder, showing their thanks for the rewarding advice.

_You never part_

_Listen people, listen people_

The song ends when Yamazaki ends his guitar playing. All the couples around him gave him applause, followed by the rest of the audience. When Terada called out "cut," the entire group sat at the bleachers with the rest of the scenario groups who already went.

"Well then," Terada began, "obviously this scenario is pretty much direct to the point. What impressed me though with this scenario is the creativity that was included in it. Here, we don't have Yamazaki-kun as just the lone, loveless boy, but a lone, loveless boy who expresses his feelings and support for all of his friends in love through a song. How did he do it? Well, he has a guitar and he's playing it real well! Who came up with that idea?"

Meiling and Sakuya quickly pointed right at Yamazaki. "Well then, if it isn't the singing star himself! Could you give us an explanation on how you came up with that."

Yamazaki gave a shrug. "Well, I thought that since I'm the 'star' of the scenario and not Meiling Li or Sakuya Tendou, I thought that I'd take advantage of it. I don't want to be just singing and then be a poor single boy who hasn't found a new love, so to speak, so… I decided to put a bit of character in to the poor single boy."

"I gotta admit, that really worked well, Yamazaki," Eriol praised it. "I like all the scenarios so far but so far I like this third one best."

Everyone applauded as Yamazaki gave his thanks. Terada then stepped in. "Now now, this doesn't mean that the other two scenarios were not as good as the third one, alright? Each group has their own ideas on how to approach the scenario, that's all. Let's all give credit to the main cast and the stars for making these scenarios the way they are, so give yourselves a hand." Everyone applauded again and then he continued. "We call this third scenario 'Love Advice.' And the song…"

"Oh, 'Listen People,' Director," Yamazaki provided the song name.

"That's quite mellow but you sang it real well, Yamazaki-kun. You'd be a good fit to be the lead singer of the band you know."

"Well… Hehe…" Yamazaki gently scratched his head. "Well, I have to admit that I hated singing when I was a kid, but… but… somehow… love became my inspiration in to putting more effort in singing and… as a guy in love, I gotta be original to my girl, you know?"

"Awww…" Most of the girls gave a sigh in awe at him after expressing his reason. At this point, Chiharu gave a slight blush while Rika nudged her on the side.

"But alas," Yamazaki sighed deeply. "Just like the song 'Listen People,' _he_… came… and I'm afraid of the worse…"

"Huh?" Chiharu gasped in shock and then stood up. "What on earth are you talking about, Takashi? Who is this _he_ you're talking about? There's no one else but you, you know that?"

"So you say." Right then, Yamazaki gave a sad expression on his face. "You said there was no one else… but you being the Wolfpups president, all you do now is complain and demand at me that I should behave because _he_ is here…"

Rika gasped in shock and turned to Chiharu. "Is that true, Chiharu? You're letting Li-kun get in between you and Yamazaki?"

"Huh? What? No! That idiot's lying again as always just so he would piss me off—"

Just as Chiharu was to continue, Syaoran suddenly stood up and then sighed. "I'm sorry…"

"Eh?" Everyone blinked in confusion as he approached Yamazaki, placing his arm over his shoulder.

"It's all my fault, Yamazaki. I know that I'm the _he_ you were referring to…"

"Well, actually Li—" Just as Yamazaki was to continue, Syaoran then called out to Chiharu.

"Mihara— I really do appreciate all your hard work for the Tomoeda branch of the Wolfpups. You've done so much to promote me to the masses and I'm grateful… but… you see… I had no idea that I'm the one who's standing between your relationship…"

"Oh Li-kun…" Chiharu then bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from letting her tears fall. The rest, on the other hand, stood stunned with rather perplexed expressions on their faces.

"Er, what are you trying to do here Li—" Yamazaki was about to speak up but Syaoran hushed him.

"Mihara-san," Syaoran continued. "This is all my fault, you see? When I arrived here in Tomoeda, I also did notice that you and Yamazaki have been spending less time with each other. You concentrating on me… him concentrating on the band… and… you see… I'm really sorry, Mihara… for I was the one who have been preventing the two of you from being together…"

Everyone gasped as Chiharu stood up. "N-no, Li-kun, it's not you… you've got nothing to do with this…"

"Oh, but it is," Syaoran gave a soft sigh. "It's because of me that… I have been taking your man away from you—"

"Ehhh…?" Everyone gave a loud gasp as Yamazaki stared nervously at Syaoran.

"What… exactly… are you saying… Li…?" Yamazaki gave a slight smirk while nervously muttering at him.

"Being the celebrity that you and the Wolfpups support so much, I haven't been a good guest to you. Rather than spending more time with you and the Wolfpups, I spend more time with your man instead… and therefore… I ask for your forgiveness…"

While everyone else gave mixed expressions on their faces, even Yamazaki himself looked more confused now than ever. However, Syaoran's superb acting really convinced his target at this point that she stood up and then called out to Yamazaki.

"Oh Li-kun, you don't need to apologize. I should be the one to apologize— to both you and Takashi!" She then turned to Yamazaki and called out. "I should listen to you more, Takashi. I've been such an uptight, demanding girlfriend and I'm sure I've been giving you hell…"

"Oh she's been giving you hell, alright," Eriol muttered with a smirk on his face.

"… but… but… thanks to Li-kun here and this scenario, I now see why you decided to portray your role like that. You were trying to send a message to me through that scenario and… and… now I understand… and because of that… it makes me love you more than ever, Takashi, and so… you're not really the lone boy in that scenario… you're just another boy in love just simply giving advice to a new group of young lovers like you and me… and so… I declare once again my love for you, Takashi Yamazaki!"

There were no other side words needed at this point as everyone simply applauded and more awws came from everyone who felt the love in this situation. Yamazaki then smiled and called out: "I love you too, Chiharu Mihara! Always!"

"Forever, Takashi!" Chiharu blew a kiss towards him. At this point, Syaoran caught the kiss and then gave it to Yamazaki, taking the kiss from his hand and then placed it on his lips.

But what came next became rather unexpected for Syaoran, Yamazaki, Sakura, and Tomoyo. With the gesture Syaoran just did by catching Chiharu's flying kiss and handing it over to Yamazaki stroke bolts of lighting within their minds. That lightning was none other than the lightning of realization. The act Syaoran just did of catching the flying kiss and then handing it over to Yamazaki was a very familiar gesture that only one other person would do that in their lives.

At the sidelines where the rest of the band were standing, Sakura and Tomoyo muttered simultaneously: "Syaoran…"

Back at the bleachers, Yamazaki gulped nervously as Syaoran quickly snapped his head with a shocked expression on his face towards him. "Hey… Yamazaki…"

"Y-yeah…?" Yamazaki scratched his head.

"What… I just did… earlier…"

Yamazaki sighed and then muttered softly. "What you did… catching Chiharu's kiss and then handing it to me like that…"

"I'm sorry about that, Yamazaki… it's just that… it was an automatic reflex that I didn't even know about… I don't do that to couples, honest…"

Yamazaki simply chuckled. "Nah, I'm not mad at that… it's just that… well… that was hilarious and cool at the same time. You know… my best friend always did that whenever Chiharu would blow kisses at me like that ever since we were little…"

"Oh… I see…" Syaoran muttered, now thinking to himself at this point. _So… Sakura's little wolf Syaoran does this gesture a lot on Yamazaki, huh… but how come I did that without even thinking about it?_

"Well then," Terada said, calming everyone down. "I see that all the declarations of love have finally concluded, let's go on with the next scenario. Looks like it's time for the girls to do their scenario. Your turn now, Scenario 4 Group!"

Tomoyo, who was standing next to Sakura, patted her on the shoulder. "We'll talk later, okay Sakura?"

"Yeah, sure thing," Sakura nodded as Tomoyo proceeded to the dressing room area to change her costumes. At this point, Sakura sighed deeply, thinking about the gesture Syaoran just did with catching Chiharu's flying kiss towards Yamazaki.

_Oh Xiaolang… I know you said that you would be my little wolf for the time being, but… why is it that when you caught Chiharu's flying kiss like that, all of a sudden you started to look like him? And I didn't tell you about that gesture that only Syaoran does when it came to Tak and Chiharu…_

At this point as well, Sakura can hear Syaoran's voice from yesterday: _"Tell me more about Syaoran-kun and I'll become him…"_

_#_

**SCENARIO 04: Untrustworthy**

**SONG:** I Gotta Be Sure

**VOCALIST:** Tomoyo Daidouji

**FEATURING:** Eriol Hiiragizawa

**SUMMARY:** At the hallways of a high school, a popular boy, despite that he's surrounded by his fellow popular guy friends and plenty of girls, confesses his love to a girl whom he's harbored special feelings for the longest time. The girl, on the other hand, has also been harboring special feelings for him as well, however she is aware of his rumored reputation and finds difficulty in trusting him and accept his love for her.

The green screen was set up as a hallway of a school with walls representing shoe lockers, with a huge crowd of extras dressed in high school uniform slightly different from the ones Yamazaki and the Scenario 3 group wore for their screen than black blazers, they were wearing dark blue blazers this time. At this scene, Tomoyo and Rika are at their lockers, chatting like typical high school best friends as always. Moments later, Eriol, followed by more good-looking boys and random girls following him like sick puppies in love, enters the scene. With just actions, he called out for Tomoyo. She turned to him and again, with just actions, confessed his feelings to her and asks her to be his girlfriend. The girls surrounding him gave shocked expressions on their faces and then disappeared from the scene with sad faces. As for Tomoyo, she handed her bag towards Rika and then stepped forward towards Eriol with a suspicious look on her face.

At that point, the band, with Sakura on lead guitar, Yukito on bass, Yamazaki on drums, and Touya on keyboard, began playing the first few measures of the song. Afterwards, Tomoyo faced Eriol and began to sing:

_You asked that my lips kiss only you_

_But I gotta be sure_

_You asked that my arms hold only you_

_But I gotta be sure_

She turned on the other side, still facing him. Eriol also continued to gaze at a suspecting Tomoyo and showed a concerned expression on his face. The others witnessing also gave indifferent looks, continued to watch the scenario.

_I gotta be sure before I give you all my loving_

_I know for a broken heart there isn't any cure_

_You just gotta promise that your love will last a lifetime_

_Oh darling, I gotta be sure_

She faced him front again and then takes his hand.

_So swear that your love_

_Will shine as bright as the stars above_

_I gotta be sure_

_I gotta be sure of your love_

Eriol then slowly releases his hand from her and instead, took her hand to his, placing her palm on to his chest.

_So swear that your love_

_Will shine as bright as the stars above_

_I gotta be sure_

_I gotta be sure of your love_

Just like that, the song and the scenario end, and as always, the group received more applause from their fellow stars and extra colleagues. When they sat down at the bleachers, Terada begins the discussion again.

"That's a rather… short… scenario…" Terada chuckled. "And the song you chose sounded like it's unfinished, Tomoyo-chan."

"Work in progress," Tomoyo chuckled nervously. "Well, I'm currently working on it and I wanted to try it out since it matches the scenario, so… yeah… it's short!"

"Now, there's nothing wrong with a short scenario, in fact I never said that it had to be long, but as long as all the required elements in that scenario are all in there, that's all I'm looking for. I must say, for an incredibly short scenario with an incredibly short song, you kids did well." Everyone responded with more applause. "So, any other comments from anybody not from the Scenario 4 Group?"

Meiling raised her hand. "I gotta say that Tomoyo-chan looked really cute being all serious like that! And Eriol somehow really fit the character of being a player…"

"Hey," Eriol pouted, "but that's not really me. I was just acting as always. Of course, if this were in real life, I would never do such a thing to Tomoyo-chan."

"Aww, that's very sweet of you, Eriol-kun," Tomoyo chuckled nervously.

"Although I find it really interesting," Naoko joined in. "Considering that Tomoyo-chan, through that song I mean, had become really cautious when it came to getting in to a brand-new relationship, considering the really bad breakup she had awhile ago… and ironically, one of the extras in the Scenario 4 Group happened to be that ex-boyfriend who broke her heart—"

In the group, Ken Bunchin gasped and then dropped his head, while the others turned right at him. Eriol, who decided to become blunt, turned to him. "So, you're the bastard who broke sweet Tomoyo-chan's fragile heart and left her alone and cold like that, huh?"

"W-wait a minute!" Ken Bunchin exclaimed and then faced Eriol. "Okay, so word's been spread out about our breakup and unfortunately it just had to reach you teen idols too. It… it was unintentional…"

"Unintentional?" Naoko stood up, glaring right at him. "Whatever on earth did Tomoyo do to you for you to shatter her heart into pieces like that? I mean, both of you are from the Tomoeda elite and hell, her family's heaps wealthier than yours. You've gotta be the weakest coward this entire town has ever known!"

"Naoko!" Tomoyo called for her friend's name, trying to get her to stop opening her mouth even further.

Just as things were about to get messy, Terada hushed everyone and then continued on with the discussion. "Now now, we're talking about the scenario itself now, not insult those who participated in the scenario. So, at least all of you understood that this scenario, which we titled 'Untrustworthy,' is simply about a girl being cautious to a guy with a rather… interesting… reputation… that can affect their relationship with each other and thus, made the boy promised to always swear and be faithful to his love and nothing more. I really love your reactions to this particular situation even though it's short— barely two minutes even. But I have to commend all of you for even drawing a few of your theories and thoughts." He then turned to the Scenario 4 Group. "This is only a screen test, so we're not grading you for originality or the length of the scenario, but simply, this screen test also gives everyone, not just the band members, but everyone participating in the movie, of what scenes to expect during our shooting, so thank you for presenting us the fourth scenario. Great job." Everyone applauded again as Terada hushed everyone again.

"Final group— The Scenario 5 Group. You're up next!"

"Hoe?" Sakura, still standing still with Yamazaki's electric guitar around her sleeve, blurted her nervousness. Yamazaki patted her on the shoulder.

"It's your turn now, Sakura-chan!"

"Hoe… I can't believe Tomoyo's scenario is so short…. I… I'm not ready yet!"

Yukito patted Sakura on her other shoulder. "No need to be nervous now. Remember, Chiharu-chan is in your group also, ne? And besides… Li-kun is there with you, ne?"

"I… I've watched all your scenarios carefully and… you guys are really good… like professionals up there… I… I don't know how I'm gonna end up with mine…"

Touya shook his head and stood in front of his sister. "Listen, squirt. I thought mine sucked earlier but it seemed everyone liked it. If you think some hotheaded loser like me could go through that, I'm sure you could go through that too…"

"Well that's because your scenario matches your personality, Oniichan…"

"Why? What's your scenario about?" Touya asked curiously.

Sakura sighed and then whispered softly. "I… I have to pretend that I'm totally in love with Xiao— I mean Li-kun."

"Oh hell… now I see why you're so damn nervous…" Touya gave a frown, crossing his arms.

"Hey, come on now, Touya, lay off," Yukito sighed. "It's only a screen test and it's only acting. It's not for real, you know. I'm sure Li-kun has that mindset also."

"He better not do anything weird with her, Yukito," Touya gritted his teeth. "I don't want him touching her all weird and all that crap in that scenario… Sakura's way too naive to experience… stuff like that…"

"Hm, I wonder why she's so naive to even know about these… things… Touya…" Yukito gave a soft mutter towards him in a slight sarcastic tone.

Just as the conversation was about to continue, Syaoran passed by them and called out: "What's with the stalling, Sakura? Let's go."

"R-right! I'll be there!" Sakura raised her hand, acknowledging Syaoran, as she removed the guitar and handed over to Yamazaki. "Okay… um… wish me luck…" She waved at the boys and followed Syaoran from behind.

#

**SCENARIO 05: Daydreaming**

**SONG:** When You Walk in the Room

**VOCALIST:** Sakura Kinomoto

**FEATURING:** Li Xiaolang

**SUMMARY:** A hapless high school girl daydreams of her classmate, who happens to be her long-time secret crush, just as he and his friends barely made it through the doors of a bustling crowded bus, making their way back home from school. Despite the very tight crowd with barely any space inside the bus, she was able to get a good glimpse of her crush from where she was standing. However, when an elderly couple comes in and those remaining inside the train forced to move, what happens when the boy of her dreams shifted his position from across to standing right next to her?

The scenario starts in a familiar bus setting with a few empty seats at the front. Sakura, dressed in a white short-sleeved top, maroon red tie, and a maroon red calico-patterned skirt that stretched down below her knees, sneaked in the door and placed her change in a fair box next to the bus driver. She sat right at the empty seat next to the door along with her school bag in front of her. Few seconds later, the driver reacted with his hand still on the lever to close the bus doors as Syaoran and a few of the handsome-looking extras as his friends, all dressed in the similar school uniform as Sakura ran through the doors. They thanked the driver for waiting for them as the boys drop their fares in to the fare box. Chiharu and Maiko Horibe, the girl culprit who caused the breakup between Tomoyo and Ken Bunchin, were also at the front seats talking like best friends. Just as Syaoran and the boys made it, he and another boy sat right at the empty seats across from Sakura, right behind the bus driver, with Chiharu and Maiko giving flirting gestures towards Syaoran, now that they're close to each other. Sakura, who had been pining for Syaoran since the start of high school, couldn't help but gaze at him, showing her own gestures of her love and admiration for him.

As the bus doors finally close, the driver does his actions simulating the bus already moving. The rest of the actors began to sway their bodies gently to simulate that they were already riding the bus. With Syaoran and his friends laughing and Chiharu and Maiko attempting all they can to bashing their eyes and blowing kisses at him, Sakura, on the other hand, starts singing her song while staring right at Syaoran with a huge smile on her face, but not before the band plays the first few measures of the song, with Yamazaki on lead guitar, Yukito on bass, Touya on drums, and Tomoyo on keyboard.

_I can feel a new expression on my face_

_I can feel a glowing sensation taking place_

_I can hear the guitars playing a lovely tune_

_Every time that you walk in the room_

The bus suddenly stops and more passengers came in. One of the girl extras, dressed up as a pregnant lady, enters, and Sakura stands up, offering her seat to the pregnant lady, as the pregnant lady thanks her by sitting down. Sakura is now standing next to the now-occupied seat with her bag on one hand and the other clinging on to the iron pole supporting the front seats. Meanwhile, Syaoran places headphones from his mp3 player on his ears as to not to be disturb by the constant flirting from the two girls on the same row of seats as him. Once again, Sakura still watches him from where she is now standing and then closes her eyes. The bus moves on again.

_I close my eyes for a second and pretend it's me you want_

She then slowly opens her eyes and then shifts her eyes away from him.

_Meanwhile I try to act so nonchalant_

While looking away, she closes her eyes and begins to daydream again.

_I feel a summer's night with a magic moon_

_Every time that you walk in the room_

The bus stops again and this time, a huge group of passengers suddenly enter the bus. A boy and girl extra, dressed as an elderly couple, enters the bus, and as a courtesy, Syaoran removes his headphones and he and his other guy friend gave up their seats so the elderly couple may sit down at their seats. When a rush of more passengers entered, in order to give himself some room, Syaoran splits from his friend and moves across, right in front of Sakura. As the bus suddenly becomes a tuna can, Sakura finds herself against the wall of the bus, with Syaoran standing in front of her with both arms surrounding her so both of them would not stumble and fall. At this point, both Sakura and Syaoran found their eyes gazing at each other, as the door closes and the bus moves again.

_Baby, it's a dream come true_

_Standing right alongside of you_

_Wish I could tell you how much I care_

_But I only have the nerve to stare_

From out of the blue, the bus shakes and a huge force shifted towards the driver's side, in which the people behind Syaoran fell backward, pushing Syaoran right towards Sakura. Sakura uses her hands to protect herself but ends up touching Syaoran's chest so he wouldn't fall all the way towards her. In return, he quickly grabs Sakura around her waist so she would not hit her head against the bus wall. Right then, Syaoran mutters "sorry" at her, as she returned the mutter with "don't worry." After the brief exchange of words, they found each other exchanging gazes once more, with Sakura unknowingly still has her hands on to his chest. Syaoran, on the other hand, didn't mind at all and simply gave her a smile and kept his arm around her waist, as if they were embracing each other like young lovers, just staying in that position as if they were in their own world.

_I can feel that something's pounding on my brain_

_Just any time that someone speaks your name_

_Trumpet sounds, I hear thunder boom_

_Every time that you walk in the room_

Right then, the bus stops and majority of the passengers get off the bus. From behind, the two girls flirting with him suddenly dragged him away as they were getting off the bus, followed by the rest of Syaoran's friends. Knowing this was not Sakura's stop, she found the front seats empty again. With a sad face, she sat on to the empty seat, watching Syaoran leaving the bus.

_Every time that you walk in the room_

She lowers her head in sadness, knowing that they'll be stranger again once they see in school. Then few seconds later, the driver reacted again and re-opened the bus door. From out of the blue, Syaoran enters the bus again and mutters to the driver that this wasn't his stop. The driver stopped him from paying another fare and simply muttered to him to sit down. Sakura flashed a happy smile once he entered, and this time, he sits at the empty seat next to her. The bus began to move again, as Syaoran offers a handshake to Sakura, introducing himself to her. She returns the introduction and both shook hands, with smiles on their faces.

The scenario ended then and the response came with loud applause and cheers from their fellow cast members and extras. The group and the rest of the band who just played the music headed to the bleachers. Terada stood up and faced everyone for another discussion.

"Well then! This scenario is called 'Daydreaming,' and I have to say that having to set this scenario in a crowded bus was quite original! Who on earth came up with that idea?"

Chiharu raised her hand. "Well, both Sakura and Li-kun came up with the bus idea. We all thought that it's weird to have a cute romantic scene taking place in a crowded bus but somehow it worked!"

Sakura picked up from where Chiharu left off. "Well, we were brainstorming, and because we knew that Tomoyo's and Yamazaki's scenes would eventually involve high school, we thought of setting our scenario in an unusual setting. We were brainstorming through what we know of shoujo manga and then Li-kun muttered that he had some strange fangirl encounters when he was riding the subway train in Tokyo at one point and then we came up with the idea!"

"Ahem," Syaoran coughed. "Originally it was a subway train but since we didn't have enough props to make the simulated interior of a subway train so we changed it to a bus."

"Well then," Terada chuckled. "The scenario only states that it's about a girl daydreaming of the boy she's had a long-time crush on from the distance and it looks like you went beyond just that."

"I guess it's to match the lyrics of the song I picked," Sakura said. "It's a song that I wrote in secret a long time ago. Work in progress also."

"Now," Terada continued, "whose idea was it that you decided to take the situation further from a mere staring at the apple of the eye in to actually getting closer to each other and then eventually communicating with each other?"

"Actually—" Just as Sakura was about to answer, Syaoran interrupted.

"Mine. I find scenarios in which a girl gazes at a guy she's in love with and then nothing happens after that really lame and boring. Something has gotta happen. Who wants to watch a dull scene with no other action aside from just staring?" Syaoran shrugged his shoulders. "Something seriously has gotta happen, right?" Sakura and the rest of the group agreed with nods.

"And you all made it happen, of course," Terada smiled. "Good choice of song, Sakura-chan."

"Thank you," Sakura bowed her head.

"You could project your voice a little louder though. You've got a great singing voice. Don't be afraid to show it off!"

"But…" Sakura gave a slight pout, knowing from the entire band, she had to be the failure.

"Well then. It's only a screen test. You'll do much better in the actual shooting, so no worries," Terada said. "Alright. Final scene of the day includes everybody with The Cool Rascals performing as if they were in a small special concert. Let's go!"

#

After the sixth scenario was completed with the band performing and everyone else dancing, simulating a music variety show, the groups were split in to their own separate ways again. The five main couples began their daytime shooting with the chosen extras. The band, on the other hand, were reminded by Terada that two of Japan's hottest pop composers will be arriving in Tomoeda tonight and will be collaborating with them and other local artists to produce the soundtrack for the movie. These two composers, simply known as CJ and Klein, were ecstatic to learn that the producers of _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ will employ local Tomoeda artists rather than paying very high salaries to Japan's A-list vocal artists and bands that they decided to arrive early in Tomoeda instead of the original schedule of the end of July. With that, the band were excused and go back to their usual lives. Tonight at the night shootings, Touya will be joining Yukito at his very first night shooting as an extra. Once again, the night shooting setting will be in Mooncastle Diner, and because Touya has the night shift again tonight, it was definitely a good opportunity.

That afternoon, Yamazaki invited Sakura in his house as a favor of helping him doing a bit of a house cleaning. Chiharu and Rika had officers' meeting of their respective fanclubs at that time while Naoko headed to the library to work on her series of blog articles regarding the movie shooting. As she entered the house, she felt the spirit of nostalgia taking over her at this point.

"I haven't been in this house for the longest time… when Syaoran and the Li Clan used to live here…" Sakura muttered with her usual optimistic smile on her face.

"Really?" Yamazaki blinked curiously. "I never invited you in when I started living here?"

"Eh, Chiharu will be mad if you invited some other girl aside from her in your house, ne?" Sakura giggled.

"Hm, I guess you've got a point there."

He lead her to the washing machine room where all the cleaning equipment were being kept neatly. "Thanks for helping me out with the house cleaning, Sakura. I swear, those guys are a bunch of slobs that they had to have their manager clean up all the mess in their rooms. I feel bad for Wei-san for doing all that work. He's already as busy enough as it is managing their schedules and all that."

"Maybe they're rich, Tak," Sakura made her statement. He brought out the necessary equipment from bandanas to face masks to portable dust swiffers and so on. He and Sakura began to equip themselves and then headed upstairs.

"Eh? How do you figure that?" Yamazaki asked curiously.

"Most rich kids have never done a single household chore ever in their lives so they just end up slobbering everything expecting the maids to clean all their dirty work."

"Obviously those two are rich," Yamazaki rolled his eyes. "Well, Li's not that bad. He fixes his own bed and stuff but when it comes to the little things such as snacks, argh…"

"I guess I won't have to ask how Eriol-kun is like, ne?"

"Don't even mention him in front of my face when it comes to cleanliness, girl." The two friends broke in to laughter as they finally reached second floor.

"Well then," Yamazaki began. "I don't want you to do all the nastier work around here, so I'll do Eriol's room, you do Li's room. At least you won't have a hard time cleaning his room compared to Eriol's."

"Hee hee, sure thing." The two exchanged hi-fives as they entered their respective rooms.

When Sakura entered Syaoran's room, his room wasn't as cluttered as she imagined. The bed was neatly done and the windowsill seat was also clean, however the bed itself, as well as the desk, was filled with candy wrappers and other unnecessary trash that she gave a frown.

"Boys…"

She began to pick up the trash from the desk surfaces, the side tables, and even on the bed. As she was placing them in the trash bag, she noticed two things sticking out underneath his pillow. First thing she noticed was some kind of an old leather binding. Obviously to her, it was a book of some sort. She reached for the book and read the title engraved on the cover.

"The Book of Keroberos…" She then gasped when she remembered that Syaoran did mention that he has a copy of The Book of Keroberos that had been in his family possession for the longest time. She decided to open the cover and then saw the first page carefully written in elegant calligraphy.

"'This fresh, elegant official copy of The Book of Keroberos has been bestowed by the Honorable Council of Tomoeda to the Li Family Clan: Xiaojin and Yelan Li… dated March 19 at 10:00 a.m…'" Sakura gasped once more when she began to contemplate.

_Xiaojin and Yelan Li… Syaoran's parents? But… how come Xiaolang has this book then?_

She continued to flip the first few pages and then came the elegantly written names of the immediate family members. She continued to read it to herself.

"_The Book of Keroberos gives authority of ownership to the following and are eligible to pass this book from generation to generation: Xiaojin Li, Yelan Li, quadruplet daughters Feimei, Fuutie, Fanren, and Shiefa, son Syaoran…"_

Quickly she closed her eyes and shook her head. _No no no no no… it can't be… could Xiaolang and Syaoran really related to each other? They have to be, otherwise he wouldn't have this book in his hands right now… what on earth is going on here…?_

She noticed the silk string bookmark was stuck somewhere in the book. She decided to flip the pages to the one with the bookmark. Once again, she read the passage that was on the page.

_Sweet memories are not meant to be forgotten_

_Even if one forgets, those same sweet memories will always return_

_With just a little push_

_And a help of a trusted friend_

_True love awaits more than ever_

_Hold thy Tomoeda stuffed animal so close and tight_

_Call out its name and thy true love shall come_

_And thus shalt recover_

_Lost memories no more…_

"Huh," Sakura blinked, scratching her head. "Why would he be having a bookmark on this page? Weird." She then closed the book and decided to put it back underneath the pillow. She took down the two pillows, only to reveal the second item hidden underneath. If anyone would think that The Book of Keroberos was one thing to gasp in shock, this particular second item would guarantee fainting.

"What's this…?" She reached for the pink stuffed animal with white wings and picked it up. "Must be from a fan…?" She continued to examine the bear-shaped stuffed animal until she felt something unusually knitted underneath the bear's bum. She turned the bear upside down and found a small pink cherry blossom sewn on it. In very small letters underneath had the initials "S.K." on them.

Immediately, she dropped the stuffed animal and then backed away quickly. With such shock, she began to breathe heavily and then biting her bottom lip. _Oh God… that bear… that was my bear… I knitted that little cherry blossom and my initials in them so Syaoran will remember that I was the one who gave him that pink bear… but… how can Xiaolang have it…?_

"Kinomoto, you there?" Right then, she heard Yamazaki's voice calling her.

"Uh— I'm still cleaning up, Tak. Be right there!" Sakura called out as she quickly buried both the book and the bear underneath the pillow of Syaoran's bed. Without even thinking, she lied down on his bed with her head on the pillow.

"I'm gonna make some refreshments so I'll be downstairs," Yamazaki called.

"Okay!" Sakura shouted. She sighed in relief and then covered her face with her hands. "What… what is going on… why does Xiaolang have my stuffed animal…? I gave that pink bear to Syaoran… just… why does he have it…?"

Slowly she got up and then found one of her eyes already have tears about to trickle down. _Why on earth am I about to cry now? Is this the reason why I feel so safe, so close, and so comfortable when I'm with Xiaolang? Is it because he has a very strong connection to my little wolf?_

Once again, those same words echoed from Syaoran's voice yesterday played in her head once more: _"Tell me more about Syaoran-kun and I'll become him…"_

"But Xiaolang… how can I tell you more about Syaoran if… if you already know him…?"

Right then, Yamazaki arrived at the door again, giving it a knock. "Iced tea and cake's ready. You comin'?"

"I… I'm finished." Sakura quickly picked up the trash bag and then headed out from his room.

"Here, let me take that."

Yamazaki took the garbage bag from her as she followed him downstairs for their afternoon snack.

* * *

**A/N:** Haaaaiii~! It's me again. Some of you may be surprised that I've got another chapter uploaded at such short notice. Well, I've got bad news and... somewhat of a good news. The bad news is that the supposed "job" that I have actually gave me false hope. The training day that I had last Friday gave me the idea that it was first day on the job, but it turns out that it's actually a "trial day" and that I learned earlier today that I made several mistakes in my training that the company decided not to hire me. What's even worse is that the others in my training group did horribly as well that none of us even made it in. I disputed because I know I'm confident with my data entry skills that the employment agency is now going to investigate and see how on earth did my entire Friday training group "flunked." And what pissed me off first was that the people in that company gave us confidence that we're guaranteed a spot in their company. Even the employment agency wasn't aware that it's actually a "trial day." That's why I'm back to square one being unemployed. Again.

The bit of the good news is that the other job that I turned down because of this job, I still have a chance, so then I'm having my clearance appointment on Wednesday. Maybe if I do pass that I'll be able to have a job after all. Lesser pay but what the heck, it's still a job.

So, moving along with the story. Yes, another long chapter. Deal with it LOL.

The songs used here are "Come Home" by The Dave Clark Five, "A Must to Avoid" and "Listen People" by Herman's Hermits, "I Gotta Be Sure" by Robin Clark, and "When You Walk in the Room" by Jackie DeShannon. If you're wondering, they're old '60s pop songs that are obviously older than myself and most of you readers. I use '60s songs, not just because I like them, but for these reasons: #1 – Their lyrics are direct to the point and none of that "complex poetic" messages that simply makes no sense to some people and why writers use these songs in situations that are unrelated. Huh... #2 – Because they're such old pop songs, that also meant one thing- they're short as well. It's easy for me to write around along with the song lyrics if they're short. Besides, I'm not writing a songfic after all. #3 – I don't listen to today's pop/mainstream music. I'm not a teenybopper anyway and I'm not in to the whole trends thing too. I listened to my own "pop/mainstream music" in my young generation ('90s) but as time goes, I felt that most of the music today are just not my tastes. And of course, as I grew older, I got more mature with my tastes and started to appreciate music of the past eras also. It happens.

I have another rant of sorts regarding FFnet writers and their A/Ns (author's notes). What I personally find irritating for me as a reader is when writers make up "skits" Mary Sue-ing themselves with anime characters. While they may find it hilarious or entertaining, I personally find them irritating and irrelevant IMO. I read other people's stories just for the stories alone, not because of their nonsense Mary Sue-ing-style skits that they add in their A/Ns. What's even a whole lot more irritating is if they put that right on top of the chapter or if they split up the "skit" and add them both at the top and at the bottom of the chapter they upload. This is where I start to get myself confused on what exactly the writer was trying to present here, or what's really the most important in posting these stories: are they presenting their stories to the masses or are they presenting themselves more over the actual story as if they were seeking attention from the readers? When I see these I would just scroll down and start with the story, but when it becomes way overboard, I simply just stop reading the story altogether and move on to the next story and not bother commenting on that one. It's just horrible, I'm sorry. =T

Last but not least, my end-of-chapter shoutouts! First up, of course, shoutouts to the new followers and those who added "Stuffed Animal" to their favorites. Thank you all for your support! ^_^

And finally, the reviewers...

**Cat Dawntreader (a.k.a. End Noesis) **Yes, I read profiles LOL. Thanks for your support! I have this strange habit with stories in general, where I start with short chapters and as the story progresses, the chapters get longer. Then again there's no special limitations with the length of the chapters in a book anyhow. ^.^

**Dual Starduster:** I thought about having this chapter as the "dinner" chapter but then I gotta finish the screen tests too, so I decided to push the "dinner" chapter later. ^^;

**Aizawa LSV (your name's too long to write LOL XD)**: If you remember from the original series, both Sakura and Syaoran are quite naïve when it comes to these issues, most especially when it comes to love. Syaoran didn't realize his feelings for Sakura until the near end and Sakura didn't realize her feelings for Syaoran until he left to go back home. I'm using that similar naivete that they possessed in this fic also, but at the same time, keep in mind that Syaoran is still suffering amnesia (as stated in the beginning of the story), which is why it's taking him awhile to realize that Sakura's "little wolf" is actually him. Sakura, on the other hand, is just slow-minded in general. :)

**clacla:** I don't have a job, sadly, but thanks. (T_T)

**kira103:** Thanks for reading and your support! I'll do my best not to disappoint you and all the other readers. :)

** :** Thank you for reading! And here's a new chapter my dear. :)

**VPvirtuoso (dang FFnet would not read the rest of your name if I put the periods there XD):** Thanks for the praise, although I'm far from being an "expert" on word play. But I try. :)

And that's about it! Let's fast forward the time period for a bit in the next chapter!


	10. 09: Sakura Swag

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 9: SAKURA SWAG**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

_**One Week Later… (or rather, four days before Syaoran's 18th Birthday…)**_

Fujitaka Kinomoto stared at his watch while gazing at the staircase leading upstairs. Some moments later, Touya came downstairs along with his diner uniform and backpack, heading to his new day shift at the Mooncastle Diner. His other next-door neighbor and childhood best friend Yukito was currently waiting outside at his new sleek black pick-up truck that his grandfather Soun invested on a few days ago.

"I'm off, Dad. I'll be home early early today," Touya reminded his father. "Man, I can't believe you're taking a day off from work and your thesis just for that brat?"

Fujitaka sighed and crossed his arms again. "My reason isn't just because of our important guest, but you do realize that cooking the perfect Whisperjay Stew takes almost the entire day to make. That's why it's important that we go to the farmer's market this early in the morning so we can buy the necessary ingredients fresh."

"I can see why Whisperjay Stews are only served on occasion at Mooncastle Diner and they don't put it in the regular menu," Touya gave a slight frown. "But yours is still the best in town!"

"Well, thank you, Son," Fujitaka grinned. "You better head off to work now or you'll get your buddy mad for being late."

"Yeah yeah, I'm going." He patted his father on the shoulder and then dashed to the door.

Meanwhile, Fujitaka turned towards the stairs again. "Sakura dear, are you ready?"

"Almost, Dad!" Sakura shouted from upstairs.

"The Farmer's Market will be open in about five minutes now. We want to be there first so we'll be first to get our ingredients fresh and ready to go now!"

Few seconds later, Sakura, now wearing her chin-length hair with two small pigtails, a pastel yellow t-shirt with the printed words "Go-Getter Girl" on it and light blue denim capri pants, dashed downstairs and then began to breathe hard. "Sorry Dad… I didn't get enough sleep… dang that shooting last night…"

"Oh, it wasn't that bad, Sakura, you were only at Tomoyo's house last night, so stop complaining," Fujitaka smiled.

Sakura checked her shoulder-strapped white purse to make sure that all the things she needed to bring were in there. "I'm ready to go, Dad!"

"Let's go!" Fujitaka smiled. They both headed for the door, but before that, the two passed by another beautiful pic of the late wife and the late mother, the alluring Nadeshiko Amamiya Kinomoto, and both bowed to her photo. "We're leaving now, Dear."

"See you later, Mom!" Sakura smiled happily as the Father and Daughter exit.

#

In Tomoeda tradition, the Whisperjay Stew, a chicken or steak-based stew with the freshest local ingredients only found in Tomoeda, is a dish that takes careful precision and timing to get the form, scent, and taste as any local townsfolk should be familiar with. The sauce is as creamy, light, but bursting with distinctive flavor, mixed with sweet, pungent, and spicy herbs and spices with a few hints of the fruity and the savory. Because of the intensity of the required ingredients and its measurement precision, this particular stew could take almost an entire day to prepare. This was why this dish is only served in certain occasions when needed. Birthdays, weddings, graduation parties, and so on and so forth are perfect times for families to serve the dish. Town-wide, the dish becomes very popular and high-demanding in seasonal festivals.

Even if that was the case, not every single Tomoeda family are able to prepare the stew the most proper way. It takes a true master cook to master the complexity of its recipe and in addition, to make the dish a signature to the one who prepared it. The two families in Tomoeda who are known to have the tastiest, most authentic versions of the dish are the Kinomoto Family and the Tsukishiro Family. According to the Book of Keroberos, it was these two families who invented the Whisperjay Stew, but like everything else written in that book, it was only a legend. No one really knows, by fact, where the origins of the Whisperjay Stew actually came from.

Fujitaka's late mother taught him how to prepare the stew since he was little and whenever she prepared the dish, he was always there to lend a helping hand. From then on, eventually, Fujitaka learned how to prepare the Whisperjay Stew himself and had been preparing it for the family, friends, even colleagues back in the university. Although his academic background and interests are anything related to history, which of course explains why he is an archaeologist today, his second passion from history was none other than cooking. In every seasonal festival cooking contests, he always participated and had won several awards, but he had never served the Whisperjay Stew as his entry to these contests. When he and Nadeshiko started dating, one of the first few things that he did was to teach Nadeshiko how to prepare the Whisperjay Stew. Eventually, he had his own share of cooking students for the dish, in which his two most famous students, Sonomi Daidouji and Yelan Li, also became known for being able to prepare authentic Whisperjay Stew. Even so, they all believed that Fujitaka's version was still the original, true Whisperjay Stew.

At this point, father and daughter arrived at the farmer's market at the town square and the merchants were still setting up their booths. The summer sun was becoming really hot and both father and daughter exited the car with sunglasses and visors to protect themselves from the sweltering heat.

"Wow, Dad," Sakura gasped. "It's like 7:30 in the morning and the heat of the sun feels like the afternoon."

"We'll be having fresh harvests today, that's for sure," Fujitaka grinned. The two entered the farmer's market area where there are some booths ready for business and others still setting up. "Well, looks like we'll have to wait until all the booths are open. Let's sit over there at the fountain benches while we wait."

"Sure, Dad."

They sat at one of the empty benches right next to the central fountain. A majestic statue of a mythical-looking lion stood at the center of the fountain. At the outside circle of the fountain had the name "Keroberos" written around it. Once they sat down, Fujitaka began a conversation.

"Well then. It's been almost a week since you stopped talking about that teen idol friend of yours. Is the dinner still going to be on tonight?"

Sakura chuckled. "Of course, Dad. Xiaolang will still come over tonight. It's already been set."

"Well, so it's Xiaolang now and not Li-kun, eh?" Fujitaka grinned.

"Well, he asked me to just call him by his first name so… I am."

"He must have grown very fond of you, Sakura. Unfortunately he is a movie actor and that he would have a very heavy schedule for him to even make time for his non-celebrity friends."

"Well, that's the reason why I haven't spoken to him in a week. He'd been busy with his shooting and then I've been busy with The Cool Rascals at the audio studio at Tomoyo's house practicing and recording songs for the movie soundtrack."

"Well I do hope that you're not drifting apart or anything like that."

Sakura shook her head. "Oh, nothing like that, Dad. Even if we haven't seen each other for almost a week, we still keep in touch through texts." Immediately she reached for her phone and then showed her father Syaoran's latest text. "This was dated last night before I went to bed. He was at his night shooting then."

Fujitaka read what the text said: _I like my Whisperjay Stew with water chestnuts. Please ask your father to add water chestnuts in them. I'd really appreciate it!_

"My my," Fujitaka chuckled. "He must be used to the Kinomoto Style Whisperjay Stew. The Tsukishiro Style doesn't have any water chestnuts or whatever nuts they have. Apparently majority of the Tsukishiro Family Clan are allergic to peanuts."

"Eh? But Yukito-niichan isn't allergic to peanuts at all," Sakura blinked.

"Well obviously he's from the minority," Fujitaka said. "My family adds water chestnuts, almonds, cashews, and peanuts in the stew to have a bit of crunch and the nutty sweet flavor hinted in the sauce so that's how we've always made our Whisperjay Stews. I also thought your mother and Tomoyo-chan's mother and even Syaoran-kun's mother the same style as how it's been through the past generations of the Kinomoto Family."

"We're nuts, Dad," Sakura laughed using a pun.

"Right." He then handed back her phone. "Considering your friend Li Xiaolang is Chinese, he would want to have water chestnuts in his stew."

"Ah, you're right. It's a Chinese crop." Her father nodded and then fell silent again, still waiting for all the booths to set up and then become open for business. Right then, Sakura broke the silence. "Say, Dad?"

"Hm?"

"Well… um… I'm wondering… are you ready to meet him?"

"You mean Li Xiaolang? Of course I'm ready to meet new people."

Sakura took a sigh of relief. "Um, he might bring his manager Wei along with him. Hope that's okay."

Fujitaka smiled. "Of course that's okay. I'm planning on making a huge batch of stew tonight so your friend can take some home and share it with his friends if he likes."

"Oh, that's so cool, Dad!" Sakura cheered happily, then gave a loud sigh. "Dad…"

"Yes?" Right then, he discovered his daughter's head lowered down. "What's the matter, Sakura?"

"It's… it's about Xiaolang, Dad…"

"Hm? What about him? Good or bad, I'm still interested in meeting him tonight."

"No, nothing like that… it's just that… I think I'm going crazy…" Sakura gulped and sighed once more.

"Knowing you dear, that shouldn't surprise me."

"I mean, Dad… the last time I've seen was during our screen test last week. I… I just couldn't help but… connect all the dots together."

"Connect the dots? What do you mean?"

"Dad… I… I'm really beginning to think that Li Xiaolang may be Syaoran in disguise…"

Fujitaka held his throat to refrain himself from laughing. "Say that again?"

"I mean… I think that Li Xiaolang and Syaoran may be the same person."

"Now where on earth did you get that idea, sweetie? Just because the boy looks like your special best friend from the past, doesn't mean it's really him, right?"

"I have enough evidence to support my claim, Dad…"

"Did you even talk to Li-kun about this?" Sakura quickly shook her head. "Oh boy…"

"Well, he's busy with his shooting and… I… I don't want him to hate me for being nosy about his personal life…"

"Alright, fair enough, Sakura. Well, the best thing that you could do from this point is to confront him about it."

"Dad, his hair has the same color, he's also got deep amber eyes too, and the way he smiled is the same way as the way Syaoran smiles…"

Fujitaka gently scratched the side of his temple with a finger. "Are there different ways of smiling…? I never thought of that…"

"Dad, I'm serious!"

"Alright, alright. I'm listening. Keep going."

"Dad, other than they look so much like each other, they almost have the same name. Their names mean 'little wolf' too. Syaoran's name means little wolf and Xiaolang's name means little wolf too. And both their last name is Li… Syaoran has four older sisters, Xiaolang also has for older sisters too. They're both from Hong Kong. Xiaolang also has a copy of The Book of Keroberos that had the Syaoran's family members in there. And most of all, the biggest key evidence of it all…"

"What's that?"

"He has the pink stuffed animal that I gave Syaoran before he moved out of Tomoeda. We exchanged Tomoeda stuffed animals before we left. Mine had white wings on them and the one he had also has white wings on them. And most of all, I sewed a small cherry blossom at the bottom of the bear's tush and in very small letters have my initials in them: S.K. And even until now I still get dreams of seeing Syaoran and Xiaolang being the same person. Conclusion? They're the same person!"

Fujitaka gave a soft sigh. "Well, if you say so…"

"But what I don't understand is… if Xiaolang really is Syaoran, then wouldn't he recognize me immediately? And also Tomoyo and Tak too? How come he's acting as if we've never met before?"

"Didn't you say that Li Xiaolang is currently suffering amnesia? Maybe that's why he's acting as if last week was the first week that you and he have known each other."

"Oh… oh yeah…" Sakura gasped, closing her mouth with her hand. "I forgot that he has amnesia…"

"Didn't you ask me if I could help him restore his lost memories, ne?" Sakura nodded. "Well, you've got a lot of evidence, so you say, that truly proves that famous teen actor Li Xiaolang is none other than you long lost little wolf. Tonight would be a good time for me to examine him and see how bad his amnesia really is. Then we could go from there."

Sakura then clenched her shirt where her heart was located. "Oh Dad… if Syaoran and Xiaolang are the same person then… gosh…" Right then she began to blush tomato red. "My Syaoran has finally returned…"

"Let's not jump in to conclusions now, Sakura. Just be careful with that. You don't want to get hurt…"

"And also… I kinda told him about Syaoran and… he decided that as part of his character research that he would do his own acting with me."

"Acting with you?"

"He said that while I wait for Syaoran to come back that he would take his place for the time being."

Fujitaka almost stumbled off of his seat once he heard the last few words. "So… he's… acting as Syaoran-kun? For your sake? You didn't coax him or anything did you?"

"Huh? Of course not, Dad! He… he volunteered… I know this is all for his character research for his role in the movie because of the major similarities to both Syaoran and himself, but… in a way I never thought about this until now. I wonder now his real reason why he would do such a thing for me. I mean we've only known each other for four days back then." She then dropped her head and placed her hands on his head. "Oh Dad, I'm so confused…"

"Your… interesting… friendship… with this young man baffles me right now," Fujitaka said. "But like I said, let's wait until tonight and get to know him better together. I'll do what I can to get your brother out of the way should he try to interfere. You know how he is when it comes to you and boys."

Sakura lifted her head and smiled. "Thank you so much, Dad."

"Well, looks like all the booths are open now," Fujitaka smiled and stood up from his seat. He then reached in to his waist fanny pack and then tore one half of the list and gave that half to her. "Since we've got a lot to shop, why don't we split up and buy these items ourselves. We'll meet here and then I'll pay for all the items together at the counter."

"Sounds good, Dad." The father and daughter headed back to the entrance of the market. When they arrived there, Sakura spotted three familiar adults approaching their way. Just as she would about to call for them, one of them immediately recognized them first.

"Oh!" Sonomi Daidouji gasped once she spotted the Kinomoto father and daughter. "Good morning Fujitaka, Sakura-chan!"

"Oh!" Fujitaka also reacted. "Good morning, Sonomi. Long time no see!"

"Good morning Aunt Sonomi!" Sakura waved.

Sonomi approached the two and then embraced one another. "Good morning to you too Sakura. Early farmer's market shopping, I see."

"Yup. We're having a very special dinner tonight," Sakura gave a soft chuckle.

"Yes, I heard about it just now from Wei-san and the director himself. Li Xiaolang is your very honored guest tonight."

"Haha yeah," Fujitaka chuckled nervously. "I don't know how Sakura was able to convince someone like Li-kun to have dinner with us, especially with Whisperjay Stew as the main course."

"Aah," Sonomi grinned. "Now I see why." Right then, the other two adults, Taeko Kashii and Wei, finally caught up to them. "Oh, sorry for taking off like that."

"It's not a problem," Taeko smiled. "We're just here to examine the farmer's market area for the shooting, remember?"

Sakura gasped. "Wait… you're having the day shooting here at the market?"

"In a few minutes, Sakura-chan," Taeko said. "They're around the corner nearby getting things prepared, such as the equipment and blockage and of course, the makeup and costumes. That's why Sonomi-san is here today to look over the clothing."

"Ah, makes sense," Sakura nodded.

"Oh right," Sonomi changed the subject. "Taeko-san, Wei-san, this distinguished man standing before us now is Sakura's father, Fujitaka Kinomoto."

"Don't forget the 'doctor'!" Sakura reminded her best friend's mother.

"Hahahaha, of course," Sonomi chuckled. "Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto, professor of archaeology at Clow Reed University. He's also one of the renowned historians of this town as well."

"I heard about you!" Taeko offered a handshake to the father. "I'm Taeko, one half of the Kashiis, the screenwriters of the movie _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_. I have to admit that your publication, _A Visitors Guide to The Book of Keroberos_, was my favorite source when my husband Toshifumi and I were currently writing the screenplay. A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Kinomoto."

"Well, thank you, Mrs. Kashii," Fujitaka grinned. He also offered a handshake towards Wei. "You must be Li Xiaolang's manager, Wei, was it?"

"Wei Wang, Doctor," Wei said, exchanging handshakes. "I also manage Eriol Hiiragizawa and Meiling Li as well."

"Ah, that's great to hear!"

Sakura then cleared her throat. "Well, I must be going now. Got to shop for this half of the list! I'll see you guys later!"

"Take care, Sakura-chan!" The adults see Sakura leaving the scene and made her way to the first booth opposite of their direction. At this point, Fujitaka turned his head back towards the three adults.

"I understand now," Fujitaka gave a grin. "If it hadn't for you three being here, I would have been a very puzzled man."

"Then," Sonomi said, "you do recognize Taeko-san and Wei-san, do you?"

"Of course I remember," Fujitaka gave a soft chuckle. "Jingmei and Wei, the Li Clan's caretaker…"

Taeko gasped and hushed him. "I'm a Japanese citizen now so I changed my name."

"You're still Jingmei to me," Fujitaka grinned shyly.

"Seriously, you and Sonomi are the same," Taeko muttered, then cleared her throat.

"I'm quite surprised that you remember me, Dr. Kinomoto," Wei said.

"Well, you were a lot younger the last time I've seen you, but I guess age really caught up to you, Wei-san… former next door neighbor and guardian to the future heir to the Li Clan. Am I right…?"

Sonomi gasped. "So, you knew all along… about the movie's leading star, Li Xiaolang? Or rather, Syaoran-kun?"

"I didn't at first, but I was a bit suspicious," Fujitaka said. "But now that you three showed up, especially Wei-san here, now my suspicions have been confirmed."

"And you haven't confronted Sakura-chan about this?" Taeko gasped, as Fujitaka shook his head. "You really are one clever man, Dr. Kinomoto."

"I'm just a father watching over his only daughter after all. I don't like meddling in all her teenage affairs, ne? But you know, hopefully everything will be clear later tonight…"

"Yes," Wei nodded in agreement. "Master Xiaolang invited me for dinner also. I refused at first but he insisted. He needed a trusted company, so I decided to come along."

"Good to hear," Fujitaka nodded. "We'd love to have you over tonight, Wei-san."

Sonomi cleared her throat. "You haven't heard from Yelan, have you?"

Fujitaka shook his head. "I tried finding contact with her or anyone in the Li Clan for the last seven years. I've been doing guest lectures several times at the University of Hong Kong for these past seven years and so far no luck."

"Don't worry about that," Taeko smiled. "She hadn't had any contact with anyone at Tomoeda for almost seven years. It wasn't until three months ago when I received contact from her again. She was able to trace my contact info and Sonomi's contact info in Tokyo, but tracing contact info in Tomoeda was really difficult, so she hasn't contacted you yet."

"I see," Fujitaka gave a slight frown.

"Once Yelan made contact with me, I gave her your contact information. I don't know how strong signals in Tomoeda are, so I just gave her your contact number at your office at Clow Reed University instead."

"Ah I see. Thank you for that, Sonomi. What's happened to the Li Clan all this time?"

Sonomi glanced at the time. "Oh no, we need to head back at the set now. Tell you what, Fujitaka, why don't we have some time off, maybe at the local cafe or something, and we'll talk about this."

"Sounds good," Fujitaka nodded. "I'm currently busy working on my final thesis for my doctorate in anthropology, but I'm available anytime. Just give me a call. You know my number."

"We'll do," Sonomi nodded. "We were instructed by Yelan this past week to eventually have a meeting with you about Syaoran's condition. You see, this movie isn't just an attempt to make Syaoran's acting career a breakthrough, but Syaoran meant to meet Sakura once more, and through her, he'll recover his memories. His eighteenth birthday is coming up this weekend, and because of that, he will be bearing a whole lot more responsibilities as the future leader of the Li Dynasty that would limit his acting career. He's going through a final test of approval by the elders through the shooting of his movie and by being here, Fujitaka."

Taeko nodded. "That's right. His final test is to recover the remaining of his lost memories, but he has to recover them on his own with no aid from anyone in the family or even among the movie crew. The only aid that he can have is from the locals here in Tomoeda, most especially his childhood friends…"

"Yes… most especially Sakura-chan…" Sonomi added.

"I understand now," Fujitaka nodded. "Well then, you better get going. I got some shopping to do."

"We'll keep in touch, Fujitaka. It's good seeing you again." The adults exchanged their byes and parted their own ways.

"Luckily I still remember all of Syaoran-kun's likes and dislikes when it comes to food." Fujitaka grinned to himself as he proceeded to the first booth.

#

About an hour and a half later, Sakura and Fujitaka arrived home along with the groceries they purchased at the farmer's market. As they were unloading their ingredients for tonight's dinner feast, Sakura noticed a few more items she didn't recognize being in the grocery list her father made earlier.

"Dad, what's all these? Organic confectioner's sugar, Saigon Cinnamon, organic cocoa powder, a bag of hazelnuts… why do you have a lot of ingredients related to chocolate?"

"For dessert," Fujitaka grinned. "Let's have cinnamon chocolate mousse, hazelnut pie, and strawberry pudding for dessert."

"Hoe…" Sakura blinked. "I wonder if Xiaolang likes sweets…"

"What makes you say that, Sakura?"

"Well… it's just that… most boys hate sweets, that's all. I bet boys get really annoyed whenever girls give them so many chocolates during Valentines."

Fujitaka chuckled. "You used to give Syaoran-kun chocolates yourself. You do remember that chocolates are his weakness. I remember him begging us to bring some chocolate mousse whenever we have our annual neighborhood potluck picnic."

"Hee hee. You're right about that, Dad. I'm sure Xiaolang would like some dessert as well."

"Then, no need any more explanations. Let's get these ingredients in the cupboard and fridge except for the ones for the Whisperjay Stew."

"Mmm, yummy!" The two began sorting the ingredients from those they didn't need for the day. While they were doing that, they both heard ringing on their landline phone. "I'll get it, Dad!"

Sakura rushed to the living room where the phone is located and answered it. "Hello, Kinomoto Residence." She carefully listened to the voice on the other line. "Oh, hi Chiharu! What's up?" She then continued to listen to her message, which made Sakura gently scratch her head. "Hoe?… You're doing a urban dance scene? With a very famous hip-hop dance choreographer? Wow, that's so cool!" She then chuckled afterward. "What's Director Terada and those screenwriters up to? It seems that they're prolonging the movie shooting on purpose. Are they trying to make the movie in to a musical now? Never mind us doing singing scenes but… dancing too?" She paused to listen and then answered again. "Well, I'm a little bit busy right now…"

"Sakura, who's that on the phone?" Fujitaka called out, overhearing a bit of the conversation.

"Hang on a sec, Chiharu, let me talk to my dad first." She then covered the speaker end of the phone and turned to her father. "Dad, they're doing a hip-hop dance scene at Busta Moves Dance Studio, just a few blocks from the farmer's market right now. They're calling me and Naoko to go over there and… well… you know… help them…"

"Well, sounds important," Fujitaka smiled.

"But Dad, I wanna help you make tonight's dinner…"

"Considering you're part of the cast, so to speak, why not go over there and check it out and see what's going on?"

"Well, you know Naoko and I are still at our school hip-hop dance club, right? We both gave up cheerleading to concentrate more on studies, plus we just switched our interests to just strictly hip-hop dancing. Anyway, Chiharu said that a few of the cast members are having trouble with the dance steps even though they're so simple and that this famous choreographer couldn't work with them for some reason. They said they'll pay us extra if we come over and help out…"

"Well, that's money for your future college tuition fees there, Sakura," Fujitaka said. "Don't worry about me here. I've prepared Whisperjay Stew by myself several times. You'll still have time to prepare the desserts later, so no worries."

"But Dad… um… are you sure…?" Sakura gave a worried expression on her face.

Fujitaka gave a wink. "Positive. Now go and help your friends, ne?"

"Alright…" Sakura shrugged and turned to the phone. "Okay, so you want me and Naoko there now?… Oh, Naoko's already on her way? Okay, I'll be on my way too… Right. Thanks, Chiharu. See you there. Bye." She hung up and gave a salute to her father. She dashed upstairs to get herself changed.

When she got in her room, she heard her phone vibrate on her desk. She dashed to it to find Naoko's name flashing on her screen. She grabbed it and answered. "Hi Naoko!"

"_Hey Sakura! Did Chiharu call you?"_

"Yeah, she just did." At the moment she placed her phone on speaker so she can hear her friend's voice while changing her clothes. "What's going on with that movie now? I just barely started reading the script, I mean I only read the parts where I come in and begin my singing scenes, but other than that…"

"_The producers wanted the movie to be part-musical, that's why they included local artists such as The Cool Rascals to make cameo appearances there. As far as the dance portions go, they were already there in the first place."_

"Hoe? What do you mean?"

"_Well, the Kashiis personally gave me a copy of the script so I can have some source whenever I write the blog articles and I began to read and analyze it. Li-kun's character, Hinata Chiirou, isn't just a struggling teenager who couldn't remember himself, but he's also a professionally-trained urban dancer, and surprisingly, Mai Hirashiki's character, Sakura Kumamoto, is a ballet dancer. There's a scene where they enter a competition to earn money and save their town's youth dance program from shutting down. Something like that… I have to re-read the script again…"_

Sakura found her black shin-length baggy shorts with a pink sakura blossom print on her right leg and still had to choose her shirt. If this were hip-hop dance, she knew she had to dress the part. "So, do you know the story behind this whole dance bit?"

"_A bit. Here's the story as to why Chiharu wanted us over at the Busta Moves, girl. Majority of the girls are having trouble getting the moves down. So far only Meiling Li was able to capture the choreography. The guys have no problems because the moves are pretty much guy-friendly, but the girls are the problem. Chiharu and Rika were called in by the director since Tomoyo suggested them so maybe the girls would be able to get the choreography down with a bit of feminine touch. It makes sense after all since they're the co-captains of our cheerleading squad now. Apparently, the dance routines were all hip-hop and neither of them have any knowledge or a bit of training in hip-hop, so yeah. That's where we come in."_

Sakura found a long white shirt with another pink sakura printed at the bottom left corner of her shirt. "So, when we get there, what exactly do we do?"

"_Say, that reminds me. You need to dress the part. The choreographer, I'm pretty sure you've heard of him before, wanted to see a sample of our routine. I guess it's time for the Sweet Nuthins to reunite, ne?"_

"Who exactly is this choreographer?"

"_Chiharu said it's a surprise. Even I don't know who it is, but she guaranteed us that we've heard of him."_

"Well, he better be good."

As she wore her shirt, she then gazed at the top of her dresser cabinet where she gazed at her three trophies that she and Naoko won at local and regional urban dance competitions as a duo known as the Sweet Nuthins, three more trophies as a five-member dance crew known as The IllTrix, and five more as being a member of the Tomoeda Middle School Cheerleading Dance Team and the Tomoeda High School Cheerleading Dance Team.

Last year, their second year of high school, was the last time they competed. She and Naoko decided to retire as competitors to focus more on their studies, most especially towards college entrance exams, as they entered their final year of high school last April. Maybe when they finally settle down as college students that they may go back in to the urban dance competition scene once more.

"Man, Naoko. I can't believe that we started hip-hop dance when we were still in elementary."

"_Yeah! DJ Kenzo and his crew found Tomoeda and decided to move here, live here, and train here, and eventually they introduced urban dance to the townsfolk here, especially with the kids. I remember how we stood out so much on our first class because we were the only girls who joined at that time, that is, at our ages then. Most of the kids in our class were guys. I hoped that the entire cheerleading squad would join but Chiharu and Rika really preferred the super-cutesy dances that those cutesy otaku chicks always do on Nico Nico Douga, you know?"_

Sakura softly giggled. "Yeah, I know, but at least we didn't feel left out when we were there. Syaoran and Yamazaki joined too."

"_Haha, I know! To tell you the truth I felt more love over there than in the cheering squad. Apart from the two of us, Chiharu, and Rika, everyone else seems to want to compete with each other to see who's the best dancer or who's the cutest and all that. Not worth it."_

"That's because the hip-hop community's got nuthin' but love.

"_True that, Sakura. Ah, the power of love!"_

"I'm really glad Syaoran and Yamazaki joined along. Well, of course, they joined for the wrong reasons, somewhat. Syaoran joined because his mother wanted him to right after they heard that I wanted to join.

"_Well, the choreography that we first learned wasn't a problem for Syaoran because of his martial arts training and all so he can move the way urban dance is supposed to move. Yamazaki only joined the classes because he wanted to impress Chiharu and you know, both of them can dance and stuff and finally have a passion that they can share together. But he was pretty good too for a beginner who had no interest in dancing in the first place."_

"Haha, that's how much Tak loves Chiharu so much, ne?"

"_Yup. You got it. Remember Oh-kun?"_

"Oh-kun?"

"_Yup! That half-Japanese Korean kid who used to live here in Tomoeda, but then had to move back to Korea due to family issues back there. Man he was awesome. He can murder the dance floor big time whenever he does his freestyles!"_

Sakura gasped. "Oh yeah, duh! Of course I remember him. Yun-kun. Comrade of The IllTrix! We always called him Yun-kun!"

"_Yup. Oh Yun Hwa. Though he's already far away he still keeps in touch with me. He's become one of the famous urban dancers in Korea now and he's even had a chance to do some choreography with some of those K-Pop groups."_

"Oi, how come you never told me about Yun-kun's whereabouts all of a sudden, Naoko?"

"_Well, you never ask."_ Naoko giggled at her end.

"Oh. Well that was dumb," Sakura returned the giggle.

"_Anyway, we were an unstoppable dance crew in the pre-teens category then. The IllTrix!"_

"Yup. I'm looking at the trophies we've won as The IllTrix."

"_The girls didn't care about us though, but that's okay. We had the three most popular guys in The IllTrix too, so that sorta made us special!"_

Sakura giggled. "Yup. Syaoran, Tak, Yun-kun. Man girls were chasing after them, even if Tak already has Chiharu, no one really cared. Ne, I wondered if Yun-kun ever liked a girl here in Tomoeda…"

Naoko gave a soft snicker. _"Who knows…."_

"Ne, Naoko… I know that little snicker of yours. You know something that I don't."

"_Hm. Perhaps."_

"Oh come on, Naoko, a hint! You know something about Yun-kun's past love life here in Tomoeda! I mean, Tak has Chiharu, Syaoran has me, what about Yun-kun?"

"_Not telling!"_

Sakura gasped immediately. "Wait… maybe the reason why you're not telling is because that mystery girl Yun-kun liked back then could be you?"

"_Dream on, girlfriend! Hahahahaha…"_

"No fair…" Sakura pouted.

"_Well, anyway. Since that choreographer wants us to give him a sample to show him that we're seriously for real, I'm thinking of doing our 'Drop It Low' routine. That was like two years ago and I remember how we killed the dance floor with that routine when we competed."_

"Just who on earth is this famous choreographer that Chiharu's talking about anyway?" Sakura began to gently scratch the side of her head. "Now I'm curious!"

"_Dunno. But Rika and a few of the girl extras part of the dancing scenes thought he's pretty hot, like on the same level as Li-kun and Hiiragizawa-kun. He looks like those K-Pop idol guys, they said. I dunno."_

"Well, I'm pretty sure he's gotta be a really good choreographer then for the girls to have trouble getting their steps down."

"_Most likely. But anyway, you still remember our 'Drop It Low' routine, right?"_

"Yup. I still remember the routine. We'd be able to show our own individual freestyle moves too with that song."

"_Got that right. Anyway, I'm on your way to your house now. I'll be biking."_

"Good. I'm gonna hitch a ride with you on rollerblade."

"_Awrighty girl. See you then!"_ They exchanged their byes and hung up.

She sat at her dresser, facing the front of her mirror. "I'll just wear this visor from earlier. That should do it. Now I'm good to go!" She placed her pastel pink visor on her head and then gave a salute to herself on the mirror.

"Time to kick the dance floor, Sakura!" She stood up, grabbed her small backpack, and then dashed downstairs.

#

Music was already playing inside the Busta Moves Dance Studio just a short walking distance from the farmer's market when Sakura and Naoko arrived at the lobby of the dance studio. The receptionist, a part-timer and a fellow former classmate from the dance studio's hip-hop class and a former senior of Tomoeda High who graduated last year who only went by the nickname of Ai, gave a wave at the two girls. Sakura appeared in white shirt and black baggy shorts with cherry blossom prints on them, along with black high top sneakers and white socks and wearing her pink visor as her accessory. Naoko appeared in light orange loose top with the words "THS Cheer Dance" on them (THS meaning Tomoeda High School) and black sweats with one sleeve rolled up above her knee, along with white socks and white high top sneakers.

"Sakura-chan! Naoko-chan!" Ai waved happily as the girls exchanged hi-fives. "I haven't seen you girls for like… months!"

"Yeah, seriously," Sakura chuckled. "We haven't been here for quite awhile since Naoko and I decided to retire from the competition scene."

"And now you girls are back because a certain hot hip-hop choreographer is desperate to teach those snooty teen actresses how to dance," Ai snickered.

"Something like that," Naoko said. "Well, where are they now?"

"Studio C, where you hear that smooth slow jam song playing in the background. I bet that's Li Xiaolang-kun and Mai Hirashiki practicing their lyrical hip-hop routine…"

"Lyrical hip-hop?" Sakura and Naoko gasped simultaneously.

"I had a chance to take a little peek," Ai grinned. "Both of them can dance well alright. It's just that the Hirashiki girl can't dance hip-hop, which is why that certain hot choreographer is really frustrated right now."

"Ouch," Naoko chuckled. "I guess it's Sakura and me to the rescue?"

"I really don't know what that movie's about but they sure are trying to please the young generation with different types of pop music tastes, I guess. We've got J-Rock, J-Pop, and now hip-hop. Next thing you know we'll be having classical music too, hahahaha!" Sakura and Naoko joined along with the chuckling.

"By the way, I'm still a closet Wolfpup, guys," Ai continued. "I really think Li Xiaolang is the hottest, sexiest being the world has ever seen. But then when I finally got to meet him in real life, now he looks like a person I used to know in the past. It's so weird, really…"

_Oh boy… don't tell me… he reminds you of Syaoran, right, Ai-senpai?_ Sakura's voice spoke in her mind.

"Yeah, totally weird," Sakura chuckled nervously.

"Well, just enter right through Studio C and good luck!" Ai gave a thumbs up to the two girls.

"Thanks so much, Ai-senpai!" Sakura and Naoko bowed as they made their way towards Studio C.

When they arrived, Ai was right about having a dance session at the moment. The girls caught a glimpse of seeing Syaoran and Mai doing a rather passionate and powerful lyrical hip-hop couple dance to a song called "No Air," just nearing the end. Sakura found herself hypnotized with the dance routine that she also felt some blushing at the same time.

_Wow… they're so fluid and… powerful…_ Sakura then placed her hands on her cheeks and accidentally lead out her signature mutter. "Hoe…"

When the song ended and the dance concluded, everyone cheered and clapped for them. The two dancers split and sat back at their own spots at the wall. Right then, Eriol and Meiling, paired up together, take the dance floor with the mysterious choreographer wearing a baseball cap backwards at the background.

"Sakura, Naoko, you girls made it!" The two girls turned to see Tomoyo standing right next to them.

"Hoe? Tomoyo, what are you doing here?"

"I came here to deliver the costumes for them to wear for the dance scenes. I had help from Yamazaki so he's here too," Tomoyo answered. "Waah, urban dance! So exciting and so raw! I love watching hip-hop! I didn't forget my camcorder this time!"

"Wow, Tomoyo, you sure can't afford to miss a single moment, ne?"

"Hey, this is our last year in high school, girl. Even during the summer I gotta document our moments together." Sakura responded with a laugh.

"So, where's Chiharu and Rika?" Naoko asked. Tomoyo pointed her finger at the adjacent wall, where they spot the two girls with Chiharu's boyfriend Yamazaki sitting with them. Next to Yamazaki is a resting Syaoran, wiping off the sweat from his forehead with a small towel while sipping from his bottled water.

Without further ado, Tomoyo already approached the choreographer and reminded him of the girls' arrival. Right then, the choreographer, with his back at the back, spoke to Eriol and Meiling, reminding them to sit down for the moment. Judging by the stance and build, Sakura thought that the choreographer seemed rather young to be on a professional level. But then again, knowing Japan's street dance scene, dancers begin their journey towards street dancing as young as age five. When Eriol and Meiling nodded and sat back down in the same area as where Syaoran was sitting, the choreographer turned his head.

Just by the glance of the choreographer's face, Sakura and Naoko gasped in shock. Chiharu and Rika weren't kidding, Sakura thought. This choreographer was indeed gorgeously handsome, although in her opinion Syaoran was a whole lot more handsome. However, as she took a closer look at the choreographer as he approached them, she also noticed something very familiar about him.

"No way…" Naoko gasped happily, placing her hands on her cheeks. "Yun-tan!"

"Hoe? Yun-tan?" Sakura blinked in confusion as the choreographer finally faced them. This young man was no taller than Syaoran or Eriol or Yamazaki even. In fact, he was barely a few inches taller than Sakura or Naoko.

The choreographer flashed a heartwarming smile. "I had a feeling it would be you who would come… Nao-tan."

"Nao-tan?" Sakura raised an eyebrow of suspicion. _What on earth is going on here?_

"I didn't expect that you would be here in the flesh!" Naoko chuckled.

"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but… I couldn't wait to see you." The two immediately embraced while the others present gave rather confused looks. Immediately, the choreographer turned to everyone watching. "I guess I didn't exactly tell you more about me. I too used to live here in Tomoeda… and her?" He pointed his thumb towards Naoko. "She's my girlfriend." Immediately he flashed an adorable grin.

"Ehhh?" Everyone gasped, while the others remained silent in shock.

Moments after the choreographer explained more about himself, even Sakura found herself shocked. The fifth member of their old childhood hip-hop dance crew, The IllTrix, Oh Yun Hwa, was personally hired by Sunbow Productions' producers to be the choreographer for the ten main cast teens for the movie. Now a famous idol himself back in Korea and a part-time choreographer, once he heard that the setting was in Tomoeda, he just couldn't refuse. For one thing, Tomoeda was his original home. Second, being able to see his long-distance girlfriend since he and his family moved out of the country would be the sweetest moment he would ever have outside showbiz. There was gonna be a lot of catching up amongst old Tomoeda friends at this point and a lot of explaining from Naoko's side.

"So, you still want us to do our sample, Yun-tan?" Naoko chuckled. "You know Sakura and I are prepared."

"Well, I was gonna say you don't have to, but since hardly anyone here except for a few know what kind of moves you have, you might as well. Two-minute sample," Yun said. He then turned to Sakura, who looked a lot more perplexed than ever. "You haven't changed yourself, Saku."

Sakura slowly nodded. "So did you, Yun-kun…"

"Yeah, well," Yun chuckled. "I was the shortest guy in our crew and even if we're almost adults now I'm still the shortest. Guess some things will never change."

"Nah," Sakura gave a simple grin. "You're still cool like that."

"Okay then, Sakura," Naoko said, nudging her on the side. "Let's do our sample!"

"Right!" The two girls turned to the crowd and waved at the others watching them. Sakura then noticed Syaoran and grinned happily. Syaoran returned her smile with a smile of his own. Naoko hooked up her mp3 player in to the speaker system as she and Sakura lined up in their positions, waiting for their song to begin.

When the song began, the two girls began dancing with swag, attitude, and flair. It was slow and simple and laid back at first, but once the main vocals began to sing, the complicated moves began. The others watching them began to clap along with the song's beat. Once the refrain was sung and the second verse came, Naoko broke out and Sakura made her smooth swagging freestyle solo. She did her freestyle for thirty seconds, and then Naoko stepped in as she stepped out and began her freestyle. The refrain came again for the second time and the two girls danced the same choreography as the first time. Right then, their sample ended and received plenty of praises and cheers from the crowd.

Yun stood up and thanked the two girls for the sample. He had them sit down, in which Syaoran signaled Sakura to sit next to him when he patted an empty space next to him. Sakura accepted the invitation and sat next to him. On her other side was Yamazaki, who exchanged hi-fives with her. She spotted Chiharu and Rika thanking her and Naoko for showing up and gave them a sample.

"Well then, even though the sample they gave us looked rather simple and relaxed, the truth is, no hip-hop routine can ever be simple and relaxed. You still gotta deal with a lot of intricate moves for you to capture the moves and once you do, it's what the routine makes it a lot simple and relaxed," Yun began speaking at the trainees in front of him. "Even though I've been busy with my budding career in Korea, I do keep in touch frequently with Nao-tan, so I'm actually caught up with what's going on with Tomoeda since I left."

He then glanced right at Chiharu and Rika. "You two are co-captains of the Tomeoda High cheerleading squad, right?" The two girls nodded.

"Sakura and Naoko used to be the co-captains," Rika said. "They were our best and the most original dancers in the squad, so we rely a lot on their choreography whenever we have to enter through cheer competitions. We've been doing so well national-wise thanks to them."

Chiharu sighed. "I feel a bit ashamed that we couldn't even come up with good choreography for the girls here, let alone our own squad in school. Even though Sakura and Naoko are no longer with the squad, they still teach us new choreography for our cheer routines as their homage, you know?"

"Nah, no worries about that," Sakura grinned happily. "I know Naoko and me are always happy to lend you girls a hand with choreography. Ne, Naoko?"

"You bet!" Naoko grinned and then began sipping her water from her bottle.

"Since the boys seem to have no problem with the original choreography," Yun said. "I'm talking about the choreography I just taught you all earlier, the plan is now this. At this point, you stars and even the extras participating in the dance scenes should practice what I taught you guys earlier. While you guys do that, I'll be teaching Sakura and Naoko the same choreography myself. Then from there, we'll split in to two groups: guys will be with me, girls will be with Sakura and Naoko. Those two girls will be tuning the choreography with you girls to make it easier. Then we'll go from there. Got that?" Everyone replied with a yes or simply with nods. "Alright then, we'll meet back here in fifteen minutes."

Sakura turned to Syaoran and grinned, as she stood up. "You and Hirashiki-san looked so good together with your lyrical hip-hop dance! Totally off the hook!"

Syaoran stood up and then answered. "You really think so, Sakura?"

"Yup. Positive. I always enjoyed watching lyrical hip-hop dances, especially with couples. It's like… never mind that the movements are intricately lyrical, but they're just so beautiful to look at. Sensual and smooth and yet so strong… you know?"

The amber-eyed idol stepped a little closer to her. "Have you danced lyrical hip-hop yourself?"

Quickly, Sakura shook her head. "Nope… I never had. Well… no partner…" Right then she found herself blushing. Just as Syaoran was about to reply, they were interrupted by Eriol calling out to them.

"Xiao, come on, the guys are waiting!"

"Right," Syaoran muttered. "Well, I'll see you later." He gave a small wave as Sakura grinned.

"Awrighty Li-kun. Good luck!" Sakura turned around and caught up to Naoko and Yun.

#

About an hour later after lunch, the dance session finally ended for the day. Yun and Naoko decided they would hang out together for the rest of the afternoon near the area. Many of the other dancers stayed to practice their own routines. The five pairs at this point decided to practice on their own couple lyrical hip-hop dance routines. At this point, Sakura, Tomoyo, Yamazaki, and Chiharu could just leave at this point but by the insistence of Syaoran, Sakura was needed to stay in order to review their dance routines. At this level, with Yun and Naoko gone, Sakura was the remaining person in the dance studio who was now the expert urban dance choreographer.

Tomoyo continued to record the practices with her camera on the sidelines. Rika had a scheduled meeting with her Moonies Fanclub and had to leave early. Chiharu and Yamazaki sat next to Sakura, who was now resting with a bottle of ice code water and a towel around her neck.

"Jeez," Sakura began, but not before she sipped on her ice cold water. "Naoko's always been secretive and usually we would figure out what's really in her mind, but learning that she's been having a long-distance relationship with Yun-kun was a total shocker."

Chiharu giggled softly. "Yeah totally. That's like the biggest surprise we've ever received from our dear bookish Naoko ever!"

Yamazaki shrugged his shoulders. "I guess Yanagisawa just likes to play cool like that. When she was on hip-hop mode today, she was a totally complete person. Now she thinks she's all that. Completely different from the usual Yanagisawa that we know of. But it's not a secret for me that Yun's got a thing for Yanagisawa since we started taking hip-hop dance classes back in elementary, but he used to be like Syaoran back in those days."

Sakura nodded. "Yup. The quiet and sullen type. But somehow I find those types of guys really attractive for some reason." Of course, having Syaoran, and possibly the idol Li Xiaolang dancing right in front of her with Mai, she just had to mention that.

"Probably because of the language barrier," Chiharu noted.

"He's half-Japanese, so at least he could've known how to speak some Japanese if not fluent," Yamazaki informed. "It took about two weeks since class that he finally talked to us. DJ Kenzo really knows how to open people's hearts through dance just like that. He was a born dancer, that I can tell you."

Chiharu sighed deeply. "I can't believe that this hot choreographer was none other than Oh Yun Hwa, the shortest kid in all of Tomoeda Elementary. I didn't know he hung out with you guys."

Yamazaki nodded. "Syaoran helped him get used to being one of us, let alone just living in Japan. He can relate a lot, being Chinese himself. I mean think about it. Two foreign kids living in a town located in the middle of nowhere who probably hasn't seen a single foreigner ever in their lives. Since those two, everyone here learned how to appreciate the diversity of our world altogether. Of course, we didn't really get to meet Yun until first day of hip-hop class right here in this very studio."

"Yup," Sakura nodded. "Brings back so many memories."

Tomoyo took a break from the video recording and joined in the conversation. "One of Korea's top idols is actually dating our sweet and smart Naoko all this time… long distance… and in secret… how romantic is that?"

"I should've paid attention more back then," Sakura sighed. "I was just so hung up on Syaoran back in those days that I didn't even give attention to anyone else around us. Now I feel really bad…"

"Well, now that he's here, Sakura, you've got plenty of room to make up for those times," Chiharu grinned.

At this point, the couples split again with the girls joining the other female dancers to do their group routine. The boys decided to take a rest by sitting at the sidelines once more. Syaoran and Eriol joined the Tomoeda locals chatting about the blogger and the choreographer.

"You guys done for the day?" Sakura smiled as Syaoran took the empty space next to Sakura while Eriol sat next to Tomoyo.

"Yeah," Syaoran breathed while wiping off the sweat from his face. "I'm off for the rest of the day now. Eriol had to go back to the Daidouji studio basement at five for the night shooting." He drank from his water and then sighed out in relief. "I'm all yours today and tonight."

Sakura blushed. "So, you and Yun-kun have known each other for awhile now?" Well of course, she thought to herself. They're both popular idols with high reputations in Japan as well as in their own country after all.

"Forever," Syaoran laughed. "Although it's rather weird though. Yun claimed that we've known each other since we were little. I felt that he was telling the truth, but until now I still can't remember where on earth we first met. I mean we've already known each other way before we entered the biz but I can't exactly remember where." He took a sip of water again. "Now I know after hearing his explanation."

"Hm. Here in Tomoeda?" Sakura confirmed. Syaoran nodded. "Now isn't that a coincidence? Your roots are seriously derived from our little old town, ne, Li-kun?" At this point, she could hear her conscience's voice echoing in her mind. _No doubt about it. Li Xiaolang is definitely Syaoran._ Immediately, she could feel her heart rapidly beating at the thought until another foreign voice came in to her mind.

"_Let's not jump in to conclusions now, Sakura. Just be careful with that. You don't want to get hurt…"_

_Aw Dad, why you gotta have to spoil my hopes like that… I can't wait until dinner already…_

Although her father had a point regarding jumping in to conclusions, she still couldn't help herself but to stay to the conclusion that her new idol friend may be her long lost childhood love. Just a little sneak peek, she decided to give herself a little test. At this point, she noticed Syaoran watching the girls practicing their routine at the floor while at the same time she was sitting right at his left side. She first gazed at his side profile, and then her eyes slowly dropped from his head right towards his waist. With a free pointer finger on her right hand, she gently reached for a certain spot on his waist.

To her knowledge, most guys aren't that sensitive with a certain pressure point on their bodies, especially those muscular types. Syaoran was incredibly well-built to the point that anyone can tell that he's slightly buff that her little test may fail. Just for the heck of it, she thought, she attempted to do this test by gently poking a spot on his left waist.

"Gah!" Syaoran shrieked and quickly scooted away from Sakura. "What… what are you doing?"

"Uhh…" Sakura had to find a good excuse for her little deed. "There was a bug that's crawling up your shirt so… I…. flicked it away…"

Syaoran gave her a suspicious look. "A bug, huh…?"

"Yeah! It was this big and it was crawling right at—" Just as she was attempting to touch that same spot again, Syaoran quickly scooted away from her again.

"Aaah! D-don't do that… I mean… don't touch me there… I'm… I'm a little sensitive there…"

Sakura found herself giggling with a hint of blushing on her cheeks. "I guess even strong and powerful handsome guys have a weak spot too…"

Syaoran quickly rubbed that spot with his left hand. "N-no one knows about that spot except my family… I can't believe you actually nailed the spot…" He let out another sigh. "Just… don't tell anyone about it… Sakura…"

"I'm sorry about that…" Sakura gave a slight pout. "I had no idea…"

"It's… not your fault, really… You just happened to find it…"

"I'm pretty sure it'll be hard to find again the second time. Ne?" Sakura grinned humbly.

"R-right…"

The two remained silent again as they continue to watch the girls' dance rehearsal. At this point, Sakura grinned to herself while shifting her eyes towards the handsome boy sitting next to him.

_Welcome back home… Syaoran._

#

When the clock reached five in the afternoon, Sakura arrived back home with a rather guilty expression on her face. She found her father already decorating the top of the hazelnut pie with whipped cream. Fujitaka found Sakura looking a little bit haggard from all the sweat she earned from too much dancing. Still, he welcomed her home with a smile.

"Well well, looks like you've got another job in the movie, sweetheart?" Fujitaka gave a grin.

Sakura approached her father at the island of their kitchen. "Sorry I got home so late, Dad. I was supposed to bake the desserts."

"No worries about that, Sakura. You know I'm one of the culinary masters in all of Tomoeda, ne? I knew you would take long with this dance project in the movie production. Those types of things take awhile after all."

"Really am sorry, Dad. I'll make breakfast for the entire week."

Fujitaka chuckled. "You're simply enjoying your youth, Sakura. Don't feel guilty just because I prepared all our dishes for tonight. Besides, I had a wonderful time spending the entire day in the kitchen. It really kills off my stress. I have to thank you for inviting your new friend along for dinner tonight that gave me a chance to spend more time in the kitchen."

"Oh Dad, you seriously are the coolest ever!" Sakura embraced her father as Fujitaka returned the embrace for his daughter.

"Well then. Did you see your friend there?" Sakura nodded happily.

"Oh I really can't wait for Xiaolang to come to dinner tonight! It's gonna be awesome, that I know!"

"It'd better be awesome. Your old man gave all the effort of preparing suitable dishes for your friend. But let's work together to make sure that the dinner will be a success."

"I'm with you, Dad!" Sakura winked and then headed upstairs to take a shower and get herself ready. Fujitaka continued on with what he was doing.

Five minutes later, his eldest son arrived from work.

The dinner was scheduled at seven in the evening, and when the clock reached at 6:30, the doorbell ran. Sakura gulped nervously just as she was placing a red ribbon headband on to her head. She got rid of her hip-hop mode after taking a shower and switched back to normal and sweet Sakura with the long, short-sleeved white dress that stretched down just below her knees and with a dark pink ribbon tie around her waist. Knowing her beloved Syaoran had finally returned without anyone else even noticing it, she knew she had to dress to impress.

_Syaoran always loved seeing me in simple dresses like these,_ Sakura thought happily. _Oh God, please let this dinner be the moment of truth between Syaoran and me…_

After finally fixing herself, she opened her door and dashed at the hallway. At the balustrade, she gazed downstairs towards the living room, where she found her father answering the door and inviting Syaoran and Wei inside. She gasped and quickly fixed her dress and then her hair. She had to considering Syaoran showed up in a rather stylish white long-sleeved shirt with a dark green vest and black slacks and simply just looking irresistibly handsome.

Just as she was about to head downstairs, she felt something that was tickling on her knee. When she gazed down, she noticed a loose thread hanging from the hem of her dress.

_Loose thread. Not good!_ Quickly she headed back to her room to fix her dress.

"Take a seat, take a seat," Fujitaka invited both Syaoran and Wei inside, leading them to the living room. When he sat down, Syaoran placed his backpack next to the sofa. At the coffee table, there was a tray of a variety of snacks from nuts to fresh fruits to even potato chips. "I'm just setting up the dinner table. Sakura will be here in a moment."

"Thank you, Doctor," Syaoran and Wei responded as they took a seat at the larger couch.

While at the dining table, Fujitaka began a short conversation. "Well now, I know movie shoots are unpredictable, but how long do you think this movie shoot will be finished?"

Wei decided to answer the question. "Originally it would be around two to three months, by the end of summer break, but with all these changes made by the producers and the screenwriters, we may even be here for as long as six months."

"Wow, this movie must be very long," Fujitaka gave a soft chuckle. "Well, don't think that you're disturbing the peace of our town or anything like that. I was just curious, that's all."

"We're not offended at all, Dr. Kinomoto," Syaoran responded. "Even us main cast were also wondering to ourselves for awhile now if we're being a hindrance to the entire town—"

"No, no, don't think that, Li-kun," Fujitaka gasped. "Quite the contrary. The entire town is so delighted to have you here. Our small businesses have been booming as of late. We've been getting visitors in and out from other neighboring towns to other places around in Japan just to take a glimpse of our town. After all, it's no secret to the entire country of the location that you are shooting the movie at."

"Well, Xiaolang doesn't watch that much TV or even read the entertainment section of the news," Wei said. "But I have been keeping an eye on the media for all this time now. Yes, Tomoeda has been in the media several times now. Appropriate journalists and newscasters have been visiting the sets to interview the cast and crew in and out. These past two weeks have been very hectic."

"I can imagine. Help yourselves with some appetizers at the table. I'm almost finished."

Syaoran and Wei grabbed a few of the appetizer samplers and began to nibble their pieces. While enjoying themselves while waiting, the elder Kinomoto arrived at the staircase, also dressed properly in a long-sleeved black unbuttoned collar shirt and black pants. This is a semi-formal dinner with guests after all, so why not dress for the occasion. The two guests stood up to greet the son. Just like as always, Touya did not exactly give them a welcoming expression.

"Whoa. You're early," Touya said in a rather surprising expression. "If I can recall dinner's at seven."

"Well, thank you for having us too, Senpai," Syaoran gave a snicker on his face.

"Yeah, well you're here already." Touya shrugged. The two guests sat back down as Touya sat at the adjacent love seat couch close to where Syaoran was currently sitting. "I gotta admit, it's been awhile."

"Eh? It's only a week," Syaoran shrugged.

"All the shots I've been having as an extra all didn't include you, plus we're mostly cooped up in the recording studio at the Daidouji House," Touya said. "Seeing as how much your schedule's been full this past week from all the twenty-four hour shoots to interviews with the media left and right, you still remember our little dinner gathering tonight?"

"Master Xiaolang is very efficient with his schedules, Kinomoto-kun," Wei said. "Not very many celebrities can get their schedules efficiently organized without the proper tools and the proper manager just like that."

"My smartphone has been very helpful to me," Syaoran gave a smirk. "I can never leave home without it."

"Right," Touya raised an eyebrow, still giving that suspicious look. "Now that we're on the subject, I heard about my little sister having another job in the movie shoot? Is this true?"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Senpai?"

"I heard from some of the extras kids at the diner earlier that you've got my little sister doing some urban dance choreography for your dance scenes? What the hell was that all about?"

"Relax, Senpai," Syaoran said. "It wasn't just Sakura who got called in. Yanagisawa too. And don't worry, in the end, Yanagisawa said she'll be able to do full-time choreography training with all the girls in the cast since Sakura is already busy recording with you guys. Our head choreographer, maybe you know him from the past too, did say that he would need Sakura to train the couples in our lyrical hip-hop numbers and she was happy to accept it."

Touya raised an eyebrow. "In case you don't know, Sakura is currently laying low from all of these extracurricular activities. I mean she still has her summer homework to work on. She'll never graduate with flying colors in the spring next year if she doesn't do well with her studies this year."

"Sakura is smarter than you think," Syaoran reminded him. "You know, if you really care for your sister so much, you shouldn't underestimate her."

"What would you know, Li? You don't know the entire story so please, cut the lecture."

Syaoran sat up straight. "Listen, Senpai, you don't know me that well either so don't assume. I may not be able to relate to you but I can relate to Sakura. We have a lot of things in common, more than you know."

"And what would that be?"

"First of all, we're both the youngest. While there's only the two of you, I'm the youngest of five children with four older quadruplet sisters the same age as you and Yukito-senpai. At least Sakura only had to deal with you. I had to deal with four nosy, overprotective sisters who's very picky with the girls I get involved with. They were like that with Meiling in the beginning but eventually they got used… to…" At that point, he found himself trailing with words when he noticed Touya giving a rather fearful look on his face. "Senpai?"

"Quadruplets…" Touya immediately dropped his head. "Oh I can see the nightmares coming back…"

Syaoran crossed his arms. "I know, it's not normal for a family to have more than two children being born at the same time but—"

"No… not that…" Touya gave a huge sigh. "It's just that… next door, where Yamazaki lives right now… there used to be this really huge family who lived there. There were four quadruplet sisters who wouldn't leave me and Yukito alone."

"Oh? What happened there?"

"Two of them had a crush on me… the other two had a crush on Yukito… everywhere when we were still in school, back in elementary, even through middle school, and it became worse when high school came! One of the other reasons why I'm not down with the kid next door."

At that point, Syaoran raised an eyebrow, thinking that somewhere in his mind that Touya's complaint about quadruplet sisters in general sounded way too familiar to him. Rather, he decided to ignore it. Right as he was about to answer, the lady of the house finally arrived. This time, she wore a different dress from earlier: A shoulder-strapped white dress whose hem reached just at the bottom of her knees and three small sakura flowers of light pink, dark pink, and white just sewn at the center.

"Sorry I'm late," Sakura chuckled, while Syaoran and Wei stood up to face her. "I had a bit of a problem with my other dress. I'm gonna have Tomoyo fix it for me tomorrow." She bowed gently and then faced Syaoran. "I hope you guys didn't wait that long…"

Wei shook his head and answered her. "You're just in time, actually. Dinner is still being set up."

Syaoran remained silent, simply because he was at awe to find this green-eyed girl go through a huge transformation from her swag hip-hop style at the dance studio earlier to being a rather proper and slightly conservative young lady. He was already amazed with her tomboy look earlier and still amazed with her simply dolled up with dark red ribbons on her hair and of course, the dress.

Right then, Fujitaka appeared at the living room, still with his apron on. "Ah, looks like everyone's here," Fujitaka smiled. "Sakura, please do keep your guests company. Touya, I need your help in the kitchen."

Touya gave a slight frown. "What? Now?"

"Yes, Touya. Now," Fujitaka gave a glare at his son.

"Fine, fine." Touya shrugged his arms and headed to the kitchen with his father. At this point, Sakura is now alone with Syaoran and Wei. She sat down on the spot where Touya was sitting before.

"Whatever it is my brother told you," Sakura began, then sighed deeply. "I apologize."

Syaoran quickly shook his head. "Nothing to apologize for. Although I have to say that your brother hasn't changed much since the last time we've worked together."

"He's a little bit insecure too," Sakura chuckled. "When he was in high school, he used to be one of the town's most popular guys. I remember our phone was always busy ringing and it was always from the girls, looking for him. It was so bad that Dad had to change our home phone number a few times because he also needed the phone so that his colleagues from the university would be able to keep in touch with him. Of course, at that point we couldn't afford having cellphones then."

Syaoran gave a snicker. "I can imagine. I'm a purely straight guy but I gotta admit your brother's pretty good-looking you know. Good thing he's finally found the right girl for him to settle down soon."

"Yup! Their wedding is planned to take place next year. That's why right now for Dad, it's really crucial that I find someone special soon so that I would be secured that I have someone to marry. Dad said that when that time comes, he can finally retire as a university professor and focus more on both being a writer and participate in bigger excavation projects."

Syaoran nodded. "Your father looks really good to tell you the truth. He's quite young for his age."

"Hahaha, he's in his mid-40s now, but you know, I gotta agree that he does look pretty young at that age."

At that point, Wei stood up from his seat. "I need to use the restroom. I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation."

Sakura stood up. "Nah, you're not interrupting anything," she chuckled. "Just go straight past the staircase and it's to your right."

"Thank you." Wei made his way to the restroom, now leaving the two teenagers alone.

At this point, Syaoran's eyes became fixated right across from where he was sitting. Above the fireplace were family photos, with two particular photos caught his attention. He stood up to take a closer look. Sakura followed him from behind.

The first image he took a closer look at was the solo portrait of Nadeshiko Kinomoto, Sakura's mother. "Your mother?"

"Yup. Beautiful, wasn't she?" Sakura grinned. Syaoran nodded in agreement.

"You have her eyes," he muttered. "I bet she had guys running after her when she was our age."

"Well, you're right about that, actually. But she wasn't interested in dating when she was our age. It wasn't until she met dad at the university that she started dating. Dad said that her parents were also trying to arrange her with random guys to find her potential husband, but she survived through all that and became independent once she started college. Dad said she got really frail and weak when she got older, but she used all the energy and power she had to bear Oniichan and me and even vowed that we would grow up strong and healthy. We felt blessed that the doctors did find us strong, healthy, with no strange genetic deficiencies at all. Her illness was genetic, but neither Oniichan nor myself inherited that illness gene. Still though…" She sighed and lowered her head.

"I'm sure your mother was very happy though. But think about it, Sakura. You did say that she did live three more years after she gave birth to you. Even though you couldn't remember her much, at least, she was there to spend your first three years being alive. That in itself is a blessing and I'm sure your mother had no regrets."

Sakura placed her hand on to her heart and turned towards him, standing next to her. "That's what Dad and Oniichan said when I finally understood what really happened to Mom some years later. She passed away, sure, but when she did, she died a very happy and content woman."

At this point, Syaoran faced the portrait again, and then placed his palms together and bowed his head. "Thank you for having me and my manager in to your home, Mrs. Kinomoto. I'm Li Xiaolang, a friend of your daughter's. Thank you for being a strong and passionate mother, and that you gave birth to the most wonderful girl I've ever met."

Sakura blushed at the latter words, then Syaoran was finished giving his prayers to her deceased mother. Next, he turned to the second photo, which was a group of four teenage girls in old and traditional sailor-style high school uniform. His reaction to this photo was different from the way he reacted towards Nadeshiko's portrait.

"Can I… look a little closer at this one?" He asked permission regarding the second photo.

"Sure!" Sakura smiled. "It's an old high school picture of my mom and her three best friends."

Syaoran reached for the second photo and then took a closer look. "Wait… this one is your mother… but… that's impossible…"

"Eh? Impossible? No doubt, this is my mom!"

"I'm not talking about your mom here. It's just that… I've… I've seen this picture before…" He took the frame with him to the sofa as he and Sakura sat next to each other.

"You have? But this is an old Tomoeda High School photo. Of course, our school uniforms are completely different now but yeah. How is it that you've seen this picture before?"

Syaoran placed his hand on to his forehead again, feeling a bit of aching once more. "Dammit… not now…"

"Oh no… your migraines!" Sakura gasped. Good thing that her father also served a pitcher of water along with the appetizer tray. She reached for a glass, poured on some water, and handed it to him.

"Thanks, Sakura…" Quickly he drank the water and then sighed in relaxation. "I seriously need to see a doctor soon…"

"I was thinking the same thing. I mean for some reason, whenever I'm around you seem to be getting these migraines. Could it be because of your amnesia?"

"Dunno. It's possible. I hope it's not anything worse than that." He placed the glass on the table and then gazed at the photo again. "Listen, Sakura… I swear, I've seen this picture before. Several times, to be exact."

"But… how could you? Just these four girls have a copy of this same photo. This one is Tomoyo's mom, as you know. She has a copy of that photo at her house."

"I know. I've seen it before at her house. It gave me a slight migraine when I saw that. I wanted to ask Sonomi-san but decided to just ignore it and move on with my own business."

"And these two are actually exchange students from China, cousins to be exact. But only one of them remained in Tomoeda until she had to move back to Hong Kong with her entire family…"

"This is my mother, actually." Immediately, Syoaran pointed right towards a beautiful Chinese girl standing next to Nadeshiko. "She has this very same photo on display at the master bedroom. I swear, it's the exactly same photo."

"Eh?" Sakura gasped. "How could she be your mother when she's actually—" At that point, Fujitaka arrived at the living room.

"Alright kids, dinner's ready. Wei-san is already at the dining table ready to feast. Come on now."

"Coming, Dad," Sakura called out. Syaoran returned the frame to where it was before.

"Let's eat! I'm starving!" Syaoran chuckled as the two followed Fujitaka towards the dinner table.

* * *

**A/N: **Doumo. ^.^ This chapter is a whole lot shorter than the previous chapters. That's because that I'm trying to please majority of the reviewers to update faster. You'll have to forgive me for my busy real life but I can do so much. Did so many major "spring cleaning" of my room these past few days and rather than prolonging it with more plot, I decided to just cut it short. I have to say that I cut at the right spot. Dinner is about to commence!

I just want to point out a couple of things regarding this chapter. So now, we go from a pop/rock band to urban/hip-hop dancing. Before you start complaining about the whole hip-hop dance thing (I know most of you don't listen to rap/R&B/hip-hop- I do, actually, but mostly on the old school stuff, like from the late 80s-early 2000s), I have to remind all my fellow writers about this. Regardless if it's original fiction or fanfiction that you're writing, it's always best that you do a bit of research. If you live in the US, some of you may probably be familiar with talent competition reality shows such as _America's Got Talent_, _SYTYCD (So You Think You Can Dance)_, and _America's Best Dance Crew_, so you should have at least some familiarity with urban/hip-hop dance in general. Urban/hip-hop dance has become really huge in Asia and Japan is no exception. In fact, Japan is one of the strongest countries in the entire world when it comes to international urban/hip-hop dance competitions, and plenty of Japanese urban dancers actually start off at the age of four. Japan is so strong in this dance genre that plenty of the choreography you see in K-Pop (Korean Pop) groups happened to be choreographed by Japanese professional urban dancers (I said many, not all). With that being said, I have been a fan of urban dance/hip-hop since middle school and still am up to now (even though today's rap/R&B/hip-hop music is blah compared to the ones in the past). In Japan, the best hip-hop dance crew, so to speak, today is an all-girl group called Rushball. Rushball consists of two girls: Maika and Kyoka. I've been a fan of Rushball since the girls were still cute little girls (and they're still cute and feminine by the way) and made their debut on Japanese national TV when Maika was only 8-years-old and Kyoka being 10-years-old in a popular urban dance variety show called _Super Chample_. This year, 2013, Maika is now 13-going-on-14 and Kyoka is now 15-going-on-16. Maika, with a different partner (Kazane), made her debut in the international circuit at age 10 at the highly prestigious Juste Debout Hip-Hop Dance Tournament back in 2009 in Paris, France. She, along with Kazane (she was 12 back then) became the youngest dance crew to ever make it to the final round (unfortunately they didn't win, but they became 2nd runner up that year). And if you're wondering, we're talking about battling against other dance crews on the dance floor, not like in SYTCD or something where they perform one at the time. We're talking real-time move-busting here! The reason why I mentioned Maika-chan, not because she's my favorite Rushball member, but because her energy, spark, smile, personality, and charm reminded me a lot of Sakura. She's one of those cute little girls who just look so sweet outside but is actually an athletic firecracker on the inside ready to explode in to the scene. Since that year, Maika and eventually Rushball (with Kyoka) became one of the most recognized and respected dancers in the international hip-hop scene. You can check out plenty of videos of the sweet girls serving the big boys at the dance floor in YouTube. Just search for Maika, Kyoka, Kazane, Rushball, Juste Debout in any of those combinations and you'll find them plenty. I recommended the Juste Debout 2009 clips (since that was their debut). I guess you could say that Rushball gave me inspiration in to having Sakura and Naoko be urban/hip-hop dancers in this fanfic. :)

Anyway, enough of that. I guess that's all I wanted to say for now. Time to reply to the reviews. :)

**Aizawa LSV** – I don't know which one you are frustrated with exactly. Are you frustrated with the fact that Sakura is too dense to realize that Syaoran and Xiaolang are the same person? Frustrated with the plot of the chapter? Or are you frustrated with me as a writer? For one thing, I'm not just making Sakura naïve, she was written by CLAMP as being naïve in the first place and I'm simply keeping that naivete along with her. Sakura isn't the Sakura that we all know and love if she's a know-it-all if you know what I mean. Sorry if I can't please you but I don't write my fics simply just to cure the readers' frustrations with reading fics, but I write my fics to make myself and the readers happy and entertained altogether, and if I failed to do that in your tastes, then I guess that's just you. If I have the two figure things out immediately then this story will simply just get in to an abrupt end and I as a writer will not be having fun with it. Not only that it would frustrate me as a writer, but it will also frustrate the other readers who are enjoying the pace of the story (which based on the reviews I've received, these types of readers are the majority). I feel rather offended that you're using my fanfic as your way of venting off steam instead of you reading it for sheer entertainment and to at least uplift your spirits when you're not in your best moods. Am I really that horrible as a writer? Send me a PM and we'll talk from there if you want. And I'll have to say this: if you're looking for a quick SxS fanfic then "Stuffed Animal" isn't the fic you're looking for. When I write chapter-based fanfics, they're usually long.

**Deadflo** – Thanks for reading! Glad to have you here! :)

**DualStarduster** – If you read my profile, I did mention that I don't dig tragedies/angst/hurt-type of fanfics. It's just not me, so to speak. Real life isn't always about happy endings but despite of my troubles in my real life, I still remain a happy and content person. If people have a problem with that then that's who they are, not me. You know what I mean? LOL XD

**pricious7divil** – Irrashaimase! "Stuffed Animal" e youkoso! I read a lot of books and watch a lot of old movies and other shows regardless if they got cheesy plots and all that. Either that or just the fact that I love music and RomComs. :)

**stayAlive06** – As the saying goes, it's better late than never. :) Welcome to "Stuffed Animal." I'm doing as best as I can to update faster but it's a little bit impossible if you're writing long-chapter fics, you know? ^^;

**Cat Dawntreader** – Yay you remembered "Study Buddy"! I thought about re-writing that one-shot but then that would only "remove" my memories of being a noob writer then, so I decided to keep it. I might do a rewrite on "Fall Play" but I dunno if that idea will actually go through or not LOL. My younger sister, although she's not much of a hardcore fan compared to me, actually bought and owns the entire CCS manga herself because she was a fan of the chopped-up Cardcaptors dub that was used to be aired on TV (this was several years ago when they were still sold in individual volumes, way before the omnibus versions came out). She's really bad at reading subtitles so she rather watch anime in dubs and then just read the manga if she's seriously interested in the whole entire story. I don't blame her.

**Smazzle** – Welcome aboard fellow reader! :)

** .3363** – Thanks for reading and following! :)

**Kimiko17** – I like them long because it gives me plenty of room to write more in-depth plot and I'm not just referring to the dialogue alone. Plenty of "long" fanfics I've read on FFnet have really short chapters (thus they have so many chapters). For me personally, I prefer quality over quantity- longer chapters when there aren't that very many chapters altogether in one fic over so many chapters when they're only just a few paragraphs long. Thank you for reading! :)

**chocomonkey1018** – It was a gamble for me to stick to Syaoran on narration mode and just leave Xiaolang on dialogues. I've had these problems before on past fanfics and just to avoid confusion with the readers, I went for the name that everyone's familiar with on narration. It's not that hard if this was an original fiction, but it's difficult with fanficion because the readers already know who the characters are in the first place. Hope that makes sense. ^^;


	11. 10: Kickin' It with Dr K

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 10: KICKIN' IT WITH DR. K**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

Syaoran couldn't believe his eyes once he took his first glimpse at the dinner table. Majority of the dishes prepared and served for tonight were downright familiar to him. Sure, they're no ordinary, common Japanese dishes any foreigner should be familiar of, but for a kid growing up in Tomoeda for pretty much half of his life, the feast right in front of him was the type of feast that can only make him feel at home. There was Tomoeda Brown Rice, a variety of Yakimeshi (Japanese fried rice) but it consisted of fresh and local ingredients only found in Tomoeda and neighboring towns. There were even a few more simple-looking dishes that he used to eat regularly in the past and how much he loved them. Right at the center was the cream of the crop of the entire feast: The Whisperjay Stew, complete with water chestnuts, just as how he wanted it.

Sitting across from Syaoran was Sakura, who had been gazing right at him with a huge grin on her face. She couldn't help but to show her happiness to a very delighted little wolf who obviously couldn't wait for dinner to start. Next to Syaoran was Wei while Touya sat right next to his sister. Fujitaka arrived at the table after removing his apron, carrying a huge bowl of salad and a bottle of Vinaigrette dressing and placed them on the table. Finally, he sat on his seat, just adjacent to Sakura and Syaoran.

"Well then," Fujitaka smiled happily, "let's all say our personal graces for the food we are about to partake. We do hope that our special guests tonight would enjoy tonight's meal. _Itadakimasu!_"

"_Itadakimasu!_" The rest answered with the same expression. Fujitaka then turned to their guests.

"Li-kun, Wei-san, please serve yourselves first," the head of the Kinomoto Family reminded them.

"Thank you very much!" Wei reached for the salad first, while Syaoran reached for the Whisperjay Stew first and served himself.

"There's water chestnuts in this stew! Thank you, Doctor!" Syaoran grinned.

"Lucky for you this is how I normally make my Whisperjay Stew, Li-kun. Water chestnuts and other types of nuts."

"Still, smells really good as always, Dad," Sakura grinned. "The nuts just add to the authentic aroma of the stew."

"Well then, everyone," Fujitaka said, "dig in!"

Everyone in the table proceeded with serving their share of the dishes on the table and began their own feasting. Just five minutes after enjoying their first bites, the traditional family conversation over dinner was about to commence.

"I don't know how you eat your dinner at your home, Li-kun, but here in the Kinomoto House, we always talk about how we were during the daytime. Anything interesting to share or simply talk about a random topic when we don't have anything interesting to share," Fujitaka grinned.

"Back home," Syaoran gently rubbed his chin. "Well, if you mean dinner with my family, it's pretty boring."

"How come?" Sakura asked curiously. "Is the food not delicious in your home back in Hong Kong?"

"That's a really dumb excuse to have a boring dinner, squirt," Touya rolled his eyes.

"No one asked for your opinion, Oniichan," Sakura glared at the brother sitting next to her.

Syaoran shook his head. "The food's fine. Well not as good as the dinner I'm having right now with you guys, but from where I come from, a meal with the family is always solemn. We do all the talking right after dinner, but during dinner, we eat in silence. I just find it boring because the food doesn't taste as good if there isn't any other activity going on in between, like a conversation. Something like that."

Wei nodded in agreement. "Even when he's with co-workers in showbiz over there in Hong Kong. Whenever he's present, dinner is always silent until everyone's finished. Here in Japan, it's really different."

"Well, I can imagine," Fujitaka said. "It's almost similar back in university also whenever we have these formal conferences. Whenever special guests are there present for a guest lecture or anything, dinner is always quiet over there even when there was no one on stage speaking. The event becomes uninteresting that you just want to get out of there and make your own noise."

"I feel the same way too, Dr. Kinomoto," Syaoran responded. "And to think a lot of people perceive me for being antisocial because of the family customs that's going on within my family. When my parents aren't around, that's when my sisters and I get loud over dinner."

Sakura gave a slight chuckle. "Wow, that's like the most random topic we're talking about here tonight."

"Hey, at least it's something to talk about," Touya murmured with a bit of sarcasm in his tone.

"Well then," Fujitaka changed his tone, meaning he was about to change the subject. "Let's talk about our day before we gathered together here for dinner. How was your day today— Touya?"

"Eh?" Touya raised an eyebrow and shifted his eyes towards his father. "Now that's kinda weird. We got guests here and you're asking me first?"

"If I asked Li-kun and Wei-san first, Touya, it may take the entire dinner period. Yours is usually fast so I'm asking you first, Son."

Touya frowned. "Oh thanks a lot, Dad. I feel really important now."

"Right. So, how was work at the diner?"

Touya finished chewing what was inside in his mouth and then took a sip of his hot green tea. "Yeah. Diner." He then turned to Syaoran directly. "Before I go on, let me ask you something, kid. I hear your birthday is this weekend."

Syaoran nodded. "Yes it is. I turn eighteen this Saturday."

"So it wasn't a lie…" Touya glared while his eyes stared right at the air.

"What is…?" Syaoran muttered suspiciously.

"Our boss, Soun Tsukishiro, also known as the man of the house next door, just gave us the news that Mooncastle Diner will be catering to a huge birthday party that was to take place at the Spinel Sun Auditorium at Clow Reed University. That's in the university town of Tsukisora, which is like three towns away from here. I had a huge suspicion that this particular huge birthday gala had something to do with you in it."

"My parents' idea," Syaoran said. "I personally prefer just a small gathering of close family and friends, but regarding my current position, it just had to be in the media everywhere, especially with the Chinese media."

"Thanks to you, kid, I have to work on Saturday night because of that catering bit."

"The invitations will be sent out tomorrow, according to my mom. They'll also be arriving here tomorrow as well," Syaoran continued on. "My actual birthday is this Saturday, but the party is on Sunday." He then turned his eyes towards Touya. "You won't have to work on Sunday, I can guarantee you that."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because I'm about to extend an early invitation." He turned to Fujitaka and Sakura. "Dr. Kinomoto, it would be great honor to have you and Sakura and even Senpai here if you could come to my birthday party on Sunday night."

Fujitaka grinned. "The entire Kinomoto Family? Why of course, we'll come. I'm sure Sakura would love to come."

Sakura gasped happily. "Thanks, Dad! Well, at least we'll be together."

"Great!" Syaoran said. "Wei, be sure to add the Kinomotos in the guest list under the 'attending' section."

"Will do after dinner," Wei reminded him.

"Don't worry about the gifts. Just bring yourselves there. Having you at the party is more than enough of a present for me."

"Oh nonsense, Xiaolang," Sakura giggled. "We'll definitely get you something whether you like it or not. Maybe it wouldn't be as extravagant or anything like that, but we will definitely get you something."

"Alright, I give up," Syaoran gave a slight smirk. "Also, don't worry about the dress attire also. Just wear something nice, that's all."

"Sounds kinda formal if you asked me," Touya rolled his eyes. "Seriously, I heard from the peeps at the movie set at one point that a Li Family party is always lavish and luxurious. For sure you'd want us in tuxes and prom dresses."

"You can show up in t-shirt and jeans for all I care, Senpai, as long as it's not haggard or anything like that. The elders in my family are really strict when it comes to dress code on occasions such as birthdays. Besides, there's gonna be live entertainment…"

Sakura gulped nervously. "So, when you mean live entertainment… you mean there's a chance that Oniichan and me and Tomoyo and Tak and Yukito-niichan will be performing as The Cool Rascals too?"

"Hm… something like that."

"So, no need for formal dress code then! Ne, Oniichan?"

Touya shifted his eyes towards his sister. "Whatever."

Fujitaka picked up from where they left off. "So, anything else interesting you would like to share with us, Touya?"

"Well, Dad, Kaho came over at the diner while I was on kitchen duty. She wanted me to go on Sunday to Sendai to go shopping. Yukita and Nakuru will be coming along as well. Wedding preparations, again, plus she and Nakuru will be hunting around for designers who can design their wedding dresses."

"Eh?" Sakura blinked. "Why go all the way to Sendai when they can always ask Aunt Sonomi? Or even Tomoyo can design a dress for them? And they have plenty of connections to plenty of Japan's top wedding planners too."

"Well, both think that because the Daidoujis have the entire movie shooting as their biggest client they will be busy designing costumes for the actors that they won't have time to design the dress for them."

"Oh come on, Oniichan, it's more expensive to travel all the way to the city just to look for designers when you can have the ever-so-elite designer such as the Daidouji Couture to do their dresses, ne? I mean they're just right across the street from us. Or maybe they can just go online and look for wedding planners and look at the pictures."

"That's what I've been telling them, squirt," Touya shrugged. "It won't hurt to ask, but they're so intimidated by the awesomeness of the great Sonomi Daidouji. And for one thing, the Daidouji Couture name is really huge in the fashion industry now that they may be overwhelmed with the cost of those dresses and the labor put in them."

"They're pretty much family, Oniichan," Sakura continued. "I'm sure they can arrange something to make those dresses affordable for all of you guys. They're not greedy like that, you know. I mean they're already rich."

"Better let your future bride know," Syaoran joined in, "after we're done with the movie shoot, Sonomi-san will be traveling back to Tokyo again to continue on with her work at her branch office there and you know that's even more expensive traveling there than traveling over to Sendai. While Sonomi-san is still here, this is the best time for your fiancees to ask her."

Touya simply remained silent and decided not to continue on with the small issue further. As a man, he thought that he should be dealing all with these by himself. He simply continued on with his dinner as Fujitaka continued.

"I already know how Sakura's day was like since she was with me for almost the entire day. I even know what happened with the whole dance studio bit too."

Wei answered from there. "Sakura-chan was amazing at the dance floor earlier today, Dr. Kinomoto. Master Xiaolang and Master Eriol have been talking about the local girls here lately and both of them are truly amazed at both Sakura-chan here and Tomoyo-chan as well, primarily towards their natural talents."

Fujitaka grinned. "Well, Sakura here is a go-getter after all. She's very open-minded when it comes to things new to her. Kind of like her old man…"

"Dad," Sakura giggled. "Anyone working in the field of history should always be open-minded, you reminded us. I think Oniichan and I are pretty open-minded ourselves. I mean, look how many part-time jobs Oniichan has been working since middle school…"

"Open-minded, she says," Syaoran muttered lowly while giving a slight glare towards Touya.

"Eh, I guess it runs in the family to try something new, so yeah." Touya shrugged.

"But Wei is right, Doctor. Sakura was really amazing in urban dance earlier today. I mean, I've never met a girl who can do almost everything. Singing, dancing, I bet she can probably do some art too."

Right then, Sakura found an opening from Syaoran's words. "I can. I can sew and weave. I can make… dolls and… stuffed animals!"

"Stuffed animals…?" Syaoran's eyes suddenly began to gaze in the air.

"Like Chiirou, Xiaolang. Except of course, I didn't make Chiirou. But… I've made stuffed dolls and stuffed animals as presents to people, so… yeah!"

_You only made one stuffed animal in your life, Sakura, and that was as your farewell gift to Syaoran-kun. But, close enough._ Fujitaka's voice spoke in his mind.

"So I guess, those stuffed animals and dolls displayed in your room are all made by you, is that it?" Syaoran gave a slight smirk.

"You bet!" Sakura grinned, even though it was somewhat of a half-life.

"Oi," Touya immediately interrupted. "How the hell did you know about Sakura's stuffed animals in her room? Have you been in her room before?"

Sakura gasped and realized that neither her father nor her brother knew about Syaoran climbing through the cherry blossom tree to reach her room. "Well, I, uh…"

"The room I'm staying is just across from Sakura's window," Syaoran immediately answered. And she normally leaves her curtains open to let the sun in. I can see the stuffed animals on display from the window of my room whenever she's not there. That's how I know about it."

"Oh…" Touya gently lowered his voice, then he changed the subject. "That reminds me, I just remembered something."

"What's that, Touya?" Fujitaka asked curiously.

"Tomorrow's day shooting will involve kiss scenes among the five couples. I know because Yukito, Yamazaki, and myself are scheduled to be in those scenes."

"Hoe?" Sakura blinked. "Tomoyo and me are scheduled to do the day and night scenes tomorrow too. I think it's gonna be outside at the Tomoeda Penguin Park Amphitheater for the day scene and Tomoyo's house again for the night scene in the pajama party. I think that's what I heard."

"What? You and Tomoyo too? Aren't you two a little too young to watch kiss scenes up close?"

"Touya, you're being silly again…" Sakura glared at her brother.

Syaoran knew immediately where Touya was trying to aim at. "Relax, Senpai. If you're wondering, my kiss scenes with Hirashiki will be way much later. The kiss scenes will be in the pajama party scene. The ones who will be having the kiss scenes will be Eriol and Meiling and two more couples I forget which ones. But in case you've forgotten, that very same scene when these kiss scenes begin is also the same scene where The Cool Rascals make their debut of their singing scene."

"What? No one told me that!" Touya gave a pout.

"Oniichan, I was with you when the director mentioned to us that tomorrow will be our first scene in which we'll be singing in. Actually we'll be doing two singing scenes tomorrow. One at the park and then at the pajama party."

"Well, no one told me that these kiss scenes will happen at the same scene as our singing scenes. What the hell, people will be kissing while we're singing…"

"Please stop whining, Oniichan," Sakura rolled her eyes.

Right then, Syaoran decided to take advantage of the situation. He gave a slight smirk towards the older brother. "I bet you haven't seen two people kissing up close and in real-life 3D, have you, Senpai?"

"What… what the hell? Kaho and I only kissed three times throughout our entire relationship! And… kissing should be private man, not a peep show!"

"Oh tsk tsk," Syaoran shook his head, "what's the matter with you, Senpai? You and Mizuki are getting married soon and you've only kissed three times? You gotta be a bit more passionate than that, you know, like, let her know that you're not just marrying her just for the sake of marriage."

"Pfft, what would you know, brat?" Touya raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, alright, this is no time for getting angry now," Fujitaka immediately stop a possible uprising squabble between the two. At that point, they hear the doorbell ringing. "Oh, we have an unexpected visitor? Touya, please get the door."

"What? Why me?" Touya frowned.

"Li-kun is Sakura's guest and she's a main host. Go answer the door, Touya."

"Argh… make me the butler now for crying out loud…" Touya muttered and reluctantly headed to the door. He opened the door immediately without even looking through the peephole. "Yeah, what do you want?"

Right then, Touya meets stinging pain on his cheek. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Is that how you answer the door to people visiting you? My god, Touya, have you got no manners?"

Touya gasped to see his tall and beautiful fiancee standing right in front of him. "Ka-Kaho! H-hi! Come on in…" He widened the door open as Kaho entered, still giving the cold stare at him. "S-sorry about that… I… I'm just in a bad mood, that's all." Once she finally entered, Touya closed the door from behind.

"Well now, do I see Kaho-chan there?" Fujitaka called out. "Good evening, Kaho-chan! We're having dinner right now? Why don't you join us?"

Kaho gasped. "Oh, Professor K! Hi Sakura-chan!" She waved quickly at the other Kinomoto Family members. Then she spotted Syaoran and Wei at the other side of the table. "Oh! Li-kun… and Li-kun's manager! Hello there!"

"The food's still hot and fresh!" Sakura grinned. "And there's an extra seat at the end! There's plenty for everyone, Kaho-neechan!"

"Wow, a grand feast! And I can smell Whisperjay Stew too!" She bowed graciously towards the table. "I was just stopping by to talk to your son about something, but since you invited me, I'd love to have dinner with you."

"Take a seat," Fujitaka smiled as he got up from his seat to grab an extra place mat, plate, and a pair of chopsticks. Once Kaho was settled, both the Kinomoto men headed back to their seats and dinner resumed as usual.

"We were just talking about you, Kaho-neechan," Sakura said. "And we were told that you guys are planning to go to Sendai for wedding planner shopping or something like that?"

Kaho nodded. "Better to plan early than the last minute. We're trying to find a wedding planner who can do the job done and one that we ca afford. We don't need a super-fancy wedding, but we would love to have a wedding that we'll be able to cherish and carry on with our lifetime memories as long as we live. Right, Touya?"

"Yeah, right," Touya muttered with a tone that showed little interest in the topic.

"I was just telling Oniichan that for the wedding dress, you can have Daidouji Couture design your dresses. You and Nakuru-neechan, I mean. And since we're all neighbors here, I'm sure they can arrange a special discount to make them affordable. Xiaolang here suggested that it's best that you call the Daidoujis now rather than wait until the entire movie shooting is over because Aunt Sonomi may be going back to Tokyo to continue her work there after the movie shooting is all over."

Syaoran nodded. "I can see that the Daidoujis are very dedicated and passionate with their work. Besides, your wedding isn't until next year, so I was told, right? At least if you contact them now while they're still here, they can add you to their list of clients and they'll have plenty of time to design your dress and even the wedding entourage too."

Kaho blinked her eyes in surprise. "Wow. Why didn't I think of that before? Y-you guys are right!" She then turned to Touya. "We're still gonna go to Sendai this Sunday to find a suitable wedding planner so we can talk about the location of the ceremony, the reception, the arrangements, the works. At least we've got the attire issue out of the way. We'll contact Sonomi-san sometime next week or so."

"You win, Kaho. I'll go…" Touya sighed, dropping his head at the same time. "But we better get home before nighttime, Kaho. We got a party to attend to after that…"

Syaoran gave a snicker. "Thank you very much for accepting the invitation, Senpai."

#

After dinner, Sakura and Touya proceeded to clean up the dinner table and kitchen. Wei received a phone call and was requested to be present at the movie shooting to aid with Eriol's and Meiling's needs. Luckily it was back at the Daidouji Residence again and only had to cross the the street from the Kinomoto Home to get there. Kaho decided to remain in the dining and kitchen area to chat with the two siblings.

Meanwhile, Syaoran carried the backpack with him and knocked on the open door of Fujitaka's rather spacious study den just right next to the staircase leading to the second floor. Fujitaka was gently dusting off the sides of his bookshelves near his desk with a feather duster. He heard the knock and turned his head to the door.

"Come on in, Li-kun! The door's open. Take a seat anywhere." Syaoran proceeded inside and closing the door gently. He gasped at the wood-finish layout and setting of his study room. On one side of the wall were filled with a variety of books and foreign artifacts on display. There was even one glass shelf where plenty of trophies and medals were on display, recognizing Fujitaka's work and dedication to the field of archaeology and history in general. On the other side is a couch. At the center is a conference table, followed by two more chairs right in front of the desk. Above the couch were different frames of display. The largest frame there was a family portrait of the Kinomotos when Nadeshiko was still alive, Sakura still an infant, and Touya sometime at around age six or seven.. The surrounding frames were official diplomas, degrees, and certifications Fujitaka earned throughout his academic life.

"You have a Graduate Certification in Child and Family Psychology?" Syaoran gasped once he caught one of the certifications on display.

"That's right. So I can be a better husband and father," Fujitaka grinned. "I was already studying this while my late wife was still pregnant with Touya. Just being prepared, that's all."

"I don't think you need to have a certification just to be a better husband and father, Doctor."

"True, but I also want to have another skill to benefit my community also. Just a certification though, not a bachelor's or a master's or anything like that. A certificate would at least qualify me enough to be a school guidance counselor or a social worker. That's why Sakura referred you to me with your amnesia."

"She's crazy," Syaoran refrained himself from bursting in to laughter. "She didn't tell me you're certified with psychology or anything like that."

"Maybe she's just excited for you that she forgot to tell you, Li-kun. Well then, let's get started."

Fujitaka sat down and placed the feather duster underneath this desk. "I was told by Sakura that you've got something to show me. Perhaps it may have something to do with your amnesia."

"I hope so, Doctor," Syaoran sighed. "You have no idea how much I've gotten through so many therapists all my life and I could barely recover all my memories. My parents said that the only lost memory that I need to recover on my own lies here in Tomoeda. So far the only memory I've recovered so far is that I grew up most of my childhood hear. And now thanks to tonight's dinner, the food helped me trigger a bit more of my lost memories."

"Good to hear, Li-kun. Now, what do you have for me?"

Syaoran reached for his backpack and out revealed his copy of The Book of Keroberos, complete with colored tags marking certain pages. "My parents delivered this book to me all the way from Hong Kong just a few days before we traveled here, Doctor. I've read a few of the pages, especially the ones they bookmarked, but none of them made sense. I guess my Japanese vocabulary isn't strong enough."

Fujitaka gave a soft chuckle. "I was afraid that would be one of the reasons why you would be having a hard time understanding these marked passages. That's why I've got this for you." He reached for one of the drawers at the side of his desk and then took out a book. "Here you go, a fresh copy from me. It's free, so you don't have to pay for it. Consider it as a gift."

"Wow, thank you, Doctor!" Syaoran accepted the paperback textbook from him and then read the cover, printed in Chinese text. "'_The Visitor's Guide to The Book of Keroberos: Chinese Edition by Fujitaka Kinomoto, PhD'_? You have a Chinese edition of your bestselling book, Doctor?"

"I have an English version, Korean version, a French version, a Spanish version, and a German version as well," Fujitaka grinned. "I authored the English and the Chinese versions myself. I had to hire translators to do the rest. Unfortunately we don't have a Chinese version of The Book of Keroberos itself so the Visitor's Guide would have to do."

"Well, it's only available to Tomoeda families after all, plus my entire family are fluent in Japanese anyway."

"_Use it well. It should help you with the answers you seek for in The Book of Keroberos. There's obviously a reason why your family had all these marked tags on certain pages, that's for sure._" From out of the blue, Fujitaka answered in Cantonese, the Hong Kong Dialect of Chinese and obviously, Syaoran's native language.

"You speak Cantonese, Doctor?" Syaoran gasped in awe. "_Of course you do, Doctor! You're an archaeologist!_" He then responded to him in Cantonese in return.

"I attended one year of high school in Hong Kong, Li-kun," Fujitaka said. "Best times I've ever had as a youth. And of course, being in the field of achaeology we're required to speak more than three languages. English is my second language, Cantonese my third, Mandarin fourth, Korean fifth. I'm pretty proficient in Spanish, French, and German also."

"That's amazing, Doctor…" Syaoran continued to find himself fascinated by this man.

"That reminds me." Fujitaka reached for his drawers again and brought out the same book, except the language is now different. "This one, for your friend Hiiragizawa-kun."

Syaoran read the cover, this time in its English form. "'_The Visitor's Guide to the Book of Keroberos: American English Edition._' You don't have a British English version?"

"Well, that's all the copy of the English version I have in my possession. I would have to go to my office at the university to grab the British English version. Sorry about that."

"Eh, this'll do." Syaoran took the book and placed it in his backpack.

"For starters," Fujitaka began, "how about The Book of Keroberos? Let's talk about what you do understand from the passages you've read."

Syaoran gently scratched his head. "Well, I'm not yet halfway to the book yet, but I did notice some commonalities in the first few passages that I read."

"What's that?"

"Well, the keywords that I found through those passages mentioned something about 'finding yourself,' 'destined love,' and 'stuffed animals.' Does your town have some obsession towards stuffed animals or something?"

Fujitaka chuckled. "The answers you seek are at the book I just gave you. Also, you need to think question yourself regarding why your family bookmarked these certain passages that have those three keywords in them. Obviously your family is giving you clues regarding these lost memories and they want you to recover those memories by yourself. That's what it looks like to me."

Syaoran gave a soft moan. "My parents and my sisters have always been telling me stories about Tomoeda many times in the past, but… but I wasn't interested at that time. Back then, it was like 'Okay, so you used to live in a place in Japan called Tomoeda. Big deal. What's that got to do with me? I'm Chinese and proud of it.' That's the mindset that I had before. And then after going through several therapies by different experts and psychologists, the best in China, they claimed, I was able to recover most of my memories, but as these memories were returning back to me, all the more that I'm beginning to feel that there really something missing about me… as if my entire self isn't complete, you know?" He then sighed deeply and dropped his head. "It's all my fault, Dr. Kinomoto. If only I took them seriously about their Tomoeda stories. Now I can't even remember a thing except for what I just discovered since the first day I arrived here."

"Well, you're still a kid wondering who you should be as you get older and you know, just trying to discover who you really are as a person. We all go through that growing up."

The teenager sighed once more. "My mother's arriving in Japan in two days for my birthday, Dr. Kinomoto. She said she will arrange for another local therapist to check up on me again. I feel rather bad because we're wasting money on so many different therapists back in Hong Kong and now she's spending more money on another therapist in Japan?"

"Well, if your mother is considering local, then she has come to the right place. Tsukisora, the town where my workplace, Clow Reed University, is located, isn't just another university town. It's also a research town primarily focused on the sciences. Many of the world's top brain surgeons and neurologists study at the institutes over there at Tsukisora. A lot of my high school buddies took up Biology as their major with concentrations on neurology and have been very successful with their careers. Many of them have their own practices around Tokyo, Osaka, and other major cities throughout Japan. The institutes over there are also open to patients around the country as well as here, so if you want, you may refer me to your mother and we can talk and find the right therapist for you."

Syaoran gave a worried look towards the archaeologist. "Maybe this new therapist can help me figure out why I get migraines whenever I feel a memory trigger of sorts. It's like I just don't remember it but the rest of my body does. It's like my mind and my body are disconnected from each other."

Fujitaka handed the Book of Keroberos back to the celebrity idol. "Just continue reading whatever your family bookmarked in there and you might find your answer there."

He took the book from the desk to place it back in his backpack. Once he opened his backpack, he realized that he also brought another item with him. He swallowed nervously and then lifted his head to face the archaeologist. "There's… something else that I want to show you, Doctor."

"Is there? Let's see it."

"It's embarrassing to show it to anyone but… my parents also sent me this along with the book… and my sisters said that this was mine." Quickly he took out his pink teddy bear with white wings and then placed it on top of the desk.

_And so, the magical white-winged pink stuffed animal is finally revealed…_ Fujitaka's voice spoke within him. _Sakura was not lying._

"A teddy bear," Fujitaka said. "Pink and with white wings… definitely doesn't suit your masculinity, kid."

"Seriously…" Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Ah, but don't knock it simply because it's not a guy thing, Li-kun. When it comes to these things, sometimes you'll have to think like an archaeologist to figure things out." Fujitaka picked up the pink teddy bear and then examined it himself. "First, let's examine this little cuddly artifact, shall we?"

"Okay," Syaoran nodded.

Fujitaka gently pinched on to the material. "The wool isn't exactly of high quality but still durable cheap wool. Durable because it's still whole today. The eyes are a little uneven but no one would notice that… and the white wings are made of stiff cotton and polyester stuffed to make it look really thick…"

"How can you tell what materials this bear is made out of, Doctor?"

"Because I can tell, Li-kun," Fuitaka grinned.

"R-right."

"Moving along… material's of rose pink with cherry blossom pink thread to make it invisible to the naked eye. That's a clever way of using thread. And… judging by the quality of the fabrics used, as well as the stiffness of the wings, I'd say this stuffed animal would be around… seven or eight years old."

Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise. "Seven or eight years old? If that's the case then I got this teddy bear when I was eleven?"

"Or maybe a few weeks before you turned eleven, but yes, most likely you were eleven when you got this stuffed animal."

The boy began to contemplate deeply while Fujitaka continued to examine the teddy bear. "Well hello there, little one! Look at what we've got here…"

Syaoran lifted his head. "Huh? What is it?" Fujitaka turned the bear upside down and pointed at a very small sewn sakura flower. "What the… what's that doing there? I don't remember seeing that there."

"Did you even take a good look at this teddy bear in the first place, Li-kun?"

He sighed once more. "My fault again, Doctor. I didn't take it seriously so I just tossed it aside… I mean, a bear is a bear…"

"This little flower is your only clue to the real story behind this stuffed animal, Li-kun. Speaking as an archaeologist, I would start my investigation and study from that little flower."

Syaoran quickly grabbed the teddy bear and gazed at the flower underneath it. "It's… it has five petals and little dark brown dots… it has to be sakura… I mean the flower sakura…" Fujitaka gave a nod as he continued to take a closer look. "Man, I can't believe I didn't even see this. How stupid I am…"

"One fact that everyone is aware of is that there is always history in every single man-made object that you see around you. And also, every object you see isn't always the exact duplicate. There is always a distinctive mark that would make them stand out from the rest. That distinctive mark is where you start tracking down the history of this object's life. You first find out where it came from, who made it, why it's made that way, and the purpose of this object. Just looking at an object, especially if it's something extraordinary is what excites me the most."

"It's kind of like… being a crime scene investigator working for the police or even those higher intelligence agencies. You can ask so many questions and find the answers, especially if that object was owned by someone. From there you start to wonder what type of person that owner or possessor was and the type of life he lived before this object was lost and eventually found."

"That's archaeology, young one," Fujitaka smiled.

Syaoran handed his stuffed animal back to him. "So, does it mean that even with something modern as a stuffed animal, you can actually trace where it came from?"

Fujitaka simply smiled. "I just did, remember?"

"Oh. Oh yeah, right."

"Try it. Aside from the little flower on the stuffed animal, is there anything else did you find peculiar?"

The youngster gave a slight moan and continued to examine the pink teddy bear. "Archeology huh…" He then stared at the cherry blossom flower sewn underneath the stuffed toy and then had a closer look. Right then, Fujitaka handed him a magnifying glass. "Oh, right. Thanks, Doctor."

He continued on examining the pink teddy bear using the magnifying glass. He went back to the flower again and took a closer look. Immediately he found thin red thread sewn just slightly underneath the flower. "What's this? 'S.K.'?"

"You found another clue, Li-kun?" Syaoran nodded and showed the initials to him. "Well well, that's another clue."

"Initials of the person who made this stuffed animal?"

"Could be," Fujitaka nodded.

"Hm… S.K…" Syaoran began to scratch his head while contemplating. "Doesn't ring any bell…"

"That's because you still haven't recovered most of your memories about your life in Tomoeda, Li-kun," Fujitaka reminded him. "You said your family will be arriving here in Tomoeda sometime this week, right? When you do meet, you can ask her."

"Well, I know that it's obvious that 'S.K.' is a person's initials, but considering how the Japanese write their names in Romanized alphabet format, some people write their names with the last name first and then their given name. Some people write it vice-versa."

"And it's the same with Chinese names, Li-kun. You do introduce yourself as Li Xiaolang, correct?"

"Well… yes…"

"When you write your name in Hanzi, it's read as Li Xiaolang. Even we read it the same way as you because that's how you read it. For example, I write my name as 'Kinomoto Fujitaka' in Kanji, but whenever I write academic papers in English, it's Fujitaka Kinomoto. It's an academic standard among us scholars and researchers, so that's how I write it. How do you write your name in Pinyin?"

"Well, er…" Syaoran began scratching the side of his temple with his finger again. "I simply write it as 'Li Xiaolang,' since that's how the showbiz world know me as."

"Alright, then how about this. When you see the initials S.K., who is the first person who would appear in your mind?"

"First person…" Syaoran began contemplating again. "Your daughter would be the first person to fit those initials. Sakura Kinomoto."

"There you go. That's a start."

"But Sakura didn't give me this teddy bear… there's just no way… right…?" Syaoran then began to gaze at Fujitaka curiously.

"No idea," Fujitaka shrugged his shoulders. "It's your teddy bear. The only thing I can tell you from this point is look at any of your mementos like an archaeologist. Then embark in your own investigative journey and learn the story behind that particular memento. The Book of Keroberos that you just showed me belongs to your family, so that's a given. I believe the true key to your lost memories is none other than this stuffed animal."

Syaoran gave a sigh. "What do I do, Doctor? I mean, I've got this entire movie shoot to worry about. And then my family will be flying over to Japan in just a few days… There's also a bunch of issues I'm hearing from Wei regarding what's been going on in my family clan back in Hong Kong while I'm stuck here in Japan— not that it's a bad thing of course… and I'm getting these migraines at the most random times… well not random, but whenever I'm reminded of something connected to Tomoeda…"

"You've made plenty of friends here in Tomoeda, Li-kun. I'm here for you, and Sakura too. And of course, the Daidoujis, your host Yamazaki-kun… Tomoeda is a small town. The public library is open to everyone and you can even go to the city hall and you can ask information regarding the residents of this town. You say you want to take things seriously now with your amnesiac condition? Here's your chance while you're still here."

The boy then gazed downward and was now showing signs of fear on his expression. "I'm scared, Doctor…"

"Scared of what?"

"A lot of things, Doctor… I'm scared of what may happen to me if I don't recover all of my lost memories… my body can feel it but my mind isn't registering to them. I'm scared of what may happen to my family if I don't recover completely… never mind my showbiz career, it's not exactly a priority to me at this point…"

Fujitaka stood up from his executive seat behind his desk and sat at the chair across from him. He then placed his hand on to his shoulder. "Tomoeda will always have its doors open for you, Li-kun. And besides, you're regaining them bit by bit. You already know and even remember that you lived here before for most of your young life. And you even remembered the tastes and the aroma of the local Tomoeda dishes thanks to the dinner we had earlier. Is there anything else I'm missing?"

"Well, there is one other thing that I wanted to mention to you also…"

"Oh? And what would that be, Li-kun?"

"The house that Yamazaki is currently living in."

"Well, I'm sure you know by now that Yamazaki's family doesn't exactly own the house, you know. But they really are taking good care of it while the original owners are away."

"Well, I know that part, but… the first day that Eriol, Wei, and I arrived in his house I already felt as if I've been in that house before several times. And the room with the window to the side of the house instead of the front… for some strange reason I felt comfortable being in that room more than anything else. It's like I'm seeing my name flashing at the door to that room, like the room was meant for me."

"As a start, aside from getting to see your family soon for your birthday, you can even start your investigation in Yamazaki's house. I'm sure Yamazaki would be able to help you out."

Syaoran nodded. "He's been a really good friend to me. Yamazaki-kun I mean. Sure, he's a pathological liar when it comes to things in general, but emotional-wise, he speaks the truth. And yet somehow I also felt that I've met him before… even possibly that we became the best of friends. Whenever we eat breakfast together in the same table, even though I talk to my cousin more than to Yamazaki, my body somehow is reminding me that I'm actually a lot closer to Yamazaki than with Eriol."

"Take it slow, Li-kun. Don't deal with too many things all at once. When it's time for you to focus on the movie shoot, you do that while you're at the movie shoot itself. At home, you can start thinking about your amnesia and your lost memories."

The young idol sighed with worry. "How about this, Li-kun," Fujitaka continued. "When you sleep tonight— or whenever time you may end up sleeping— why don't you sleep with your stuffed animal? And make sure you're sleeping in the same bed in that room you are currently staying. According to what you said earlier you haven't been paying attention to this poor little thing."

"I feel like a total dweeb sleeping with a teddy bear…" Syaoran muttered to himself.

"There's nothing uncool about a guy sleeping with a stuffed animal no matter what age you may be, Li-kun. Besides, no one's going to know about this pink teddy bear except you and me, correct?" He patted him on the shoulder once more as he headed to one of the shelves behind him. He opened the glass door and then took out a light pink stuffed animal and showed it to him.

"I have one too," Fujitaka smiled humbly. "Here, you can feel it. Go on."

Syaoran was hesitant at first, but with the insistence of the archaeologist, took the bear with him. He blinked once he felt the slightly hairy and woolly material compared to the short-haired one that he has. "This is kinda hairy compared to this one…"

"There's a reason why it's made that way," Fujitaka grinned. "It's to represent the Large Pink dianthus."

"Large Pink dianthus?"

"How well do you know your Japanese, Li-kun? Let's test you a little bit."

Syaoran gulped nervously. "Even though I'm okay with conversational Japanese, I was never really fond of Japanese class back in school. I always had the lowest grade among all my subjects in that class…. _Yuu_ average."

Fujitaka chortled. "Then you'll pass this little test." He pointed right at the woolly teddy bear. "What is the formal Japanese name for the Large Pink dianthus? Don't think about the language itself. Think about how this bear was made and think more like a scientist this time. Take your time now."

He closed his eyes to contemplate while he began to feel the white teddy bear in his hands. Moments later, he gave a gasp. "I… I think I know what this is… it's a bit hairy, but not in that sense… and although it's very light pink that can be mistaken as white, it can fade in to becoming a darker pink…" Right then, he opened his eyes and then gulped.

"Well?"

Syaoran slowly handed back the white teddy bear to him. "Your wife gave this to you, didn't she?"

Fujitaka nodded. "So you know my late wife's name?"

"Yes, Doctor. Well, your daughter just told me about her earlier when I saw a portrait of her in the living room. I didn't just remember the name from biology class, but I also remembered Japanese culture class as well. You have this term for an ideal Japanese girl called _Yamato Nadeshiko_, correct?"

"Very good, Li-kun," Fujitaka nodded. "You passed." Syaoran gave a shy smile. "When we were still undergrads in college back in Todai, I won a special scholarship to attend Oxford University in England as an exchange student for two years to study Medieval European History. Had plenty of field trips to historical places during my time there throughout Europe, and because of these historical sites that gave me a first introduction to archaeology and decided to pursue it."

"Two years is quite a long time, Doctor."

"Indeed. Nadeshiko and I weren't dating at that time yet, but we have become really close. She was afraid that I may end up staying in England after my two years there and that I might forget her, so she gave me this teddy bear. I did the same thing for her, a dark brown one made of satin fabric." He turned to the glass cupboard and pointed to it. "The one I gave her is also in there somewhere. I was reluctant at first because she might get the wrong idea, but I went through it anyway. It wasn't until the day I was about to take off that I discovered that she has a stuffed animal for me to remember by. Two years after, I went back home and continued my studies at Todai until I graduated, but I was reunited with Nadeshiko. The rest is history."

"That's amazing, Doctor. I guess those stuffed animals you gave to one another is like a guaranteed lock that you truly are destined to be together, or something like that…"

"It's all written in The Book of Keroberos and in my book. There's a lot of further detail about the Tomoeda Stuffed Animal legend. Not everybody in this town practice it, thinking it's just a silly thing to do, but according to my research, and personal experience, of course, those who do this always end up being happy with the ones they love from the beginning."

Right then, Syaoran gave a worried look. "So… then no matter what, Doctor, the boy whom Sakura had been pining for all these years would eventually return to her and that they really are destined to be together…?"

Fujitaka nodded. "That's how it's supposed to be, according to The Book of Keroberos. However, seven years is just way too long of a wait. The ones I've discovered only took them two to three years. The longest in history so far was only five years. Seven years is just way too long, and that's why—"

Quickly, Syaoran interrupted him. "Doctor, please… give Sakura some time to wait. She really believes that her destined love will come back to her. I mean sure, it's been seven years and it's a little long than anyone expected, but… in the end, as you said, they always do end up being together, living happily ever after, right?"

"Well, I'm just getting worried about the future, that's all. With Touya getting married soon… I don't want Sakura to be burdened by staying home with me and then end up taking care of me for the rest of her life should I ever fall ill…"

"You don't have to set up Sakura with some random guy just for that, Doctor. I guess you just have this mindset because she is the only girl in the family, but Sakura is a lot stronger than you think. I'm sure just by through talking that you'll be able to understand where she's coming from."

Fujitaka gave a sigh. "Well, I'm not doing all this for my sake, but it's also for her sake. Like you said, it's probably because she's the only girl in the family. It would probably be a whole lot easier if Nadeshiko was still alive, but even though Sakura is a whole lot stronger than her mother, she still is a delicate little flower to me and Touya."

"Doctor… Sakura is a flower… just not a delicate one. She's more like a rose but one of a kind like the cherry blossom, I think."

"I don't want her to have any false hopes that her beloved may not even return… even though I strongly believe in The Book of Keroberos and the Tomoeda stuffed animal legend myself… so… just to get her to prepare…"

Syaoran gulped and then pressed his palms together. "Doctor, I'm not speaking for her or anything, but… well, I'm speaking as someone who can relate to her in more ways than one. Trust Sakura. Believe in her. She's seventeen and I can see how independent she is. I mean I've never met a girl who can do almost everything. Most girls I've come across can't do things that she can. And even though her heart's already made for that guy she still has her heart open to those she cares for. I used to be like her with my family, so…"

"Hm? Used to be like Sakura? How?"

"When I was around twelve or thirteen, my parents had me set up with girls around my age. All high-class Chinese girls from elite families who have hopes and dreams of becoming a part of the Li Clan. I was still in idol training at that time too. Sure, they were all beautiful and witty but my heart just wasn't in to them. So they tried setting me up with girls from showbiz and even girls who I attend study groups with for school. Same result. I thought I finally had my heart set with Meiling, but still, I felt that there was something missing. And the funny thing is, while we were together, Meiling and I discovered that the only reason why my heart wasn't completely in to the entire relationship was because we were more like comrades in action rather than two lovers who really love each other, plus Meiling felt that my heart must have been taken by someone else now. I just couldn't remember who."

"I see. And then?"

"And then random memories started to come to me, Doctor. For instance, I remembered that I had a first love already when I was a kid. In fact I even had my first and second kiss from that girl back then too. But I couldn't remember her name or her face and I couldn't remember where I even met her, how I met her… and all of that… when Meiling and I decided to end our romantic relationship and decided to stay as friends, she and I both told our parents about the decision we made. That was when my parents decided that they would stop setting me up with random girls and simply let me go on a personal journey to restore these lost memories. When I was already a rising young star in Hong Kong and that I've gotten offers to work in showbiz in Japan, I rejected at first, reminding of myself of who I am and what my destiny really is. When I told my family about it, they immediately permitted me to pursue my budding career in Japan, which was rather unusual. I expected them to forbid me to do anything outside Hong Kong, but they actually did."

Fujitaka nodded. "Parents are protective with their children, Li-kun, you know that. In your case, your family must have a very distinctive and recognized legacy that there are a lot of heavy expectations of you. When parents allow you to pursue something outside their family jurisdictions, there's always a reason behind them."

"I realized that sometime later when I started working in Japan, Doctor. I realized that the only reason why they permitted me to work here is because a huge chunk of my past life took place here."

Fujitaka nodded to confirm. "Now that you've discovered and established that yourself, is there anything else?"

"Well, now that I think about it… maybe that means that… I have probably met most of the teenagers my age here in Tomoeda. Like your daughter… and Yamazaki… and even Daidouji too…"

"Have you mentioned this to Sakura or Yamazaki-kun or Tomoyo-chan, Li-kun?"

"Not yet. I haven't had the time to because of our crazy movie shooting schedules."

"Well, if your instincts are reminding you that you may have known these three in your lost past, then start with them. Spend more time with them. You know, hang out, tell each other stories of their past. And when you do, listen to them carefully."

"Well… Sakura already told me about her true love… it's really coincidental that her childhood boyfriend has the same name as mine."

Fujitaka decided not to go further with that issue regarding his daughter and reached for another drawer at his desk and brought out an empty black leather-covered notebook. "Li-kun, question. Have you kept a journal or a diary before?"

"You mean… like a blog? Or those diaries that girls usually write on and talk about their everyday lives? Um… sort of… but that was for therapy sessions. I stopped when I started working full-time in Japan."

The professor handed him the notebook. "Here. This is for you."

"It's a blank notebook?" Fujitaka nodded.

"Start writing again, Li-kun. But make this notebook specifically a journal of your thoughts only related to Tomoeda, your memories involving Tomoeda, and everything else that has Tomoeda in them."

"I have a blog in Chinese already, where I normally write what I normally do."

"Well, keep writing on your blog whenever you want, Li-kun. But the notebook I gave you, use that to jot down whatever's in your mind that you would not write in your blog. Use this notebook for anything Tomoeda-related. Don't write about your movie shooting days. Write about the ones that doesn't involve your current work. This will help you find a trigger of some sort to regain all your memories just by reading what you wrote down over and over again."

Syaoran took the notebook from him and placed it in his backpack. "You're just like all my other past therapists. They all had me keep diaries of my everyday life and then review them whenever we have a session."

"Well, that's the next thing I'm going to remind you also, Li-kun. We can have therapy sessions if you like. I'm currently working on my doctoral thesis but I'm halfway done, so I've got plenty of time to work with you while you're still here. You let your mother know and I'll have a word with your parents myself."

At first, the young idol hesitated, thinking of the reactions of his parents. However, because they did let him work in Japan in the first place, for sure they wouldn't mind having a Japanese counselor assign him through another series of therapies for his amnesia while he's on location. "Alright, Doctor. It's a deal."

"You just let me know when you're free. Then you can come over here and have your session with me. Once a week would be good." The two shook hands in agreement.

"Alright, Doctor."

"And don't worry about what we talked about in here. Whatever is being said here in my office will always remain here. If it makes you feel any better, I won't talk to Sakura about what we talked about here…"

Syaoran lifted his head. "I appreciate that, Doctor. I'll talk to her about what we talked about myself."

"Good to hear." He then cleared his throat and continued. "When you go to your movie shoots, bring the pink bear with you as well. You don't need to take him out in the open, you can just keep him in your backpack while you're doing your shoot. What you have in front of you may be a very special stuffed animal. It may have hidden magical powers that would bring you good luck."

Syaoran refrained himself from chuckling. "Seriously, Doctor?"

"I'm an achaeologist. I know these things." The two began laughing when they hear the door knocking. They finally fell silent, with Syaoran quickly placing his pink stuffed bear back inside his backpack.

"Dad, Xiaolang! It's me, Sakura. I'm here to bring you dessert!"

Syaoran quickly stood up and opened the door for her. "Hi, Sakura. Sorry I'm hogging your dad tonight."

Sakura chuckled. "I'm really glad that you and Dad are getting along real well!" She entered with a tray on her hand. "We have chamomile tea, cinnamon chocolate mousse, and hazelnut pie. I don't think you guys like strawberry."

"Well then, this is a special treat," Fujitaka smiled as they served themselves from the tray. "Where's Touya?"

"Oh, he's in the living room with Kaho-neechan," Sakura chuckled.

"You can hang out with us instead, Sakura," Syaoran grinned. "Let's leave the future newlyweds alone, ne?"

Sakura giggled. "I'm glad I brought my serving along as well!" Syaoran closed the door as she placed the tray at the other table in front of the desk. Fujitaka sat back on his executive seat while Sakura took the other empty seat across from Syaoran.

"Wow… chocolate mouse with a bit of a spicy kick!" Syaoran exclaimed happily. "I can't believe you guys know my weakness."

"The spicy kick?" Sakura asked curiously.

"No. Chocolate."

"Awww…" Sakura smiled happily while Fujitaka gave his daughter a small wink. The three began nibbling on their dessert when Sakura broke the silence. "So, guess what. I sneezed several times while I was washing dishes with Oniichan knowing I don't even have a cold and I was thinking to myself, 'Oh I know… I think Dad and Xiaolang have been talking about me!'"

Syaoran remained silent while Fujitaka gave a soft gulp. "That's because we were… um… talking about… flowers… Dear…"

"You and Xiaolang are talking about flowers?" Sakura gave a curious look on her face.

"Well… he was curious… about you and your mother being named after flowers. You know… cherry blossom… dianthus… two of Li-kun's favorite flowers."

"Silly!" Sakura giggled. "You know that's not true, Dad. Xiaolang's favorite flower is—"

"_Botan_, actually…" Syaoran immediately answered.

"_Botan_… Peony, huh?" Fujitaka raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's natural. The peony is a floral symbol of China along with the plum blossom, correct?" Syaoran nodded. "Well, so that must be why you have been sneezing so much."

"Sure, Dad. Whatever you say." Sakura grinned to herself and the three continued to enjoy their dessert. Few moments later, it was Syaoran's turn to break the silence.

"You really have a very cozy home," Syaoran admitted. "It's a small home, but it brings the family a lot closer… like this… It feels so warm and relaxing."

"Well, I'm glad you like our humble home, Li-kun. I'm honored," Fujitaka grinned. "My old college buddies designed and had it constructed as their wedding gift for Nadeshiko and me. We've been living here ever since our wedding day. Of course we renovated it a few times, mainly the interior. In fact, this office den here is an add-on so I can have a suitable place to work from home.

"Someday, I'm gonna have a house like this," Syaoran declared. "I'm already used to living in very spacious palatial homes, but even though you know the way around the house, it's really hard to locate who you want to look for. When we have dessert some moments after dinner, dessert is being served to us by the servants and then just eat from where we are. We don't normally do family gatherings like this. Parents are busy with the business and the clan, sisters are busy with whatever the hell they're busy with… and then there's me."

"Well, there's a first time for everything!" Sakura smiled. "Welcome to our home! You can come and visit anytime! Just ignore Oniichan when he starts whining at you when he sees you at our doorstep."

"I think it's better you call any one of us first and we'll be sure that one of us is there if you do decide to visit," Fujitaka mentioned.

_There's always Sakura's window…_ Syaoran grinned to himself having those thoughts in his head.

As they went back to enjoying their desserts again, they hear a rather melodious ringtone around them. Both Sakura and Syaoran checked their smartphones in their pockets, only to learn that the professor raised his own smartphone with his screen flashing.

"Mine. Sorry, kids." Fujitaka took a look at his screen and saw the name and the photo of the caller: Sonomi Daidouji. "Hm, Sonomi's calling? Why wouldn't she just call the land line? Ah well." He stood up and headed for the door. "I'll be back, kids. Please behave."

Once the archaeologist exited his office and climbed upstairs, the two teenagers turned to each other with curious looks. "Kinda strange that Sonomi-san would be calling your dad around this time. I thought she would be busy with the costumes."

"Who knows, Xiaolang," Sakura shrugged. Right then, they heard the door knocking. The two teens turned to see Kaho waving at them. "Oh, hiya Kaho-neechan!"

"Hope I'm not disturbing anyone," Kaho smiled humbly.

"Dr. Kinomoto just stepped out," Syaoran said.

"Anyway, I know this is rather strange but… Touya and I are discussing the songs that's gonna be played at our reception. I know it's a little early, but you know, I can't help it. I don't listen to much pop songs myself so maybe you guys could help us about a bit?"

"You don't need pop songs to hype up your reception party, Kaho-neechan. All you need is fresh, uplifting music that isn't just romantic, but cheerful too. Ne, Xiaolang?" Syaoran nodded in reply.

"Great. Touya's gonna be playing the piano in the family room for the samples. Come on, let's go."

Sakura turned to Syaoran. "Is it okay? Or are you busy with Dad?"

"Nah. I think I'm done with my first session with your dad." Syaoran smiled as the two teenagers followed Kaho to the family room.

#

_**Meanwhile… (just as Kaho entered Fujitaka's home office)**_

Fujitaka reached his bedroom and sat at the edge of his bed, but not before he closed the door. He pressed the green button and then answered. "Sonomi, good evening to you!"

"_Good evening to you too… Fuji-kun."_

The professor's eyes widened in surprise to hear a distinctive female voice which he hasn't heard for the last seven years. "Yelan…?"

"_It's been awhile, Fuji-kun. Way too long…"_

Fujitaka's eyes began to blink in curiosity. "Well yes… obviously… how have you been? Why do you have Sonomi's phone?"

"_I just arrived at Narita Airport about thirty minutes ago. We're already traveling up there in Tomoeda. Sonomi was kind enough to let me use her phone to contact you."_

He laid back on his bed and quickly placed his bluetooth on his ear and activated it so he can freely speak without the phone on his ear. "I was told by Sonomi that you won't be arriving until Friday or Saturday this weekend. Where will you be staying?"

"_For now I'll be staying at the Starfield Villa gated community within Tomoeda, where Xiaojin's granduncle and grandaunt used to live. I was told by Sonomi that she and Jingmei and even Wei already informed you about my son recently."_

"Earlier today, yes. In fact, he's actually here tonight. Sakura invited him for dinner."

Yelan softly chuckled at her end. _"I see Xiaolang missed his Whisperjay Stew…"_

"I had a rather long session with him alone in my office for about an hour before you called. No doubt he's your son, alright."

"_Does Sakura-chan recognize him? I hope she still does… oh the poor girl…"_

"She has suspicions about him already before Sonomi and others informed me about him. I warned her not to jump in to conclusions until we were sure. After talking to him for an hour in my office, now we're very sure."

"_I just hope she hasn't spoken to Xiaolang about this yet. There's a major reason why we don't want anyone to just… tell him. You know when you write a story and then there's that 'show don't tell' rule?"_

"I'm a non-fiction writer myself, so yes, of course."

"_By going through that show don't tell rule, maybe it would help Xiaolang regain his memories of Tomoeda bit by bit."_

Fujitaka nodded. "That makes sense." He sighed, then continued. "Good grief… amnesia… what on earth happened to him?"

"_It's going to be a long travel from where we are now so I have all the time to tell you…"_ Right then, Fujitaka made himself comfortable on his bed as Yelan told him the entire story.

"_When we were on the plane traveling back to Hong Kong those seven years ago, my heart had been breaking so much whenever I watched my son crying on his seat. He was cuddling his Ying Fa stuffed animal to him as if he refused to let it go. He named the pink bear Ying Fa because Sakura-chan gave it to him. When we got home, he had been a problematic child, refusing to eat, even refusing to meet his other relatives within the clan whenever they visit, in fact when we enrolled him in school over there he only lasted for a month. Just to his satisfaction we decided to hire a private tutor to continue on with his studies in elementary and middle school."_

"My my… I really had no idea how much impact Sakura has made over your son, Yelan… she's a very happy, cheerful, friendly, and caring girl after all."

"_You have no idea. He even demanded the estate gardeners to get rid of all the plum blossom trees around the garden and replace them with cherry blossom trees. That boy…"_

Fujitaka chuckled. "No worries, Yelan. He was a young boy who seemed to have matured too fast. Falling in love before he even hit ten. Sakura was also like that for the first few weeks, always locking herself in her room, refusing to see anyone or even come out. She missed the entire month of school because her sweet Syaoran-kun is no longer there with her."

"_Syaoran… I have forgotten that all of Tomoeda knew him by that name…"_

"The rest of the town also knew you as 'Ieran.' I just happen to call you by your original pronunciation since I'm pretty fluent with your language myself."

Yelan gave a soft chortle. _"You've always been the perfectionist, Fuji-kun. No wonder Nadeshiko fell in love with you."_

"Now that would be a bad reason, Yelan," Fujitaka returned the laugh. "Well then. Guess it's safe for me to refer to him as 'Syaoran-kun' again."

"_About two weeks later, he mellowed down a bit and that's when he decided to write letters to the friends he left. Well, he only wrote to three: Sakura-chan, Sonomi's daughter Tomoyo-chan, and his only boy best friend, Takashi Yamazaki, who is now taking care of our old house next door. The letters have been constantly coming in and going out that brought Xiaolang's enthusiasm and optimism back again. He finally came out of his room and was now having meals with the rest of the family. Two months later, Xiaolang finally agreed to get himself enrolled in school so he can make new friends. Apparently my sister from Britain informed me that her son Eriol will also be attending school in Hong Kong as well so he can be more familiar with the Li sideof his family and decided they would attend the most elite international school in Hong Kong._

"_On that month, Xiaojin took Xiaolang to the school to finalize the enrollment paperwork and give Xiaolang a few assessment tests. Even though Tomoeda is a small and humble town with a an open and humble school system, the teachers of our wonderful town deserved so much credit. Xiaolang passed all the assessments and entrance exams provided to him by that particular international school. You also did a good job being his former private tutor with the Japanese language, so I have to thank you for that."_

"Well, that's good to hear, Yelan! So, he and Eriol were able to get admitted to this very elite international school?"

"_Well, to tell you the truth, Xiaolang did get admitted… but never really made it to his first day of school."_

"What happened?"

"_On their way back home from the school, things just went by fast. At a very busy intersection somewhere within downtown, a car just rammed at the side of the car that Xiaojin and Xiaolang had been riding… completely totaled. I didn't receive the news of the accident until two hours later. It was the most horrid thing that's ever happened to this family… to me, most especially…"_

"That's just horrible, Yelan… I can imagine how you felt back then. Your husband, the current head of the Li Dynasty… and your only son, the future head of the Li Dynasty… getting in to the same car accident at the same time… it's as if that was meant to happen on purpose…"

Yelan sighed at her end. _"I thought the same thing as you're thinking right now, Fuji-kun. Many of the clan elders felt it was foul play. Thank goodness both Xiaojin and Xiaolang were saved… at a major cost. Today, Xiaojin is paralyzed from the toe up to his body. It was a miracle that he was still able to move his arms and able to still conduct business within the enterprise, but he is getting weaker and weaker gradually Xiaolang, on the other hand…"_

"I'll take a guess. He had a major concussion on his head, which caused the amnesia. That has to be the reason why the letters stopped arriving. Sakura felt devastated when the letters stopped. Apparently she was relieved a bit when she also learned that the same thing happened with Tomoyo and Yamazaki."

"_Yes. Due to his amnesia and his overall health condition, the elders became worried for Xiaolang's safety. They decided to withdraw his enrollment to that school and decided that he would go through home study instead. Xiaojin wasn't too worried about himself even though the entire clan was already worried enough for him, but his main concern was Xiaolang's safety.. He is, of course, is the future of the continuous legacy of the Li Clan."_

"I'm aware, Yelan. Your family's name is everywhere even during my guest lecture visits at the University of Hong Kong and other universities surrounding Hong Kong. You sure have put a lot of investments towards a lot of academic programs and educational fundraisers over there. I find that very honorable."

"_Some six or seven months later since his recovery and therapy sessions, he found an interest in the performing arts. The therapists that we've been hiring recommended us to allow him to broaden himself and explore the real world outside even though they may not be related to the business the Li Clan is involved in. That's how he got his start in his showbiz career. At age fifteen, that was when Japan recognized his works through his movies and TV shows in Hong Kong and offered him a contract to work in Japan. Again, following the advice of the therapists, plus we also feel that Xiaolang's life is still in danger due to our suspicions, we allowed him to work there. At least while he continues to recover all his lost memories, he can be safe over there in Japan. A month after, my four daughters graduated from high school and decided to enroll in the universities in Japan so they can keep an eye on Xiaolang, making sure he's safe. Shiefa and Fanren attended Keio University. Fuutie attended Waseda University. Feimei was the lucky one and got admitted to Todai, where we all went to college at."_

"I see. Wow, that's just… really heavy…"

"_The entire family was also suspicious that there may be spies within the enterprise from rivals and God knows what that we decided to temporarily cut off connections from all the people in our lives and disappear from the public records for the time being. That's another reason why the letters stopped and another reason why you and everyone else close to us are unable to make contact with us anymore. It was the most painful thing that Xiaojin and I had to do but this was all for Xiaolang's sake and the sake of the enterprise. Those seven years have been very scary for us, Fuji-kun and I'm really sorry for disappearing from you and everyone else without a word…"_

Fujitaka swallowed. "I understand now. Believe me I have searched everywhere for you. I even asked the locals. They know all of you by name but no trace of your whereabouts either. You must have hid real well."

"_And now that we received good news from the therapists that he was nearing completion in recovering all his memories, we got even more excited when we learned that Jingmei and her husband Toshifumi wanted to write a teen romance comedy movie that takes place in a homely, magical small-town setting. I… sorta interfered and suggested Tomoeda… The theme of the movie is completely different from the ones Xiaolang was used to act in, but he was curious with the project also. When he mentioned it to us, we immediately said yes without question."_

"Well, if you're wondering, Syaoran-kun has been very safe and sound here in Tomoeda so far. Although… you can probably guess what I'm going to say next."

"_Don't worry. I'll explain everything. Just you wait, Doctor K."_

"The night is still young and I can hear the piano downstairs being played beautifully. Looks like the kids are entertaining themselves. I just hope your son and Touya are finally getting along…"

Yelan chortled. _"I think for Xiaolang's sake we should let them remain hostile with each other. After all, those two never exactly got along with each other since they were little, much to my daughters' dismay."_

"Anything to restore his lost memories of Tomoeda, sure thing."

"_Speaking of your son, on behalf of the clan, congratulations to your son and Kaho-chan for their upcoming wedding. Also, tell him not to worry about my daughters who kept pestering him for his attention since middle school. All four of them have boyfriends— Japanese boyfriends that is."_

"Oh good," Fujitaka sighed in relief, "because Yukito-kun and Nakuru-chan are also engaged to marry as well."

"_And now, everyone is happy." _The two adults broke in to laughter until Yelan refrained. _"I'm really happy to hear your voice again, Fuji-kun."_

"Well, happy to hear from you as well, Yelan. I'm glad to hear that despite of all the hardships you and the family clan had to go through in Hong Kong that you're alright yourself."

"_Xiaojin and my daughters will be arriving here tomorrow. Sonomi and I will be picking them up as well and we'll be staying at the same house I will be staying tonight. When Xiaolang and the rest of us finally meet on his birthday, then we may move back next door…"_

Fujitaka quickly refrained himself from laughter. "Are you serious? You're actually staying next door? Along with Eriol as well?"

"_Well, Eriol is my nephew, you know."_

"What about Yamazaki-kun?"

"_Oh he can stay. He's been very gracious in taking care of our old home while he's living there. We have major plans for the Sendai Branch of the conglomerate in the near future, and when things become finalized, Yamazaki's family will be able to move back to their original home and Takashi-kun would be able to live with them again. But for now, he can live with us."_

"Oh yeah, that's right. His parents work for you guys at the Sendai Branch. Good to hear Takashi-kun would still be able to stay in your old home even after you move back."

"_Well then… looks like we still got another hour and a half of travel here. This will definitely take awhile for me to explain, but here's the gist of what's been happening with us."_

"Alright. Let's hear it."

"_Someone at the main headquarters in Hong Kong committed a fraudulent crime that affected our central unit and of course, affected the reputation of the Li Clan and the enterprise. Xiaojin's younger brother, Yuanji, became stuck in a bind in handling this case that he needed our presence there to fix this entire mess. Eventually the culprit was caught, however we also discovered that he was actually being paid to continue on with this illegal, corrupt business, whatever that may be, which gave the elders the suspicion that someone within the company— or even within the family— is trying to ruin our name, Xiaojin's in particular. And then with the whole accident that happened to Xiaojin and Xiaolang, we became very vigilant with the people around us that we have been taking extreme security measures. Then later the elders discovered that certain relatives— cousins or second cousins to Xiaojin and the immediate family— have been misusing the enterprise funds for their own gain and have been battling each other to see who will be the next president and CEO of the enterprise and the eventual new head of the Li Clan. They had been conspiring first to take down Xiaojin and getting rid of Xiaolang in the same process so that they would be able to get to the top. I as a mother became very concerned with the issue, which was why when the opportunity of working in Japanese showbiz came about, we immediately permitted Xiaolang to work there."_

"So that's why Xiaolang was able to work and establish his career further in Japan… it wasn't just to regain his remaining memories, but to also keep him safe from these greedy bastards who are out to get rid of him and his father. I just don't understand the elite sometimes. They're already wealthy, so filthy rich that they don't even know what to do with all the money they've got, that they want more? Decency among humans have been gradually disappearing due to all this corruption."

"_There's… actually… another reason why Xiaolang is there in Japan now, most especially back in Tomoeda…"_

"There's more? My goodness, Yelan…"

"_Few months ago the doctor discovered a virus that got in to his brain. I forget what type of virus it was but it's one of those viruses that can cause major memory loss on a person… and just at the time that he was on a roll regaining his memories again too…"_

"Virus! What on earth…"

"_There is a certain neurosurgeon, considered as the best neurosurgeon in the world, by the name of Dr. Chen Jintao. He's so much on high demand that the medical costs to have him perform specialized brain surgeries are so ridiculously high. Apparently we also learned that he no longer operates his services in Hong Kong and is currently a scholar working at the Mindspring Neuroscience Research Center somewhere in Japan because of its very high-end technology there. We also discovered that the this research center also happens to be located just a few blocks from Clow Reed University in Tsukisora…"_

"Mindspring Neuroscience Research Center, huh? I know some people who work there. Maybe they know this guy."

"_It's not that easy, Fuji-kun. The doctor also stated that having the surgery itself may even be riskier. With Dr. Chen doing the surgery, the virus can be treatable, however, it may risk of having Xiaolang's lost memories becoming lost forever. As a mother and a person who never breaks her promises, I won't allow that, so… that's why now I ask for your help, being a guidance counselor yourself in the past before."_

"I'm not sure if I understood this. So, Xiaolang is infected with this virus that can make his memory loss a whole lot worse than it is now. This Dr. Chen person is able to perform the surgery and get rid of that virus, however, with the surgery itself, there's a high risk that Xiaolang may never recover his memories of Tomoeda in exchange."

"_That's pretty much it, Fuji-kun."_

"So, in order to prevent that from happening, it's important for Xiaolang to recover all of his memories _before _he goes through this surgery?"

"_Yes, Fuji-kun. That pretty much sums it up."_

Fujitaka gently wiped off the sweat from his head with a tissue from his side table. "And I'll even make a hypothesis too. Xiaolang is truly in line to be the next head of the Li Clan, but of course, he has to go through certain tests, am I right?"

"_You're quite familiar with our family, Fuji-kun."_

"It's because of my profession that I end up knowing too much, Yelan."

Yelan chuckled again. _"The elders also wanted to make sure that Xiaolang doesn't turn out to be some corrupt, irresponsible individual and then bring shame to the family. He had already gone through six out of seven tests already and so far he passed all of them. The final one was supposed to be a one-on-one martial arts duel with his father, the current leader, but because of the accident and… well… you know… Xiaolang has a new opponent in this final test."_

"I'll guess again… he is his own opponent. Am I right?"

"_Yes, Fuji-kun. The real Li Xiaolang that the elders recognized as the true future leader was the boy known as Syaoran Li that all of Tomoeda knew and loved. The Xiaolang that you just met today currently isn't Syaoran Li. I hope that makes sense to you."_

"Oh believe me, Yelan. It makes perfect sense."

"_And finding and recovering his lost memories on his own would be the same as dueling in this final test. We've already tried telling him stories about his past in Tomoeda but it seems that nothing is registering in his mind and… I now feel that the only ones who can save Xiaolang now…"_

"Oh boy… man, I feel bad for your son, with so much heavy burden… first his amnesia, then his stresses being an idol, now a virus in his brain?"

"_I don't know how to break this news to Xiaolang myself therefore…"_

"You haven't told your son about this? Yelan, what are you thinking…"

"_What do I do as a mother, Fuji-kun? IF you were in my shoes now, how would you break this sad news to your child?"_

Fujitaka gave a deep sigh, as Yelan continued on. _"How coincidental that the healer we are seeking just happened to be close to Tomoeda, don't you think? None of the staff in the enterprises, nor anyone among the elders, have any connections to this man. We'll pay whatever it is he charges us, as long as he does agree to cure my son… we were told that he is a rather difficult man to deal with, not even those of the higher class can influence him."_

"And because of that, maybe someone from the local area may be able to convince him to do the procedure… like me, for example."

"_Well… that's what I was thinking…"_

"You know I'd do anything, Yelan. You've done so much for my family when Nadeshiko left us. Among you four friends from high school, you're the next person who has the most experience with being a mother even though the two of you got married just a few weeks after Nadeshiko and I got married then. And of course, I've never forgotten the promise you made to Nadeshiko before she died."

"_I've never forgotten either. Sakura-chan is another concern of mine as well. I made a promise to Nadeshiko that should anything ever happen to both of you that I would take both Sakura and Touya under my care as if they were my own. Xiaojin, my daughters, even Xiaolang know about this… well, used to know about this in Xiaolang's case now. And I really love Sakura-chan with all my heart. She's such a bundle of joy who always brought smiles to everyone around town. Most of all, she always brought smiles to Xiaolang at the right times. Xiaolang was a lot to handle in the beginning, but ever since Sakura came in to his life, he finally became interested in how to live a fulfilling life."_

"Tomorrow is actually the meeting of the Clow Reed University's Culinary and Gastronomy Club and I'll be meeting my old college buddies over there. Some of them are researchers at the Mindspring Neurosciences Research Center. I'll make sure to ask them about Dr. Chen. Maybe they are colleagues with him or something. Don't worry."

"_Thank you for this, Fuji-kun. I would seriously cry right now as my way of showing my gratitude but Sonomi's in a good mood right now driving at night, so I won't."_

Fujitaka chuckled. "You're always welcome, Yelan."

"_Now that you mentioned it, Sonomi and I were planning to get together sometime tomorrow, along with Jingmei. There is one place that I'd like to go first tomorrow but I would also like for you to come along as well."_

"The Culinary and Gastronomy Club is open to the public anyway and it's not until the afternoon. You can even come along to the meeting because we'll be having a fundraiser bake sale to support the funding of a brand-new observatory to be constructed on campus."

"_Bake sale! You're one of a kind, Dr. K!"_

"And yes… there's free lunch."

"_Looking forward to it."_

"That reminds me. When I talked to your son earlier today, I asked him if he ever kept any diaries and journals chronicling his everyday activities. He stated that he used to but he stopped when he got really busy in showbiz. I had him start writing again by giving him a fresh empty notebook, but this time focusing towards his time and experiences in Tomoeda without mentioning any details of his movie shoot. He's got his blog to do that."

"_Yes. He does keep a public blog for his fans to read, but they're primarily focused on his current work and nothing much of his personal life. The past therapists had him keep a journal so he has a record of his new memories and jot down the lost memories he recently recovered. That's how they monitored his memory recovering process."_

"I really do hope he takes this one seriously."

"_The more he spends time with the locals, especially his old buddies from childhood, and with his position to the clan in line as well, he'll definitely take this one seriously."_

"Until we find a more qualified therapist for him, I decided to monitor him myself being a psychology-certified former school guidance counselor myself. We agreed to have a weekly session, an hour a day."

"_Thank you for this, Fuji-kun, but I don't think we need a Ph.D therapist to help him. He just needs someone whom he can feel he can trust, and seeing you've spent one hour alone with him in your office is pretty much proof enough that he can trust you."_

"Thank you for the compliment, Yelan. I really appreciate it."

"_And also, you work wonders with kids. You did the same with my daughters and the neighborhood kids and even the kids of the elite… and all this you were doing it for free. You could even be a schoolteacher if you wanted to."_

"Well, the pay was good enough being a school guidance counselor so I didn't need any extra pay for home sessions. And back then I was applying for resident tenures at various universities nearby. I haven't had a full-time job working in the archaeology field back then. I remember I was still paying off a few of my college loans even though I've won plenty of scholarships to get me in to grad school."

"_You were too proud to ask any one of your elite-class friends to sponsor you for those loans, Kinomoto. That's what friends are for."_

"It's not about pride, Yelan. I just don't want to be a burden to anyone, that's all."

"_But look at you now. You're earning millions in your current position and yet you still live a simple, humble, and honest life. Hard work does pay off."_

"All the millions I earned from work and even from various awards are for the kids' college funds and donated some of them to local charities. Archaeologists and historians don't need to live large in order to continue their work. We're more passionate in what we do than the rewards that we earn for what we're doing. Even though I believe I earned enough to support both Touya and Sakura, the two also wanted to have work experience on their own so they started taking part-time jobs. Touya, most especially."

"_The Li Clan has the same philosophy as you, Fuji-kun. Of course, it's a little different, but with Xiaolang being the heir to the clan and to the family fortune, he's not just going to get there simply because of his position. He also had to work himself to get up there and prove himself. This is what these series of tests are for."_

"I don't need to know the details of that test. I don't think it's appropriate for an outsider like to get nosy anyway. What can I say? Best of luck with all of us."

Yelan cleared her throat. _"Thank you again for doing this for my son, Fuij-kun. The family is truly indebted to you. We feel that having him in Tomoeda for a long period of time would be our last resort to save him and finally get him prepared to take his father's place within the clan. Indeed, the Li Clan is very close to each other, but hidden within that closeness, it's more of like 'keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer.'"_

"It's all for family and friendship and a fulfilling life, Yelan. Always welcome."

"_Well, I'll have to hang up now. The battery on this phone is running out and my new Japanese smartphone isn't activated yet until tomorrow morning."_

"We'll keep in touch tomorrow then. Goodnight, Yelan."

"_Goodnight, Fuji-kun. Oh, one more thing really quick…"_

"Yes?"

"_Not a word to Xiaolang, any one of your kids, or anyone else outside our little circle, for the matter."_

"Alright, alright. I'll be zipping my lips now." The two hung up, with Fujitaka removing the bluetooth off of his ear, sighing out as he stretched himself on to his bed.

_I just hope you keep Syaoran very close to you, Sakura. You're the destined hero to save this young prince now…_

#

Music was in the air— or rather at the family room— when Fujitaka arrived downstairs after a surprise lengthy conversation with an old friend whom he hasn't seen and spoken for the last seven years. He knew that there were only four present in the house at this point, but as he got closer to the living room, he could hear more than just four. In fact, there were seven more new voices coming out. He quickly dashed to the family room to see the new guests who just arrived.

"Well well, looks like we've got an unexpected party going on here," Fujitaka grinned as his reaction.

"Good evening, Dr. Kinomoto," the eleven guests greeted the man of the house with a bow.

"Let's see… Tomoyo-chan, Yukito-kun, Nakuru-chan, Yamazaki-kun, Chiharu-chan… ah, and you must be Eriol Hiiragizawa and Meiling Li," Fujitaka identified the new guests.

Wei, who was sitting down at the couch simply watching over, stood up. "The night shooting for these six had been completed a few minutes ago and since the night is somewhat still young, they had an idea of spending the rest of the night at your place to be with your kids and Master Xiaolang."

Nakuru snuck in and answered. "I just happened to be in the neighborhood on my nightly bike ride!"

Fujitaka raised an eyebrow. "You ride a bike at night by yourself, Nakuru-chan?"

"Oh yeah. Nightly routine. Kaho and I do it all the time. I had to stop by. Instincts, you know, Doctor?"

"Right, of course." He then cleared his throat. "I know it's already around 9:00 p.m. but have you had dinner yet?"

"We did, but Eriol and Meiling haven't," Tomoyo said.

"Good. Then better have your dinner. I still got some leftovers from our dinner earlier today. Come on over."

Eriol and Meiling smiled. "Thank you very much, Dr. Kinomoto!" The two teen stars followed the professor towards the kitchen area.

In the meantime at the piano, Touya was sitting on the piano chair with the piano score of an original composition that was to be used in the movie shoot tomorrow. Sakura, Tomoyo, Yamazaki, and Yukito were standing around him, also reading the music sheet themselves. Yamazaki was holding a pair of drumsticks and Yukito already has his bass guitar strapped around him. The song written on top was indicated as "Guess I'm Dumb" written by two nationally-recognized songwriters in the Japanese music industry.

At the sofa area, Syaoran read the newly-updated script that he received from Eriol and Meiling while Chiharu, Kaho, and Nakuru, being Wolfpup fangirls, sat quietly just staring in bliss towards their idol. The scene that was updated turned out to be the day and night scenes with the kissing scenes and the first two scenes that The Cool Rascals will be having their singing scenes on. There were indeed some new additions to the scene alright, as Eriol and Meiling reminded him earlier just now.

"So now, The Cool Rascals have speaking lines now…" Syaoran muttered, which caught the band's attention.

Touya stopped playing with the piano and answered. "We haven't taken a look at the updated script yet. What the hell are the changes?"

"Let's see," Syaoran muttered as he flipped through the pages. "You have two lines, Touya-senpai. Three lines for Yukito-senpai, two lines for Yamazaki, and one line for Tomoyo and Sakura."

"Eh? Just one line?" Sakura blinked curiously. "What line is that?"

"It's a shared single line for you and Tomoyo, Sakura," Syaoran said dryly. "And your line is 'Yeah!'"

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Just 'yeah!'?"

"Yep. 'Yeah!'"

"Hey, that's not fair!" Yamazaki frowned. "They promised we wouldn't have any speaking lines. I hate memorizing lines!"

"Relax, Yamazaki. Your lines here are 'I know, how about a song?' and 'Go Tomo-chan, Saku-chan!'." Yamazaki blinked in surprise, leaving himself speechless.

Syaoran then turned to the two older best friends. "Touya-senpai, your lines are 'Welcome to Friday Night Music Live at Ping's!' and 'Thank you for listening to our music!'" He then glanced at Yukito. "And Yukito-senpai, your lines are 'Time to get down!', 'You can't have real music without the bass,' and 'That's awesome!'"

Both Touya and Yukito gave perplexed looks on their faces as Syaoran continued on. "That's for the day shooting, by the way. Since Ping's is actually Mooncastle Diner, it'll be when The Cool Rascals perform the song 'Guess I'm Dumb' with Yamazaki in the lead vocal. You also have more lines in the night scene but I haven't checked on that yet."

"Seriously, the movie crew just can't make up their minds in this movie. They need to get themselves together and finalize it already. What the hell's wrong with them?"

Syaoran shrugged. "Don't look at me. I didn't write the script.

"Oh come on, you guys," Sakura chuckled, "those lines aren't that hard to remember."

"Yeah?" Yamazaki frowned. "Compared to yours and Tomoyo's unison line of 'Yeah!', sure, they're not hard to remember…"

"It shouldn't be too bad," Yukito grinned. "If they want speaking lines from The Cool Rascals, then we're ready for it. That's gotta be the reason why we had the second portion of the screen test last week."

"Oh that's right!" Tomoyo gasped. "We had those interviews, right? They wanted to hear our speaking voices. Maybe the producers decided to just give us a line or two in the movie."

"Still, it's different speaking freely from actually memorizing lines," Yamazaki pouted.

"Oh stop whining, Takashi," Chiharu said from the couch area. "You were a natural playing roles in past stage plays in school. What's two lines, really?"

"Fine, fine," Yamazaki sighed.

"Okay, okay, let's get this over with," Touya changed the subject and turned to the piano. "Let's play to see if the scene only wants us to perform the entire song or just half of the song…"

"We recorded this song for the soundtrack just a few days ago," Sakura said. "So did that other song for the night shooting too."

"And that's why they're gonna start shooting the song scenes using the songs we already recorded, squirt," Touya answered. "Alright. Let's see how long this movie scene version goes." He then began to play the piano accompaniment, with Yukito playing a bit of the bass portion along with the piano and Yamazaki counting the time of the song's beat, just in case.

While the boys are reviewing the music piece, Tomoyo gently tapped Sakura at the side of her arm. She then whispered in her ear. "Sakura, um… can I talk to you a bit…?"

"Sure, what's up?" Sakura asked.

"Well… alone… um, can we talk in your room?"

"Okay!" The two girls excused themselves as Sakura lead Tomoyo upstairs to her bedroom.

Once they got to her room, Tomoyo quickly closed her door and then brought out her usual cheery self with a huge smile on her face.

"Well?"

"Hoe? Well what?"

"You know… dinner… Li-kun…"

Sakura chuckled nervously. "Um… nothing much happened. I mean, it's the usual getting to know each other type of thing. But I'm seriously curious about what he and Dad were talking about in his home office for an hour. I was cleaning up the dining area and the kitchen with Oniichan while Kaho was there chatting with us and then Wei went back to you guys to check up on Eriol and Meiling and…"

"Slow down, girl." Tomoyo hushed, but her grin still remained. "Okay, so the father had a one-on-one session with the handsome idol… and then?"

Sakura couldn't find the right words to say to her, but instead she answered in a rather different way. "And then after we washed the dishes, we served some dessert. I brought their dessert in the office and it looks like the two have been getting along well. I had to volunteer quickly because I don't want my brother to mess things up between Dad and Syaoran and all—"

Immediately, Tomoyo snickered and pointed right at her best friend. "Aha!"

"Hoe?"

"You just said 'Syaoran'! You just called Li-kun 'Syaoran'!"

Sakura quickly covered her mouth. "I… I did…?" Tomoyo gave a huge nod of her head. "Hoe…"

"Well? Why are you putting me on suspense here, Sakura? What's the verdict? Is the ever-so-hot Li Xiaolang is actually Syaoran Li? Our long-lost comrade and your long-lost love? Well?"

Just as Sakura was about to answer, they hear a light door knock. Being familiar with the volume and pattern of the knock, Sakura already knew who was at the door. "Yes, Dad?"

The door opened and Fujitaka stuck his head through. "Sakura, have you seen— oh, there you are, Tomoyo!"

"Hello Uncle Fujitaka," Tomoyo gave a grin.

"I'm serving some dessert for you guys. I have hazelnut pie, strawberry pudding, and cinnamon chocolate mousse. Which one would you like?"

"Wow! Dessert!" Tomoyo gasped and then began to think. "Hmm… dang… so hard to choose…"

"You can always have a sample of all three, you know."

"Yes! Let's do that, Uncle Fujitaka! Thanks!"

"Great. Coming right up!" Just as Fujitaka was about to leave, Sakura called after him.

"Dad, wait up!"

"Hm?" He turned to see his daughter from her room. "What is it, Sakura?"

"Um… about Xiaolang… I mean I'm not gonna ask you about what you guys talked about, but… um…"

Fujitaka nodded, knowing where his daughter was aiming at. He simply answered her with a thumbs up. Sakura gasped happily and gave a loud shriek of excitement.

"Oh thank you, Dad! Thank you so much!" Sakura cheered like a little girl and closed her room. Through closed doors, he could hear her daughter and Tomoyo screaming madly like fangirls. He simply grinned to himself and proceeded to the kitchen.

Meanwhile in Sakura's room, the two best friends couldn't help but scream in excitement after Fujitaka confirmed to his daughter that based on his one-on-one with Syaoran earlier. Right after they finally let their screams fade to silence, the two took a few deep breaths and the dropped themselves backward on to her bed, with Tomoyo's hair spread all over. Sure, just one simple thumbs up made the difference, however, their quest to bring their missing childhood friend back was only the beginning.

"Li Xiao— I mean Syaoran-kun is still suffering amnesia," Tomoyo sighed. "See, I told you so! I kept telling you these past few days but you still had doubts! How could you doubt me like this, Sakura?"

"Sorry…" Sakura muttered softly. "I'll never doubt you ever again when it comes to these things…"

"We need a plan… a real serious plan… but we can't do it alone… he needs his closest comrades of Tomoeda for this, Sakura. Sure we all are sure that the gorgeously alluring Li Xiaolang is our dear friend Syaoran Li, but because of that amnesia problem of his, he doesn't know that."

"Yeah, seriously. But what do we do to make him remember? I mean, telling him about what we used to do and all of that isn't really gonna help him remember. He would probably be like 'Oh really, we did that? I see. Okay' and the move on back to his own business like it was nothing. That's not gonna cure him of amnesia, that's for sure."

"You're right about that…" Tomoyo nodded in agreement. "But first, let's have two more people in to this plan." She quickly reached for her smartphone and began to text Yamazaki and Chiharu.

"Who are you texting?"

"Yamazaki and Chiharu, who else?"

"Um… does Chiharu even know about what we've been suspecting of Syaoran all this time?"

"Well, no, but first thing's first is that we'll have to deliver her the bad news…"

"I really do hope you know what you're doing, Tomoyo."

Once Tomoyo messaged the two, the two girls laid back down on bed, now on their contemplative mode. "So, what did you think was it that made you confirm that Li Xiaolang is Syaoran?"

"Earlier at the dance studio… I poked him on a certain spot on his left waist. I know that Syaoran has a very sensitive spot that makes him all ticklish and somehow I discovered it when we were little. Whenever he says something I didn't want to hear, I would poke him there."

"Hee hee, you sneaky girl you!" Right then, they hear the door knock.

"Come in!" Sakura called. The door opened and Yamazaki and Chiharu entered. Once the couple entered, Yamazaki's anxiousness unconsciously made him leave the door a little bit open rather than closing it all the way.

"What's the emergency here?" Yamazaki asked curiously.

Tomoyo got up from the bed and then approached Chiharu with a grin on her face. "Chiharu, first of all, I'm afraid we've got some really bad news for you."

"Huh?" Chiharu blinked curiously. "Why'd you call Takashi and me up here for? What's going on here?"

"You see… it's about Li Xiaolang…" Yamazaki almost choked in to shock to hear his name in Tomoyo's answer.

"Not again… why mention Li again, Tomoyo?" Yamazaki complained.

"First of all, Chiharu, you swear in the name of God and all the other gods watching over us up above that you will forever love and cherish Takashi Yamazaki forever and ever until you die, right?"

"Um, Tomoyo, what exactly are you aiming at…?" Chiharu blinked her eyes.

"Shh…," Tomoyo whispered. "Well, do you swear?"

"Of course I swear, Tomoyo!"

"And from out of the blue that you and Yamazaki decide to break up, you will move on quietly and in a more mature manner without using anyone as a rebound, ne?"

"Of course! I'm not that kind of a person who'd find some random guy and then claim him as my new boyfriend. That's just lame and desperate!"

"Well good, because Li Xiaolang's heart has been taken—"

"What?" Chiharu shrieked with her eyes opened wide. "Taken? Li Xiaolang is now taken? You mean he's got a girlfriend already?"

"Tomoyo, what the hell are you—" Just as Tomoyo quickly gave a gaze right at Yamazaki, he finally realized what the situation they are in right now is about. "Oh… wait… are you serious?"

"Yes, Yamazaki. Li Xiaolang is in love with someone very special…"

_That's not exactly what I'm referring to, Daidouji… _Yamazaki's voice muttered in his head.

"Aaaah!" Chiharu panicked and then dropped to her knees towards Tomoyo. "How could you do this to me, Tomoyo? Who's the tramp who dare seduced our beloved Li Xiaolang and stole his heart? Let me guess, it's one of the girls among the main five couples, right?"

"Hoe…" Sakura dropped her head in embarrassment while Yamazaki yawned in boredom.

Tomoyo continued on. "Well… the mystery girl is still… a mystery… after all, we are only fans, not the paparazzi. But you see… at the dinner earlier with the Kinomotos, he admitted to the entire family that he is currently in love with someone… and in return, Sakura's long lost lover, Syaoran Li, has finally returned to her!"

"Eh?" Chiharu blinked curiously while Yamazaki covered his mouth to refrain himself from laughing. "So… Syaoran Li's finally back? In Tomoeda?"

"Um… you see…" Just as Sakura was about to interrupt, Tomoyo continued on with her word play.

"He has come back to her… and forever he will stay… that is the reason why Li Xiaolang's heart is finally taken…"

"Eh?" The couple blurted out with very confused faces while Tomoyo simply gave a huge grin.

"Mou, Tomoyo, I don't get a single word you've been saying to me," Chiharu frowned. "So, Li Xiaolang is in love, or rather, let's say he already has someone special… and then Syaoran Li is back in town to be reunited with Sakura?" She then began to scratch her head, trying to connect the two together.

"Yes, Chiharu," Tomoyo continued on playing around with the fanclub president's mind. "That is why you must call an emergency meeting with the Wolfpups to let your fellow Wolfpups know that the Wolf Papa is now untouchable by their fangirl hands and respect Li Xiaolang's choices in love and romance. In the name of true love, the Wolfpups must stop stalking him as if they actually have a chance to be with him because… Syaoran Li has returned!"

"Okay, Tomoyo, now you're not making any sense…" Yamazaki scratched his head while Chiharu remained silent, completely confused as ever.

"Because Li Xiaolang is a very complex person, that's why none of what I'm saying makes sense right now," Tomoyo found herself enjoying with the mind play that she continued on bringing more confusion to the couple.

"Who's a complex person?" A new voice spoke behind them, in which the four quickly snapped their heads at the door.

"Um… hi Li-kun…" Tomoyo grinned nervously once she spotted the curious Syaoran with Eriol and Meiling standing behind him. Because the door was left open when Yamazaki and Chiharu arrived.

"Oooh, this is your room, Sakura?" Meiling suddenly invited herself with a flashing smile on her face. "Aww, so cute and clean and cozy!" Immediately she dragged both Syaoran and Eriol in. "What are you standing around for? Come in!"

"Hey!" At this point, we now have seven teenagers slightly cramped in Sakura's bedroom. With the noise happening here and there, the boys found themselves sandwiched between the girls. Sakura was an exception in this scene. She was already sitting at the chair of her desk when the rest of her friends found themselves unintentionally playing Twister and then landed right on her bed.

Just as things were about to get slightly bad, we now hear another visiting voice entering the room. "Yo squirt, Dad wants me to bring you these desserts so—" Immediately, he found himself stunned, dropping the tray of the dessert dish meant for Tomoyo.

"Oniichan!" Sakura dove to the ground and caught the tray on time. With that one swift move, everyone making noise finally fell silent.

"Whew, close one, Sakura," Tomoyo grinned. "Thanks, Touya-niichan!"

Few seconds later, Touya broke out his silence with a not-so-friendly tone. "Why the hell is everyone hanging around in your room, Sakura? Git! Git! Git!"

"Oniichan, it's my room! You have no right to kick my friends out like that—" And just like that, the siblings began their squabbling while the guests attempted to interfere themselves by breaking the sibling fight.

#

The clock stroke at 11:30 p.m., meaning that it was time for everyone to head back home and call it a night. Being the gentlemen the Tomoeda men are, Touya, Yukito, and Yamazaki decided to walk their girlfriends home. Although Tomoeda was not exactly known for having dangerous streets at night, no place around the world is completely crime-free. Being Tomoeda men, they all had the right to worry about their girls.

Although there were still people occupying the Daidouji House, Eriol and Wei escorted Tomoyo and Meiling there. Although it would be a bit unorthodox, Sakura, a girl, decided to walk Syaoran, a boy, at the house next door. Since there was hardly anyone outside the streets of Hoshiten Avenue, the two felt free to be out under the dark starry summer night.

Syaoran reached for the keys to Yamazaki's house, although it's now safe to refer it to his house. Sakura leaned herself against the wall next to the doorbell with a huge smile on her face.

"Thank you for dinner, Sakura. I really enjoyed it. Your father is an awesome cook!"

"The best, in my opinion," Sakura answered. "He has a masters degree in Culinary Arts and Gastronomy, you know. He's also the faculty adviser for the Clow Reed University Culinary and Gastronomy Club."

"So he's not just an archaeologist, but a food addict too?"

"Archaeologists research human civilization through food too, you know, not just old ruins and buried stuff uncovered."

"Ha ha ha, I know, Sakura. Dr. Kinomoto really has a knack for knowing how to talk to the younger generation when it comes to a lot of issues."

"Before he scored his residential tenure at the Archaeology Department at Clow Reed University, he used to work as a guidance counselor in high school and he also does free family counseling as a side job too at home. That's why his office den is designed like that because people do come and visit him for counseling sessions."

"I see. That's really amazing. I wish I had a father like that… not saying he was a bad father though." The two teenagers laughed softly until their laughter faded.

"I guess you could say that I'm really happy with my life right now. Sure, I don't have a mother anymore, but I have my father. He's also one of Tomoeda's most eligible single men around, but in some ways, being a widower can also be a hindrance if we're talking about dating and romance."

"Oh? Why would being a widower be a hindrance?"

"You know how it is with girls, Xiaolang. They want to be the only girl in their man's heart, right? But if you date a widower, you have the ghost of their dead loved one as your rival and that you'll have to live through that for the rest of your life as long as you're with him. In a way I could kinda understand why girls would feel that way…"

Syaoran simply shook his head. "I wouldn't say that being a widower should be a hindrance though. If we're talking about your dad, I don't think dating and romance is one of his priorities right now. I did notice that he still wears his wedding ring even though his wife have been dead for a very long time now."

Sakura gave a nod. "I never really thought about that. I guess you're right. Plus the only time Dad would bring any other women in the house is when they're doing their usual research projects and excavation projects and stuff and they always come in groups. Dad is quite popular with the female faculty over there from what I heard."

"Heh, he should be. He and your brother are pretty attractive."

"Do you think I'm attractive, Xiaolang?" Without a single awareness, Sakura blurted out a rather controversial question.

Syaoran simply answered with a chuckle. "Why would you ask that question?"

"I mean… when Mom was in high school, she was one of the most sought-after girls among the guys in their generation. And then Dad was also one of the Big Men on campus during their Todai days… plus Oniichan was also one of the most popular guys when he was in high school… and me? Well… I'm nothing, really… I mean I never had any guys who had the guts to come up and say how cute or how beautiful I am on their own even though I'm not really interested in them. You know, just little compliments like that." She sighed deeply and then lowered my head. "I guess I'm the ugly thorn from a completely beautiful family, ne?"

Without even realizing it at this moment, she found Syaoran just inches close to her. "Hoe?"

"If you say you're ugly, Sakura," Syaoran began his reply, "then you're the ugly duckling."

"Hoe?"

"You know the famous fairy tale, ne? This ugly duckling girl felt so unwanted by the world around him that he would rather be lost and get killed right where all the beautiful people are, only to learn that these beautiful people welcomed her with open arms, seeing the real beauty right in front of them."

Sakura then gazed directly at his amber eyes. "Yeah, I know the story… The ugly duckling, so kindhearted yet abused, was discovered by those who are truly beautiful, for beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder…"

Syaoran nodded. "I'm looking at her right now…" Sakura found herself blushing and placed a hand on her cheek.

"Th… thank you, Xiaolang… I… I really appreciate it…" Without even noticing it, even Syaoran found himself blushing and slowly turned his head away from her.

"I won't lie to you if I said that I'm… a little bit… attracted to you…"

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped with an enthusiastic smile on her face. "Really?" Syaoran gave a short nod. "Ne… I guess I am an ugly duckling after all…"

He simply chuckled as his response. "Well, it's getting pretty late now. We have to get to the Penguin Park really early. Good thing your dad's gonna serve us some breakfast at your house."

She returned the response with a giggle. "First time we'll be having breakfast with more people on the table! I'm really looking forward to it!"

Syaoran began to unlock the door with his keys. "It'll be scrumptious breakfast again just like that killer Whisperjay Stew earlier tonight!"

"Yummy!" The two laughed once more until they found themselves tired. "Ne… Xiaolang…"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Um… remember… how you said before that… that you would be my little wolf until Syaoran comes back?"

Syaoran gave a chuckle. "Of course. I'm serious with that when I declared it to you last week. Why?"

"Well, if you're going to be my little wolf, then…"

"Then…?"

She moved closer to him and then gave a soft whisper: "May I call you Syaoran?"

He was taken aback immediately when she mentioned that lost boy's name. "You're joking… right?" She shook her head.

"I'm serious… how can I see you as my little wolf if you won't let me see you as my one and only little wolf?"

He sighed. "You have a point there…"

"Um… well… if it offends you then I won't…"

"No, it's not that," Syaoran gave a soft nervous chortle. "It's just that… I mean… are you okay with it? I mean… really okay with it?" Sakura nodded promptly. "I mean… I don't want you to get hurt in the end no matter what the result may come out…"

"I'm ready for whatever may come up, happy ending or not. As long as you don't…" Without even thinking twice, she quickly embraced him to her and buried her face on his chest. "As long as you don't disappear from my life, Xiaolang…"

Syaoran, now having a blank look of confusion, unconsciously returned the embrace by placing his arms around her. "I'm not going anywhere, Sakura. It'll take a whole lot more for me to disappear from your life. I promise you that…"

"Then…" Sakura muttered, trying to refrain herself from shedding a few tears.

"Alright then… starting tonight, I'm no longer Li Xiaolang to you."

"Thank you…" The two separate from each other and then smiled at one another.

"So… um… how does Syaoran-kun usually say goodnight to you?"

"Silly," Sakura chuckled. "You just need to be yourself… Syaoran."

"Be myself? Are you sure?"

"Positive!"

"Okay then…" Nervously, he gently took Sakura's right hand in to his. Immediately she blushed strawberry red.

"Goodnight, Ying Fa." He took her hand and gently kissed it.

"Goodnight, Syaoran." In return, she gives him a peck on his cheek. "See you tomorrow!" She gave a wave as she walked backwards towards the gate.

"See you tomorrow…" Syaoran returned the wave as he watched her walk back next door. Once she disappeared, he found himself blushing, while smiling at the same time, placing his hand on the cheek where she kissed. He leaned against the door and then tightened his fist while still grinning happily.

Seconds later, Eriol and Wei arrived at the door. "Well well, Xiao. Are you and Sakura officially dating?"

Immediately, his happiness disappeared and returned back to his usual serious expression. "It's late, Eriol. Let's head to bed now."

"Aw, poo. Not gonna tell me, huh? Fine, Xiao. Be that way!"

Back at the Kinomoto Residence, Sakura tucked herself in bed, and as always, taking her Chiirou bear in to her arms. She then began whispering at the bear with a huge smile on her face.

"Your master is back, Chiirou. He's really back!" She then turned to her side and then her smile disappeared. "Well, not completely back, but definitely back… he's not 100% back yet, Chiirou. Starting tomorrow morning, you and I will bring all of Syaoran back home again. I don't know how, but for sure we'll have a plan."

She reached for the lamp and switched it off. "Goodnight, Chiirou. Tomorrow is another day."

* * *

**A/N:** Back to the usual long chapters again. I hope this wasn't too long, but let's just say, I've gotten really motivated to write more and finish this chapter before the end of the week. Why? Well...

Anyway, back to the subject of this chapter. As you can see, although there's still some sweet moments, this is more Fujitaka-centered. I actually had a few classmates from college who were at first history majors, but by nearing graduation, they shifted their specific focus from general history to archaeology, and there's plenty of requirements for one to be recognized as a real deal archaeologist. First of all, in order to be qualified to go through excavation projects and other major historical and anthropological projects, you have to have a Ph.D in archaeology. Thus, all recognized archaeologists are referred to as "doctor." Second, archaeologists know at least two or more foreign languages. I even checked some eligibility requirements in Japaense grad schools (mainly the Todai (University of Tokyo) website) that students entering the Ph.D program in archaeology are required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)- and we're talking about Japanese students here. In addition, many highly-recognized archaeologists have plenty of more degrees and certification in other related fields, such as general history, anthropology, paleontology, and yes, gastronomy (the art of food eating). In addition to this, we all know the very famous fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones. I made Fujitaka have a few similar qualities as Indiana Jones at this point, thus he's a highly-decorated archaeologist in and out and through and through.

_Hanzi_ is the Chinese term for the Chinese character writing system. The words _kanji _(Japanese) and _hanja _(Korean) derive from _hanzi_ to refer to the character writing system.

Last but not least, the Japanese academic grading system. It's almost the same as the U.S. academic grading system because they also use letter grades but a bit different. On report cards, the grades go by the following kanji: _shuu _秀 (A – excellent), _yuu _優 (B – very good), _ryou _良 (C – good), _ka _可 (D – satisfactory), _nin _可 (E – passing), and _fuka _不可 (F – fail). On test and quiz papers, the grades are marked as A, B, C, D, E, or F along with the grade percentage. In Japanese colleges and universities, they also use the letter grading system, except there is no "D" and "E" grades. It's either you get an A, B, or a C to pass or it's a big fat F for you if you fail.

It's always good to do some research, you know. There shouldn't be an excuse as to why you shouldn't, most especially if you are writing a fanfic based on Asian characters and taking place in Japan when you make the entire concept and scenery and everything else so "American" (or rather "Westernized."). It's just unrealistic and it just doesn't work that way. I'll remind again. Japanese high schoolers _DO NOT _drive cars to school because they have to be 18-years-old and _OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL_ for them to obtain a license in the first place. Well, you know where I'm getting at here. XD

That's about it. Finally, the usual shoutouts- to all the current and new followers of this fic. Thank you for riding along with me on this whimsically (?) fun literary adventure! Finally, the reviewers:

**deadflo** – dun dun duuuunnnn... :D

**James Birdsong –** well, welcome aboard guest reader! I hope you stay as a regular reader in the next few chaps! :)

**stayAlive06** – I have a cousin-in-law who has a neurosurgeon brother and he simply said that amnesia has different forms. You don't need drugs for someone's amnesia to be cured, which gives me open ground in to figuring out a plot that would finally make Syaoran recover his lost memories. Sakura already declared it and Fujitaka (in this chapter) simply just confirmed her suspicions. Stay tuned! LOL.

**Aizawa LSV** – I guess I never really expected that I would write something that would break the reader's hearts. I'm not worried about flaming or anything like that, it's just that your last comment was confusing to me that I wasn't sure where in my story or me as an author made you so upset. Well, hopefully this chapter didn't upset you too much as it did with the last few chapters. XD

**DualStarduster** – Exactly as I was thinking LOL. I dunno if their teenage lives were depressing like that but that wasn't how my teenage life was LOL. Actually, my teenage life was boring but I wasn't depressed. Boring socially but overall it was a rewarding experience, really. Maybe I'm just being ambitious and don't care about all the teenage drama going on back then LOO. Well, here's another super-long chapter LOL.

**Malaika007** – Welcome aboard fellow reader~! :D

**SakuSyaoLvr –** Thanks for reading! Come aboard the literary train! XDDD

**Cat Dawntreader – **I actually made up the Whisperjay name. Originally I was going to make the old draft of "Stuffed Animal" converted in to a Kodocha fanfic and a "whisperjay" is simply a native bird that sings, just like a songthrush (or if you're a Hunger Games fan, a mockingjay XD). Of course, that didn't turn out real well and turned the fic back to its old and original CCS self. I just threw in that "whisperjay" name in there just for the heck of it. It's simply chicken stew and... chicken stew LOL. As far as anime goes, I don't mind English dubs really. I'm not so much of a "purist" so to speak (I already know enough Japanese for me to understand anime without the subs so I can watch it either way) as long as the dub is done well and not cut off the core concepts that makes the original story the way it is. It's a whole lot better than dubbing live action TV shows if you know what I mean. XDDD

And that's all for today folks. I actually caught a nasty cough and cold two days ago and my interview yesterday really got affected by my super-raspy, congested voice. The funny part was that the interview I had yesterday was the one that I ended up getting the job for LOL. Anyway, bad cough, gotta have my rest now.

Till then, fellow Clow Crew~! :D


	12. 11: The Cat's Out of the Bag?

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 11: THE CAT'S OUT OF THE BAG?**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

A beautiful sun-shining morning always deserves a hearty breakfast. Whole grain French Toast deep-fried in the highly-respected rice bran oil and then topped with their choice of fruits, jam, or any other topping they like was the perfect way to provide breakfast to a huge crowd of people. The Kinomotos took their time in the earliest hours of the morning to perfect each and every piece from the equal coating of the egg mix to frying it to the right level of brown. In return for the family hospitality, the guests pitch in the preparations by setting up the table and serving the toppings and other condiments while the three remain in the kitchen preparing the toasts.

The three boys from next door, namely Syaoran, Eriol, and Yamazaki arrived first, followed by Yukito, Kaho, and Nakuru. Few minutes later, Tomoyo and Meiling arrived, followed by Chiharu and Rika. The Daidouji House was not going to be the meeting place for today's day shooting, but at the Penguin Park. Touya and Yukito will be responsible for driving the entire crew to Penguin Park, while Fujitaka himself had to go to university for a meeting, or so he stated to his kids.

Once everything was finished, everyone gathered around at the table while a few others decided to eat at the kitchen counter area with stools. Fujitaka, as always, got to call the official opening of breakfast. "Thank you for this wonderful feast that we are about to partake and bless us for a wonderful, successful day today. _Itadakimasu!_"

"_Itadakimasu!_" The others responded in the same fashion.

"Dig in, everyone!" Fujitaka called as everyone got busy serving themselves with their helping of french toast, coffee, hot cocoa, and even hot tea. "It'll be a very busy long day today for you kids, so be sure to eat up!"

"Whole grain French Toast!" Meiling exclaimed happily. "You really do know how to make good food— as in the good-for-your-health type of good food, Doctor K!"

"Just being a good father, Meiling-chan," Fujitaka grinned. "Enjoy!"

Syaoran joined in the conversation. "So, what do you Kinomotos usually talk about during breakfast?"

"Well," Sakura answered with a grin, "while we talk about what we did during the day on dinner, we talk about what we're gonna do later today over breakfast."

"Ah, makes sense, Sakura," Syaoran grinned.

"What about lunch?" Eriol asked curiously.

"Nuthin," Touya promptly answered. "We never eat together during lunch. You know, me with grad school, Sakura with school, Dad with… school… well university, but you get what I mean… so yeah, we don't talk about anything during lunch."

"What about on the weekends?"

"Me, part-time job. Sakura, some random school activity she needs to do like track and field or cheerleading or hip-hop dance or something. Dad, work at home."

"Whoa. Still busy." Eriol gave up and went on to feast on his French Toast topped with an assortment of fresh berries and whipped cream.

"Now that we're on the subject," Fujitaka changed the tone, "I already know that you're all going to be in the day shooting and the night shooting today. What exactly will you be doing during the day?"

"We were working on it a bit last night, Dr. K," Yukito said. "Yamazaki's gonna be singing lead in our first singing scene. In the night scene, Tomoyo and Sakura will be singing a duet together. Pajama party scene at Tomoyo's house."

"I guess I've got the best singing voice among the dudes of the band, ne?" Yamazaki grinned while Chiharu gently nudged him on the side.

"Li Xiaolang has a better singing voice than you, so don't get too cocky!" Chiharu immediately reminded him.

"Eh?" Syaoran's eyebrows lifted in curiosity while the others gave surprised looks.

"What? The brat can sing?" Touya raised an eyebrow.

"Be nice now, Touya, you're dealing with an honored guest here," Kaho nagged her fiance.

"Maybe… maybe not…" Syaoran smirked as he took a sip from his hot green tea.

"Wow! You gotta give us a sample, Li-kun!" Tomoyo gasped happily. "You can be our temporary lead singer of The Cool Rascals whenever we need an awesome male lead vocal in a song!"

"Hm. When time permits me."

Sakura responded with a soft giggle in her face. _You really are Syaoran alright. Of course you can sing. You've sang to me before long time ago. You were shy but I really loved your sweet voice. Hm, I wonder how husky and male his voice sounds like singing now. I bet it'd be hot and sexy this time…_ She then gave a soft chuckle to herself, which the others gave attention to.

"What are you laughing at, baby beast?" Touya snickered.

"Call me 'baby beast' again and you're dead, Oniichan!" Sakura immediately glared at him.

"Well don't laugh with your mouth open, squirt. Jeez."

"Hmph."

"The night scene is where the first kiss scenes of the movie is going to be at," Meiling mentioned. "I know it's Eriol and me who will be sharing that kiss scene but we've got other methods of practicing that."

"Other methods?" Syaoran asked curiously. "Like what?"

"Eriol snatched Tomoyo's pic from her room so he can practice his kiss scenes on…"

"Meiling!" Eriol grunted at his partner while the others reacted.

"Eh?!" Everyone gasped in shock while Tomoyo's eyes batted endlessly.

"Oh… so… that's where my blue princess pic had gone to…" Tomoyo chuckled nervously. "Aw Eriol, you could've told me you were going to borrow my picture just for practicing. But wouldn't it be better if you actually do it with me?" Once again, mixed reactions came while Touya quickly turned to his father.

"Is this even appropriate talking about it over breakfast, Dad?"

"Ah, young love," Fujitaka grinned.

"Dad?" Touya frowned as he turned back on his french toast and began to finish it.

"Well then, since we're in the topic of what we're gonna do today, Dad," Sakura changed the subject, "what are you going to do today?"

Fujitaka looked up to face his daughter. "Me? Well I'll be quite busy the entire day. I have an appointment with a few old colleagues at the central square. Then I have a meeting with the Culinary and Gastronomy Club at the university after that. And then I will be attending the Tomoeda Historical Archives Society meeting in the afternoon which I didn't even set."

"You have a meeting with the historical archives society Dad?" Touya asked curiously.

"The vice mayor texted me earlier this morning. Last minute. Very important, it said."

Sakura then tunred to Syaoran. "I forgot to tell you. Dad is the president of our town historical archives society. They're responsible for preserving, researching, and promoting Tomoeda's centuries of rich and prestigious history through keeping archives and preserving historical lands that are within Tomoeda's borders and discover new ones. They're very influential, you know?"

"Wow, that's awesome," Syaoran answered.

"Not that influential, dear," Fujitaka chuckled, "but we're a respected society throughout town, that's all. I've just been newly-elected as the president two months ago. First time being in that position since my membership to the society ten years ago."

"Well," Eriol joined in, "I could see why everyone here recommended Xiao to visit you so he can discover his own personal roots to this town. I'm forever indebted to you!"

Fujitaka gave a confused look at Syaoran's cousin. "Well, thank you Hiiragizawa-kun, I think." Now that he found himself speaking to one of the idols, he realized something missing at the current scene. "Hm, now that I just realized… where is your manager?"

"Oh!" Meiling gasped. "Wei? Actually, he had to attend some meeting involving the Kashiis this morning that's why we're hitching a ride to the park with you guys.."

"Ah, that makes sense," Fujitaka nodded. Immediately, his inner voice spoke to his mind. _It __makes sense indeed…_

"Anyway," Yukito changed the subject, "Grandpa needed the pick-up truck to make some catering deliveries from the diner, so I get to use his brand-new SUV. I can take six people in there."

Touya gave a huge grin. "Thanks for lending me the SUV for today, Dad. I'll make sure I'd take great care of it." He then turned to others. "The SUV's pretty big and can seat about eight people not including myself the driver."

"Why do you have such a huge SUV when there's just the three of you?" Meiling asked curiously.

"Oh, it's an all-purpose SUV," Sakura grinned. "Dad is also a member of the Tomoeda Young Athletes Booster Club. Since Oniichan and I are both active in sports teams, he would use the SUV to provide transportation to us and some of the members of our team. Plus whenever he travels long distance to do lectures at other universities he'd always give rides to his colleagues to go there. So yeah. All-purpose!"

"Besides, I think being inconspicuous to the public by riding along with trusted locals to the movie set is the best way to get there," Eriol said. Right then he turned to Rika. "I'm sure I can trust you with this, President Sasaki."

Rika almost choked at her sipping tea. "Um, sure! No problem! I'm pretty discrete when it comes to having close access to our darling idol, ne?"

Syaoran then glanced right towards Chiharu. "Should I trust you also, Mihara?'

Chiharu gasped with widened eyes. "What? O-of course, Li-kun! I mean, I'll be with Takashi throughout the course of the shooting, so don't worry. He'll restrain me if I do something crazy…"

"Good. Just checking." Syaoran headed back to finishing his French Toast.

Moments later, Fujitaka, already dressed up in his usual business casual attire, stood up from his seat and placed his finished dishes in to the dishwasher. "Well, I'm gonna go ahead now. I still have to pick up my colleagues. I don't want to make them wait that long. You kids take care of the kitchen. Just be sure to scrape off the scraps in the trash before you place them in the dishwasher. Also…" He reached in his pocket for another set of keys and handed it to Touya, who was sitting at the kitchen counter area. "Please don't be picky with the passengers. There's plenty of room in our SUV. I don't want to hear Sakura calling my phone complaining about you."

"Yeah, yeah," Touya responded reluctantly as he was about to reach for the keys.

Fujitaka raised the keys higher from his son's reach. "Don't give me that tone, young man."

Touya sighed. "Yes, Sir."

"Good." He handed the keys and patted him on the shoulder. He then turned to Kaho. "Be sure he keeps his word, Kaho-chan."

"Will do, Doctor!" Kaho grinned, then suddenly shoved Touya at his side.

"Ow! What, Kaho?"

"I'm watching you, Touya." Her fiance gave a frown and suddenly surrendered the keys to her, knowing that there was no way of winning any argument against an intelligent, independent woman like Kaho Mizuki.

At this point, Fujitaka grabbed his briefcase at the sofa. "Alright kids. Take care of yourselves. I'll see you tonight." The teenagers and the young adults exchanged their byes as the man of the house made his way out and in to his sleek black four-door sports sedan.

Once the paternal Kinomoto drove off, Kaho took over the conversation. "Well, since we're finishing up, it's time for you guys to choose which one you're gonna ride with. Touya's got a nine-seater, Yukito's got a seven-seater."

Nakuru stood up to help her best friend. "Hm, let's see. There's four of us young adults, and there's…" She began to count the teenagers in silence. "Seven teens."

"We got room," Yukito smiled. "Obviously Kaho will be with Touya, Nakuru will be with me. You kids decide which one of us you want to ride with.

"I'll ride with you, Yuki-niichan!" Sakura suddenly made her choice few seconds later.

"What? Traitor!" Touya gasped in shock.

"If I ride with you, for sure you won't let Xiaolang ride along too, that's why. Plus Yuki-niichan's a whole lot cooler to hang out than with you!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, squirt?" Touya growled at his sister but instead, ignored him. Instead, she stuck her tongue right at her brother while he gave a glare in return.

Sakura then turned to Syaoran excitedly. "You'd ride with me, will you?"

Syaoran gave a light smile while shrugging. "Sure… if you want, Sakura."

"Well if Li-kun will be riding with Sakura, then I'm gonna ride along with you too, Yukito-niichan! Can I?" Tomoyo suddenly invited herself.

"Hoe…" Sakura chuckled nervously, gazing at her enthusiastic best friend.

"Xiao's with Yukito-senpai and Nakuru-san, I'll ride you too," Eriol invited himself as well.

"Me too!" Meiling raised her hand. "Things are bound to happen whenever Xiaolang's alone with a certain cute girl—"

"Meiling?!" Syaoran growled at her as Meiling stuck her tongue at him.

"Well, that's six total," Yukito grinned shyly. "That's my group. The rest will ride with you, Touya!"

Touya raised an eyebrow. "Please do keep in mind that you have three important celebrities in your group, Yukito, so if anything happens to them, you're responsible."

"Oh don't be so bitter, Touya," Kaho smiled and then turned to the other three leftover teens, Yamazaki, Chiharu, and Rika.

"Oh, we have to pick up Naoko too… and her hot Korean choreographer boyfriend too," Chiharu snapped her fingers. "She couldn't make it to breakfast today but we promised her we'd give the two of them a ride. He's currently staying over at her house, but don't worry, her parents are home."

Touya shrugged. "Sure thing. There's still room for the two."

"Well then, we're all set!" Kaho clapped her hands. "Let's finish up, clean up, so we can head to the park now."

"Yay!" Right then, they finished their remaining breakfast and together, cleaned up the dining area while Touya and Sakura took care of the dishwasher.

#

Fifteen minutes later, Fujitaka parked his car at the public parking lot next to the colorful set of strip malls at the central square area of Tomoeda. He made sure he had his locks on and his car alarm set before he left. He carried his dark brown leather briefcase with him and headed towards a store called Jus's Coffee & Tea. Before he entered, he stopped by a small florist booth and reached for his wallet in his pocket.

"I would like the pink carnation, forget-me-not, and dianthus flower mix, please," Fujitaka ordered from the florist.

"Coming right up, Sir." As the florist collected, trimmed, and bunched them together, the florist gazed right up to him. "Visiting someone?"

"My wife," Fujitaka smiled humbly.

"Ah, I'm sorry for your loss, Sir."

"Thank you. That was around fourteen years ago."

"You seem to be happy today, Doctor."

"Well, I am. Despite of the loss of my wife, I was still blessed. She gave me two wonderful children and a loving atmosphere in a loving home. I couldn't be a happier man than this."

The florist nodded. "Indeed then."

"Well, I haven't seen you around before so I assume you're new here?"

The young male florist nodded. "My family and I just moved here a few weeks ago. Yuuzo Takanashi, the head florist of this booth, is actually my uncle."

"Ah, welcome to Tomoeda. I'm a regular customer here. I'm Fujitaka Kinomoto, archaeologist."

"Ah, Dr. Kinomoto then! Well, you said you're an archaeologist so that means you must be a Ph.D."

Fujitaka chuckled. "You have a keen mind, young one."

"My name is Kaoru Takanashi, Doctor. I'm actually a freshman at Clow Reed University but I was staying at the campus dorms there. I'm majoring in anthropology but I have to take an Introduction to Archaeology class as a major requirement."

"I'm actually one of the professors who teach that class. It's a requirement because archaeology is actually a sub-field of anthropology. As an undergraduate it's important to explore all branches before you decide to focus on one sub-field concentration. When I started university in Todai, I was an anthropology major and I found my desired focus in archaeology during my third year. It'll happen to you when you get there, you'll see."

"Understood, Doctor. I look forward to take one of your classes one day, hopefully."

"Actually I'm off from teaching this entire academic year. I'll be in Mongolia on an excavation project starting this fall."

"Mongolia? Wow… I wonder what discovery they found over there?"

"I'm not sure myself, I don't have all the concrete details. That's why me and a few colleagues from Clow Reed University will be going there in the fall and find out what on earth it is they found that's so worthy of being examined by archaeologists all over."

"Well, I wish you and your colleagues well with the excavation, Doctor."

"I also teach other general anthropology classes also, so I'm afraid that we won't be seeing each other until spring of next year. Also during your course of studies you can also visit my website." Quickly he looked through his wallet and took out one of his business cards. "Here's my contact information and the URL to my website where you can find various resources and online versions of my academic journals in case you need some sources for your studies. My office phone number and my cellphone is here as well. Of course, since I'll be out of the country in the fall, email will have to be your only means of contact."

"Ah, thank you very much, Dr. Kinomoto," the florist smiled. He handed the newly-bunched bouquet. "Here are your flowers, Sir."

Fujitaka took the bouquet as he handed his payment. "Keep the chance, Takanashi-kun. Please say hello to your uncle for me."

"Will do, Sir. Have a wonderful day!"

"Same to you." Fujitaka gave a salute to the young college student florist and entered the coffee shop.

When he came in, the owner and manager of the store, a stout adult man named Jusuke Hateyama, was overseeing his baristas at the counter when he spotted his regular customer entering.

"Well well, good morning, Dr. Kinomoto," Jusuke greeted him.

"Good morning to you too, Hateyama-san," Fujitaka smiled as he headed for the counter. "The usual medium-sized vanilla mocha please." The barista on duty wrote the order on the cup and passed it on to another barista to make it. Fujitaka paid for his mocha as the short conversation with the owner continued.

"How's your thesis work going? Haven't been seeing you here in awhile."

"Oh, that's because I've been working at home, Hateyama-san. Too many things have been happening around Tomoeda as of late."

"Heh heh, tell me about it. Business has been booming ever since that movie crew arrived to shoot their movie. You know plenty of the movie crew have been coming over here for their java and fangirls here and there have been crowding it hoping that one of their favorite idols from the cast would come here. There were a few but not the really popular ones."

"Popular ones such as?"

"Like that handsome Chinese kid, that mixed-Caucasian kid, and the Chinese girl…"

"Ah, you mean Li Xiaolang, Eriol Hiiragizawa, and Meiling Li?"

"Yeah, that's them! Well, I don't watch that much TV, I just hear things from the customers here. You know how loud these people are when it comes to gossip."

Fujitaka softly chuckled. "I have a seventeen-year-old daughter so I'm getting the gist of the younger generation in Japanese showbiz. Not that I watch that much TV either!"

"How long do you think they'll be here?" Jusuke asked curiously.

"For awhile, that I know," Fujitaka answered.

"I wish they'd just stay here. Just their presence would be really good for our local businesses here. I'm just a little scared that we're getting sold out to the bigger companies…"

Fujitaka blinked his eyes in curiosity. "Say that again?"

"Have you heard, Doctor? There's been a certain group of developers claiming to be from Li Enterprises who want a piece of the Tomoeda land for who knows what. Hell we already know how much the Lis own the land area near here. Why the hell do they want more?"

_Huh. That doesn't sound like something Yelan and Xiaojin would do. They were Tomoeda residents too and they love this town…_ Fujitaka's voice whispered within him. "Hateyama-san, who exactly started that rumor?"

"Some random people from the town council when they conduct informal meetings here, but they mentioned some other name. We all know how devoted the Lis have been to our town for the longest time. They sponsored almost everything that makes Tomoeda one of the greatest towns in this area. I mean, Mrs. Li even lent me some money to help me start with this coffee shop and because of the huge success that I was able to pay her back. Why on earth would they want to buy more land?"

"That sounds very unorthodox of them though," Fujitaka said. "Maybe it's by someone claiming to be representing Li Enterprises? You know how huge that company is and people would just assume they're employees or whatever they may be to them."

"I hope that's the case, Doctor." The barista then handed Fujitaka his mocha and he gave his thanks. "Speaking of the Li Clan, there was a tall professional-looking man who claimed he's representing the Li Clan looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Fujitaka gave the owner a curious wonder.

"Yeah. Somehow he knew that you often come here in the morning before you head to the university and then just gave me a message. He said to meet him just across the street from here." He turned his head towards the window. "There's two limousines parked right across the street from here. That's probably them."

Fujitaka headed to the window to peek through. Right then, at the black limousine parked ahead stood a familiar man facing their direction. He spotted the archaeologist and gave him a wave. "Oh! I know him." He turned to the owner and saluted him. "Thanks for the message. I'm good here."

"Alright then. You take care now, Doctor Kinomoto. Have a wonderful day."

"You too, Hateyama-san!" Fujitaka exited the coffee shop and dashed across the street, but not before he checked both sides to be sure no car was coming.

When he got to the car, he gave a grin. "Sorry about that. I have to get my morning mocha. Routine-based."

"Your habits never changed, Dr. Kinomoto," Wei, the man the owner mentioned earlier, spoke with enthusiasm. "The door's open."

"Thanks." Going to the other side of the car at the sidewalk, Fujitaka opened the back door and entered. He sat at the seat facing a familiar Chinese couple around his age. He then sighed in relief. "Good morning! Welcome back to Tomoeda. Long time no see."

"You're still that same handsome university professor lad from next door! I'm jealous!" The adult man sitting across from him, Xiaojin Li, chuckled.

"Good morning, Fujitaka. You truly are a sight for sore eyes!" Yelan greeted him with a smile on her face.

"Good to see you, Fujitaka." Xiaojin added.

Right then, Fujitaka gasped once he noticed Xiaojin's rather inanimate legs. "Good God… what's happened to your legs…?"

"Long story," Xiaojin sighed. "But I'm glad that I'm still alive. That's the most important part."

Yelan patted her husband on the shoulder and then turned to Fujitaka. "Sonomi had been complaining that you're running late. I really don't see what the rush is…"

"I have seven hungry teenagers and four starving future newlyweds waiting for breakfast in my house. That should suffice my reason for being late."

"Sonomi's so demanding," Xiaojin sighed. "That's just like her."

"Well then, shall we go?" Fujitaka chuckled.

Yelan opened the window to call on Wei. "We're ready to go."

"Yes, Madam." Wei headed for the driver's seat and turned on the ignition.

"How are your four lovely daughters?" Fujitaka noticed that it was only the couple present at this point.

"All four of them are sound asleep at our temporary place," Xiaojin smiled. "They've gotten really tired from the air travel, you know, so best that we just let them sleep."

"Good idea. Hope they'll eventually get used to the time zones again, even if we're only ahead by an hour," Fujitaka nodded. "By the way, who's in the other limo behind us?"

"That would be Sonomi and the Kashiis," Yelan said. "Sonomi's husband couldn't make it back to Japan in time. He was supposed to fly in today. We'll just have to go ahead without him."

"Wow. Another surprise," Fujitaka chuckled. "So this would be a triple date and a single man just hanging around, huh?"

"I wouldn't call that, Fujitaka. You won't be alone," Xiaojin smiled.

Fujitaka revealed to them his bouquet of flowers. "Heavily prepared."

Yelan also brought out the same bouquet of flowers. "Same here."

Right then, Wei drove the limo, followed by the second limo behind them. The direction they were heading was going past through the Tomoeda archway and then through the forest area.

"I just heard from the cafe shop owner earlier about you interested in buying more property in Tomoeda?"

The couple gave him a perplexed look with Xiaojin answering first. "Where on earth did they get that?"

"Well, he said it was a rumor but it's been going around the customers in the cafe and—"

"We've got plenty of reserved property that we purchased several years ago, Fujitaka," Xiaojin said. "You already know that. Why do we need to buy more land?"

"And besides, we've finally decided on what we could do with all that land we purchased," Yelan smiled. "A lot of things have changed within the enterprises since… the accident."

"I understand," Fujitaka nodded. "So, if you don't mind sharing, what will you be building there?

"We plan to invest in opening a new medical resort."

"Medical resort? Wow, that sounds like a huge project. And it'll be a huge benefit for all the ailing people around the country. But why in Tomoeda?"

"Plenty of reasons," Xiaojin said. "First, Tsukisora, the university and research town in this area, is reaching its border limits. Second, Tomoeda is closer to the sea, which would be perfect for patients to relax and visit the beach for their enjoyment and also for their healing properties. Third, I am a firm believer of the passages of The Book of Keroberos regarding Tomoeda having special powers that would heal the sick, and fourth, it's closer to home."

Fujitaka chuckled. "Closer to home? You mean…"

Yelan nodded happily. "By the end of the year we're moving back to Tomoeda as permanent residents again."

"Well, that's good news!"

"Actually I've been having this medical resort idea in our records for awhile now," Yelan sighed. "It's just that the conflicts of interest are just overwhelming within the executives that they want to invest on something more… profitable."

Fujitaka sighed. "Entrepreneurs nowadays have always been about money, money, and more money, I'm afraid. But with you two being heads of the Li Clan you invested more in to something more practical for the common people than just luxury investments that would earn you a profit."

Xiaojin gave a slight smirk. "Did you know that Yelan originally wanted to become the mayor of Tomoeda before?"

"Eh?" Fujitaka refrained himself from chuckling at the fact. "Is that so?"

Yelan rolled her eyes. "That was my first goal when I was in high school, Xiaojin. I wanted to make Tomoeda the most beautiful town that Japan— no— all of Asia will ever visit."

"Oh? What happened to that goal, Yelan?" Fujitaka asked curiously.

"She married me. That's what happened." Xiaojin grinned as Yelan immediately slapped him on the shoulder. "Ow… be gentle, dear!"

Yelan cleared her throat and continued with the subject. "I don't know how much Nadeshiko has told you about our crazy high school days, but… she, Sonomi, and Jingmei were the only ones who knew about my idea of becoming the mayor of Tomoeda in the first place. Oh we were crazy back then…"

"We were young and crazy, Yelan, and that's pretty normal," Fujitaka nodded.

"And we made so many promises for the future, what we wanted to do after we all graduated from college. We almost fulfilled all of them. Almost…"

"Almost…? How is it almost, Yelan?" Fujitaka asked curiously.

"I guess Nadeshiko hasn't told you much, hasn't she," Yelan gave a small smile. "Oh that girl… always wanted to be the sweet and innocent type, always being the good wife for you, Fuji-kun."

"So, would you tell me what happened then?"

Xiaojin joined in by leaning closer. "I'd like to know what all the crazy promises you girls have made back then too."

Yelan sighed deeply. "Fine, Xiaojin. Since you're here…"

#

"_**Best Friends' Flower Hill," Tomoeda Hills (some 30 years ago…)**_

_Fifteen-year-old Tomoeda High School girls, Nadeshiko Amamiya, Sonomi Amamiya, Yelan Chin, and Jingmei Chin, all dressed in their standard sailor-style school uniforms, arrived at a particular spot of the Tomoeda Hills by bike and foot that these four best friends claimed as their own Best Friend Spot. They claimed it because of the perfect panoramic view of the town, the forest surrounding the town, and the always-blue-and-white coast just by one look. In addition to the illustrious scenic view, there is a lone cherry blossom tree standing on that particular hill, always blooming no matter what season it may be. The tree became their own landmark that this particular hill, nicknamed "Best Friends' Flower Hill," and along with the tree, it also had a variety of wild flowers growing on the neatly-trimmed grassy ground._

_Nadeshiko found this particular spot when she was still in junior high during a school field trip. It was her one and only spot that she could run and find peace whenever she felt lonely or simply not in a good mood. She did a lot of things here, from doing her homework to exercise to planting and picking flowers, took photos, and even did paintings. It wasn't very long when she informed her childhood best friend and distant relative, Sonomi, of this hill. Ever since then, the two girls would often come to that hill just to spend time together doing homework or have a picnic or simply just hang out._

_Today was the first time that Nadeshiko and Sonomi brought the two Chinese foreign exchange students of Tomoeda High School, cousins Yelan and Jingmei Chin, to this hill. The Amamiya girls even had an oath for the two Chinese girls to recite, swearing their promise not to reveal to anyone else about this hill and that this hill only belongs to the four of them. After they recited the oath, the two Chinese cousins carved their names on that cherry blossom tree and the date they first came to the hill, just like how Nadeshiko and Sonomi did years ago when they first came to the hill._

"_Aaah! This is amazing!" Yelan gasped happily, enjoying the cool breeze blowing through her long, silky ponytailed raven hair "It feels like we just climbed up the steps leading to heaven and with just a long reach—" She tiptoed towards the horizon and stretched her arms, "— with just a long reach, you can finally touch the clouds!"_

"_We don't have this kind of hill in Hong Kong," Jingmei sighed. "All the more reason why I wanted to leave that place for Japan. I knew I wouldn't have any regrets attending school here!"_

_Nadeshiko stood between the Chins and placed her arms around them. "See, I told you. There is such thing as heaven! I could stay here forever and not go back in town, you know?"_

"_Me too!" Sonomi grinned, joining the three. "We should build our future houses up in this hill. It's just going to be our very own little neighborhood with just the four of us— and our future husbands— and children too!"_

"_Ha ha ha ha, that would be so nice!" Jingmei grinned. "I can go up here and write all my stories in peace!"_

_Yelan continued to gaze at the horizon and then pointed out towards a few buildings she could see visible at the thick forests. "Tomoeda almost looks like an ant farm from here… with people's heads looking like ants!" She then turned to the other girls. "I feel like I'm the ruler of the world just standing here, you know?"_

"_You mean you feel like a goddess, Yelan?" Jingmei grinned._

"_I'm not gonna go that far, Jingmei," Yelan chuckled._

_Nadeshiko giggled. "Goddess Yelan. The title sure fits you! I mean, maybe when we all get older and out of university, you're going to be the wealthiest woman in all of Tomoeda! Sonomi can be the queen."_

"_Eh? Why am I the queen?" Sonomi chuckled. "You should be the queen, Nadeshiko."_

"_Because I predict that you will be the second richest woman in all of Tomoeda— right under Goddess Yelan, of course."_

"_Seriously, I don't care if I get rich or not, I just want to be a successful fashion designer one day. You know, just designing the right clothes for different types of people and seeing them enjoying my creations would be more than enough."_

"_And then Jingmei will be the princess. Her stories and future novels will charm and delight millions that they would want to read and hear more of her whimsical stories, whether if it's in books, stage plays, or better yet— movies!"_

"_Ha ha ha ha," Jingmei laughed, "that'll be the day, Nadeshiko."_

"_Eh? What about you, Nade-chan?" Yelan asked curiously. "Who are you gonna be?"_

"_Hmm… me? Just a maiden…"_

"_Maiden? You're the most popular girl in the entire school, Nade-chan," Sonomi said. "You can't just be a simple maiden. In fact, you should be a goddess too because of your unbeatable natural beauty!"_

"_I agree," Yelan smiled. "We can both be goddesses— a Japanese goddess and a Chinese goddess."_

"_Well," Nadeshiko sighed and leaned herself against the tree. "You see, all three of you already know what you want to be and we're only at first year high school. I don't even know what I'm gonna be when we reach adulthood. I'm not exactly the brightest girl in town, you know."_

"_Well, if you're that worried," Jingmei said, "you should use your natural charm and beauty and snag a rich boy to be your boyfriend and then eventually become your husband. Then you'll truly fit the goddess, for sure!"_

_Yelan shook her head. "I don't think Nade-chan's the type of girl who would do that, Jingmei." She reminded her. "I think the only reason why Nade-chan is so popular is because of her heart and her free-spirited mind. And she knows how to make other people open up to their feelings no matter how good or bad they may be." She gazed right at Nadeshiko and gave her a bow. "Thank you for being my friend, Nade-chan."_

"_Aw, I'm glad you didn't mind having a weird girl like me become your friend, Ye-chan!"_

"_Aww… group hug!" Sonomi called out. The four girls embraced each other tightly, and then withdrew from each other._

"_Tell you what, Nade-chan," Yelan began. "When I become the mayor of Tomoeda and become rich—" Just with those words, the three girls began to laugh. "No, I'm serious, you guys! When I become the mayor and then become really rich, I'm gonna buy a strip of land stretching from that coast over there all the way to this hill. I'm gonna include this hill also so no greedy developer can claim it and then destroy it and build whatever the heck they want to build here."_

"_Ha ha ha ha, so confident, Yelan!" Sonomi chuckled. "And then what?"_

"_This hill is going to be our hill," Yelan continued. "No one can ever touch this hill except for the four of us. After all, I'll be the mayor of Tomoeda and my word will be law in that town."_

_The three girls applauded with cheers of agreement. "And then?" Jingmei asked._

"_And then we will enclose this hill and we'll call it the 'Best Friends' Flower Hill,' and then we will build our own homes here and our own garden and… anything you can imagine on what a perfect home should be like."_

_Nadeshiko couldn't help herself but continue to laugh. "And then?"_

"_With our husbands, we'll raise our own families. If we have sons and daughters we'll have them marry each other. They'll grow up as inseparable best friends, just like us, and then they'll eventually fall in love and get married. When that happens, they'll also live here, build more houses here, and raise their own families. Heck, we can have our own mini-town within Tomoeda if we want to."_

"_I like that idea, Yelan-chan!" Sonomi laughed, applauding at the same time._

"_And then the strip of land that I buy along with this hill, we'll build something meaningful and practical that would serve the citizens of Tomoeda and even the rest of the world… like a new school!"_

"_Or maybe a new hospital," Nadeshiko smiled happily. "You know, a hospital that would bring so much joy for the patients as they heal… or simply wait until it was time for them to go… it wouldn't be a hospital where you'll be bedridden for the rest of your life and then eat gross hospital food, you know?"_

_The three girls laughed. "So, maybe like a hotel resort that's also a hospital?" Jingmei asked._

"_Yeah! Something like that. We can name it 'The Best Friends' Flower Hill' Hospital… or… something…"_

"_Hey," Yelan smiled, "that's not a bad idea, Nade-chan. We should have a hospital that's just like a hotel resort… like a luxury beach resort!"_

"_Yeah!" The other three girls exclaimed._

"_And then, when we die…" Nadeshiko interrupted, turning Yelan's wild imagination in to something a bit more serious. "When we eventually die, we'll be buried here on this very hill. We want to rest in peace overlooking the majestic view like we are right now, just standing here."_

_The four girls turned towards the horizon and right at the blue sea. Sonomi, Yelan, and Jingmei nodded in agreement. Nadeshiko turned to the three. "Let's make this a lifelong promise, all four of us, ne? I promise I'll work hard and I'll eventually discover what I want to do for a living… and we'll find good husbands and raise good children… and we'll have them marry each other… and then we'll be happy for the rest or our lives."_

"_Mm-hmm!" The four girls hooked their pinkies with each other and formed a circle._

"_Let this be a pinky swear… a lifelong Best Friends' promise, declared here at the Best Friends' Flower Hill," Nadeshiko said._

"_Pinky swear!"_

#

Fujitaka nodded in silence after listening to Yelan's story regarding these promises that the four best friends made with each other. "I now understand why Nadeshiko wanted to be buried up on that hill. When her illness got worse right after Sakura turned two back then, that was when she mentioned to me about that flower hill. She wanted to be buried there if she doesn't make it, she said to me."

Yelan nodded, gently wiping her tears with a tissue. "That medical resort that I planned to build in that reserved land that we purchased a long time ago… that was that hospital that's like a beach hotel resort that we promised. I know it's long overdue but I now I feel like that I'm about to fulfill one more promise and I feel so grateful and truly honored…"

Xiaojin placed an arm around his wife. "Your ambitions were rather over the top back then. Too bad you didn't become the mayor of Tomoeda just because you weren't a Japanese citizen… but at least you're able to fulfill the more important promises you and the girls made."

"Thanks to you," Yelan smiled, "I found business and entrepreneurship a whole lot more useful and more interesting in fulfilling the more important promises than being a town mayor."

Fujitaka leaned back in to his seat to contemplate about the story he just heard. "You know, Yelan… I guess the reason why Nadeshiko said that because… I guess she already knew that she wasn't going to live that long, as much as she wanted to…"

"We already knew about her chronic illness before then, Fuji-kun," Yelan nodded. "I did initially wanted to build a school there, but when Nade-chan said she wanted a hospital, I knew immediately why she wanted it. So I agreed with her. A hospital is a whole lot more practical than a school, mainly because it serves everyone of all ages, whereas school only serves our future generation."

"And what happened to building the houses on that hill?" Fujitaka asked curiously.

Xiaojin shrugged. "It's impossible to build houses because the slopes were too steep, so they dropped that idea and instead had custom-built homes at Hoshiten Avenue instead. Eventually all of us lived there… well except Jingmei. She decided to stay in Tokyo to pursue creative writing and… you know the story after that."

"How many more promises do you ladies need to fulfill before all three of you are finally satisfied?"

"Just one more," Yelan said. "Our children getting married to each other…"

The two men burst in to laughter. "Of course, of course," Xiaojin chuckled. "Why did I forget that?"

"Unfortunately, it's just use who were successful in bearing sons and daughters, Fuji-kun," Yelan said. "Sonomi married late and only managed to have a daughter and she couldn't have any more because of her husband being sterile. Jingmei still doesn't have a child of her own even though she and Toshifumi have been married for many years now."

"I guess you and Nadeshiko have been truly blessed with many children, ne?" Fujitaka said. "Well, Xiaojin and me as well being fathers."

"Unfortunately any one of my quadruplet girls and your son are out of the question since Touya's already engaged and all four of the girls already have boyfriends of their own."

"Well, I guess that leaves Sakura and Xiaolang, ne?" Fujitaka grinned.

"I hope so…" Yelan gave a worried expression on her face. "I've been worried sick about Xiaolang since that horrible accident… now with this condition of his… I'm very afraid of the clan's future… and of course not being able to fulfill our one final promise… that would be absolutely horrible…"

"Don't worry about those two, Yelan," Fujitaka gave her assurance. "Both of them are in good hands, I promise. I care about my daughter and her feelings regarding love and marriage, therefore I've kept my promise to myself that I will watch over your son and make sure that he progresses in to regaining all of his memories again."

"Thank you for all of this, Fujitaka," Xiaojin sighed in relief. "You have no idea how much this means to me, to Yelan, to the entire Li Clan."

Fujitaka gave a nod. "I should thank you also for trusting me in taking care of your son and approving my Sakura to be your son's future bride… I hope…"

"We both hope…" The Lis muttered with worry.

Moments later, they felt the limousine slow down up until they came to a complete stop. Wei opened the window that separated the front seats to the back passenger seats. "We're here, Master Xiaojin, Mistress Yelan, Doctor Kinomoto."

"Already," Fujitaka grinned. "We sure have talked a lot, haven't we?"

"Well then. Let's go!" Yelan exited first after Wei opened the door, followed by Fujitaka. With the wheelchair unfolded at the ground, he and Fujitaka slowly carried Xiaojin out of the car and gently sat him on the wheelchair.

"I'll push Xiaojin up the hill, Wei-san," Fujitaka volunteered. "You've got enough things to carry up there."

"As you wish, Doctor."

Right then, the second car halted, and out came Sonomi and the Kashiis, waving right at them with smiles and open arms.

#

_I can tell whenever you're around_

_I'm so glad that you're the love I found_

_When people say we should never have met_

_I know they're wrong 'cause there are no regrets for us_

_Whenever you're around_

A particular popular love ballad played loudly on the radio of Yukito's SUV brought almost the entire caravan in to song mode. The driver, the beautiful fiancee sitting next to him, the chirpy girl sitting at the second row of seats with the country's most popular teen idol next to her, and the doll-faced princess at the last row became their own choir of singers that even overpowered the original vocal of the song. Well, let's make it a bit more exact. This song wasn't exactly one of the most popular songs among today's young generation throughout the country, however at this northern prefecture where Tomoeda is located, the song was a complete hit.

Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling, all three wearing hats and sunglasses so no one would recognize them when someone peers through the windows, couldn't help themselves but smile while refraining from laughter. Of course, why watch other fellow stars perform their own signature songs up on stage when they've got the locals and this SUV to sing in private for them?

_I can feel that something in your kiss_

_And I know that you'd be hard to miss_

_I feel so good whenever you are near_

_And there's no need to ever cry a tear for you_

_Whenever you're around_

"Aww…" Nakuru cooed, sinking herself in to her own blushing.

Yukito sang the particular verse as a soloist knowing that was supposed to be from the male point of view. He gazed right at his fiancee when he sang the verse. Luckily they were at a red light and didn't have to worry about keeping his eyes on the road. Once the light turned green, Yukito turned towards the road again.

After the verse, it was Sakura and Tomoyo who began singing the next verse in their own signature freestyle duet:

_Anytime you want my love_

_I'll be waiting_

_Anytime you want my arms_

_They'll be waiting to hold you, hold you_

For a bit of effect, Sakura gazed at Syaoran while singing the song, while Tomoyo did the same with Eriol. Syaoran's reaction was he still continued to refrain from laughing, but rather he found Sakura's enthusiasm in singing the song amusing. Surprisingly for Syaoran, Sakura was actually trying to reach closer to him. Whenever a girl would do that to him, he would simply turn away or scoot around, but somehow with this green-eyed girl, it felt natural to him.

Eriol tried to respond by actually approaching her as if he were to kiss her, but at the end of the verse, Tomoyo simply turned her head, making Eriol stumble forward from his seat. Meiling burst in to laughter as the result.

"How mean…" Eriol frowned and sighed away while Tomoyo snickered.

And the song continued on by repeating the same first verse, up until the song finally ended. Once it did, Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling applauded, with Sakura, Tomoyo, and Nakuru joining the applause right after.

"I've never heard of that song before but I really like it," Meiling said. "Who's the singer?"

"A local Sendai five-member all-male band known as Daihokusei," Nakuru answered her. "They're around our ages but they have this retro-feel style when it comes to music. They're really smooth!"

"That's what's awesome with J-Pop," Meiling smiled. "They cover all these genres from pop to R&B and even the retro sound from decades before our time. They're not very common with C-Pop and K-Pop. They always go along with whatever trend they hear in the modern urban chic world."

"Hm, Daihokusei, huh," Eriol tapped his chin. "I think they're in the lineup also…"

"Lineup?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"In today's day shooting, we'll be shooting the summer town concert scene, which is why The Cool Rascals will be performing. There'll be other local artists who will be performing in that lineup too and I think Daihokusei is one of them."

"Wow!" Sakura gasped, turning her head behind. "We're really gonna see Daihokusei in person? That's just totally awesome!"

"Whoa. Can't wait to see them perform live," Syaoran made his own comment. "If they sing another song that sounds like what you guys sang along with the radio, I'm buying their CDs."

"We have a small music shop around here where they sell all of the Daihokusei CDs including their unreleased demos," Sakura said. "We should stop by and shop if you like."

"Sounds great," Syaoran said. "Let's do that."

Once again, they run in to another red light. All this time they had been driving really slow due to the congested traffic in the main roads. Yukito was always patient when it came to slow traffic, but with the time they have left, he began to get nervous that they may arrive at Penguin Park Ampitheater late.

"Oh great, not again…" Yukito sighed. "Another red light and we barely even moved forward…"

"Why is everyone out this early already?" Nakuru frowned. "Maybe they heard that the shooting will be in a public place like Penguin Park that everyone decided to watch the shooting."

"I thought movie shootings should be private?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"Oh don't worry, the public can watch," Meiling said. "They just can't pass through the borderlines and are not allowed to talk to the cast and crew. That also includes the extras."

"Oh. Wow…" Tomoyo began to fall silent.

At this point, someone's phone began to ring.

Syaoran immediately recognized the ringtone and reached for the phone in his pocket. "Yes, Wei?… We're stuck in this rather rush hour traffic right now so we might get there late… Ah, Director Terada called you? He could've just called me directly… Wait, Wei, where are you and the Kashiis anyway? Why aren't you going to be present at the day shooting? … Important meeting with the producers?… Alright. Please update me when you're finished. I'm interested with all these crazy changes they're gonna be making with the script. Thank you, I really appreciate it." He hung up and gave a deep sigh.

"What's the matter, Xiaolang?" Sakura asked curiously, being careful not to call him by his transliterated Japanese name in accident.

"Every time I hear staff and managers having a meeting with the producers, it usually means there's going to be another major change."

"But Director Terada's gonna be on the set directing the scene, right? If they have meetings like that, doesn't he usually attend them?" Sakura wanted to confirm what she knew with the process.

"Hm, you're right about that, Sakura," Syaoran gasped. "Something weird is going on here and I'm already losing my patience…"

"Now now, Xiao, this is no time to protest," Eriol warned him. "We already started with the shooting so we'll just have to simply… go with the flow…"

"Go with the flow?" Syaoran quickly glared towards his cousin. "What the hell kind of an idea is that? I've never heard of just 'going with the flow' when it comes to movie shoots, Eriol. Something's really cooking behind the scenes of this movie production and it's really boling me mad!"

Meiling hushed Syaoran. "Calm down, Xiaolang. Eventually we'll find out what the update is, don't worry. They always have an explanation regarding the changes. Sunbow Productions are very articulate with their filmmaking production and I guess making all these changes are just normal."

"You know what, Xiao, here's an idea," Eriol joined in. "Why don't you call your mother and ask her about it? After all, isn't Sunbow Productions a conglomerate subsidiary of Li Enterprises?"

"Eh?" The locals suddenly exclaimed in shock.

"You mean, your family business owns Sunbow Productions?" Tomoyo gasped in surprise. "Your family must be seriously big time billionaires! I mean, Sunbow Productions is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, movie production companies in Japan! I didn't even know that you guys own Sunbow Productions!"

Syaoran gave a slight frown. "Yeah, it's a subsidiary of Li Enterprises, but I personally don't have any connections with the executives or any employee working at Sunbow, so there's absolutely no conspiracy going on that involves me with this entire movie. I mean what I'm saying is that my family's connections to Sunbow is not the reason why I got the leading role. I auditioned for the role myself just like everyone else because I wanted to do something different from the usual movies I'm used to doing in the past."

_Oh, I don't know about that… Syaoran… _Tomoyo's inner voice spoke within her.

"I believe you, Xiaolang," Sakura said. "Your family with that kind of wealth but prioritizes discipline and responsibility most likely wouldn't do such a thing like making inside deals with their own subsidiary just to get their son to play the leading role, right?"

At that point, Syaoran gave a puzzled look towards her. How on earth would this local girl know about the nature and behavior of his family? "H-how… would you know all that… Sakura?"

_Uh-oh! Better find a good excuse, Sakura!_ Tomoyo gritted her teeth, afraid of her friend getting trapped by the idol's suspicions.

"I… I…" Sakura also found herself gritting her teeth. _Come on, Sakura, think!_ She coughed lightly to clear her throat. "I can tell by… your work ethic."

"Work ethic?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"Well, I noticed that you're not the stereotypical celebrity who goes emotional or demanding or sarcastic at the staff just to get things you want for your own satisfaction," Sakura continued. "I mean sure, there's a lot of things that you may not like about the movie shooting but at the same time you respect the decisions being made. After all, you're just an actor. You don't exactly own the entire movie project."

"Huh… never thought of it that way…" Syaoran turned to his contemplative mode.

"Sakura's right, you know," Nakuru joined in. "I'm already admitting again that I'm a closet Wolfpup, so I read pretty much all the magazines in print and online whenever there's a feature or an article about you. A lot say that you're not very sociable because you take work seriously, but when you're in work mode, you treat everyone there as equals and even though you may not like the changes, you just simply accept the changes if it was to make the project a success."

"It's gotta be from family upbringing," Sakura smiled. "Dad says so."

Syaoran gave a soft chortle. "Your dad seems to know more about my past background than myself, Sakura. That's just scary."

_That's because he does, especially with that amnesia of yours, Syaoran… _Tomoyo's voice spoke inside of her again.

Just as traffic began to move again, Yukito decided to turn right. "I'll have to take the backroads. It might take long but we'll get there."

"Doesn't matter, as long as we get there safe and on time," Syaoran said. "Thanks for doing this, Yukito-senpai."

"Heh heh," Yukito grinned, making a thumbs up sign. "You can count on me with the Tomoeda road system!" Once they turned to a different direction, everything seems to be smooth sailing from this point.

Right then, another phone rang again. This time the vibration was coming from Yukito's pocket. Nakuru reached for her fiance's pocket and answered it. "Yukito's phone, this is Nakuru speaking…"

"_Hey. Put me on speakerphone."_

"You sound stressed, Touya. Hold on, hold on…" Nakuru turned on the speakerphone. "Okay dude. Everyone can hear you."

"_Yukito, where the heck are you going?"_

Yukito continued to concentrate on the road but answered his best friend. "The backroads. The traffic is a nightmare in the main streets."

"_What the hell? We already found a parking spot nearby and we're already walking our way to the Penguin Park!"_

"Touya, didn't you say that because I've got three celebrities in my SUV that I should take responsibility? I'm not risking getting caught by the fans and the paparazzi by having us walk all the way to the park on foot."

"_Well you better hurry because I just got a phone call from the director already crying for those three!"_

"Relax, Touya. I'm the delivery boy of the diner, remember? I know the streets of Tomoeda with my eyes closed. We'll get there on time, don't worry."

"_Okay then. We'll see you there."_ Touya hung up on his end, as Nakuru did the same.

"We're almost there, folks, I just got an idea," Yukito said.

"What idea would that be, Yuki?" Nakuru asked curiously.

"You'll see."

After turning around the corners for three blocks, they reached a neighborhood in which the outskirts of Penguin Park was only across the street. The other side of the park was where the traffic and all the public hoopla was going on, but this area was crystal clear of the crowd. Granted, Yukito knew exactly where to park in peace without getting caught by public eyes.

Yukito parked the SUV just across the street from a house where an elderly woman was busy tending to her garden of summer flowers. He and the others exited from the SUV, as the elderly lady looked up to see who the mysterious guests are who just parked across the street.

"Ah, Tsukishiro-kun, Nakuru-chan! Good morning!" The old lady greeted humbly.

"Good morning, Okina-san," the couple bowed. The elderly lady removed her gardening gloves, dropped it on the sidewalk, and approached them.

"Tending to your garden this early morning?" Yukito asked.

"Why yes. The upcoming days will be sweltering hot and the flowers need a whole lot more water to survive." Right then she noticed the group of youngsters who stood right behind the engaged couple. "Well, I see you already assembled this year's Troop Mooncastle! Going out for a training jog at the park I see!"

While the teens gave perplexed looks, the couple decided to play along. "That's right," Nakuru grinned. "We want to be prepared for this year's Tomoeda Teen Summer Camp. We already recruited our… troop members… and we wanna win this year's Teen Troop of the Summer!"

"Good for you!" The elderly woman applauded. "Well then, I mustn't hold you—" Just as she was about to say goodbye, she noticed a familiar face hiding behind the couple. "Now wait there… is that Sakura-chan I see there? Let me take a good look at you here, my dear…"

Sakura gulped nervously and decided to show herself. "It's me, Okina-san. Good morning." She bowed to her quickly.

"My, it is you! You're participating in this year's Teen Summer Marathon? Looks like your left leg is in good shape now."

"Uh… yeah!" Sakura quickly did a roundhouse kick using her left leg. "Good as new!"

"Oh, I've always enjoyed your long distance running, dear. I was so afraid that you wouldn't participate in the regional track and field championships last year and win another gold medal for Tomoeda. Good thing you skipped last year's Teen Summer Marathon just to heal your leg completely for the regionals."

"Yup, indeed!" Sakura stretched her arms upward. Good thing she wore the proper attire that would look like she would be going out to train: a plain white t-shirt with dark red sweatpants with her right pant rolled up above her knee. "Well, we're gonna go in to training now—"

Just as things were about to get a bit conspicuous, Okina even recognized the handsome amber-eyed teen hiding behind Yukito. "Wait a minute… isn't that handsome young lad behind Tsukishiro-kun your childhood sweetheart, Sakura-chan?"

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped.

"Um, actually you're mista—" Just as Yukito was about to do his task of protecting Syaoran's identity, Syaoran decided to come out of hiding. "Eh?"

"Yes… yes I am," Syaoran grinned and bowed to her. "It's been awhile… Okina-san, is it?"

The elderly lady chuckled. "Yes, yes. My, it has been awhile. How have you been… Syaoran-kun?"

"Eh?" Eriol, Meiling, and Nakuru gasped while Tomoyo only showed a panicking expression.

_Oh boy… looks like the cat's out of the bag…_ Tomoyo's voice spoke inside of her again.

"Oh goodness, you have grown up the way I imagined you would look like!" Okina smiled happily. "And my, you've grown really tall! I bet there's a lot of young girls all around town pining for you, ne?"

Syaoran gulped nervously. "I… um… I don't know about that—"

"But no matter!" Immediately, Okina gently grabbed his left hand and placed it right on to Sakura's right hand. "Those darn girls will just have to learn how to shop some more, knowing your heart truly belongs to sweet Sakura-chan since the two of you were little!" She then held the two hands together, leaving both Sakura and Syaoran smiling nervously. "Love is very delicate, remember that, you two. Love is like a flower. It takes more than just good ground to make love bloom, ne? Love also needs the sun and Sakura-chan's smile is that sun. It also needs water and Syaoran-kun's power and agility is like pure water. And together, you will make that good ground for love to remain in full bloom. Ne?"

"Y-yes, Okina-san…" Sakura muttered nervously while finding herself blushing when she felt Syaoran's hand on hers.

"Um… we have to go… run now…" Syaoran quickly cut off. "Um, Sakura-chan and I will be representing… uh… Troop Mooncastle for the um… Teen Summer Marathon." Quickly he turned to Sakura. "Come on, love, let's run for it."

"Okay, love!" Sakura played along, calling him "love" as well. The two teens quickly bowed and then dashed their way towards the park.

"My my, such energetic teens!" Okina grinned. "Those two truly are destined together!"

"Well, we must be going now too!" Yukito waved. "Alright, Troop Mooncastle! Let's head off!"

"Yessir!" Right then, Tomoyo, Eriol, and Meiling slowly jogged their way to the park, trailing Sakura and Syaoran.

"Take care of yourselves now, kids! Have a wonderful day!" Okina waved at all of them, with Yukito and Nakuru catching up to the three.

Meiling and Tomoyo suddenly slowed down from their jogging. "I'm only wearing sandals," Meiling whined. "I can't run with these sandals on." Quickly she removed her slippers and decided to walk barefoot. "Ooh, the grass is really soft to touch!"

"I can't run that fast… I'm one of the weakest girls in this town…" Tomoyo panted, while Meiling placed an arm around her to help her catch up her breath.

Eriol, on the other hand, turned himself around and faced the group. "Okay, I've got about twenty questions to ask."

"What is it, Eriol?" Tomoyo asked.

"That nice elderly woman just called Xiao 'Syaoran-kun'…" Eriol gave a slight frown. "I'm quite surprised Xiao actually played along. Normally he wouldn't do that when some random person would call him by someone else's name…"

"So what, Eriol?" Meiling frowned. "It always happens to us teen celebs all the time. We're being mistaken for someone else. Better that way than actually being recognized and then make a fuss about it in public."

"Well, what I want to know is that how that woman mistake Xiao for being Sakura's childhood sweetheart—" Before Eriol could continue, he immediately changed his tone. "Wait, childhood sweetheart? Sakura had a boyfriend who looks like Xiao? Oi, what's going on here?"

Yukito and Nakuru finally caught up and moved right next to Tomoyo. "I noticed that too," Nakuru said. "I don't know Sakura-chan that well as much as I know Touya, but what's going on here? Do you know anything about all this, Yuki?"

"Well, I…" Yukito gave a slight gulp and also took notice of Tomoyo looking nervous. "Okay, I gotta admit that Li-kun looks a lot like Sakura's childhood love but—"

"Although," Meiling interrupted. She then gave a snicker. "I have been noticing the changes in Xiaolang since we arrived here."

"Oh? What sort of changes?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"I've never seen Xiaolang so laid back on the set. I mean he's at his usual serious self when it comes to movie shoots but he's… lightened up a bit."

"Well that's a good thing," Eriol said.

"But then, whenever he talks about Sakura, his face lightens up like he's never been so happy in his life!"

"Oh my gosh, yes! I've noticed that too!" Tomoyo exclaimed happily, immediately grabbing Meiling's hand. "I've seen Chiharu's magazine collection that has Li-kun's pics and even with candid shots, he rarely smiled except for a few scenes. He really has a nice smile when he's being himself and I've seen him smile a whole lot more often!"

"Doesn't he look adorable?" Immediately, the two girls squeal and cheer like fangirls, leaving the other three out of the loop.

"Okay, fine," Eriol rolled his eyes. "But that doesn't exactly explain why Xiao would simply just act along with what that old lady said. Since she was the only public person present earlier, he'd normally just introduce himself and not have to worry about getting caught by the media, right?"

"You could be right about that, Eriol," Meiling answered, "but are you saying that whenever Xiaolang mentions Sakura's name and then he gets all happy about it outside the set, was he just acting then?" Eriol began to think while Meiling shook her head. "Seriously, you two currently stay under the same roof as Yamazaki-kun and you don't even notice things like that?"

Eriol raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that all three of us are males, correct? Do we even care about things like that?"

"He's got a point there," Yukito said, seconding the male idol's statement. "But Meiling-chan and Tomoyo-chan do make a good point also."

"So, which one is it?" Nakuru asked curiously. "What's going on with Li Xiaolang? I mean, sweet, innocent, and bubbly Sakura-chan is so lucky! I mean, she has a knack of making people happy whenever they're down, she even makes cold and stern young actor celebs like Li Xiaolang smile too! What's really going on between those two?"

"So you wonder, Nakuru," Yukito gave a slight smile. Tomoyo, on the other hand, decided to stay silent.

"I agree with Nakuru-san," Meiling gave a slight frown. "Knowing Xiaolang all my life, even when we were dating, he would hardly talk about girls in general except for his mother, his sisters, anyone in his family, admired veteran actresses in the industry, and girls in the industry whom he couldn't stand. Lately it's been Sakura this and Sakura that— not that it's a bad thing, of course." She then smiled after the latter statement.

"I'd like to know also," Eriol demanded, "so I can actually understand my poor cousin more and how I can help him slowly recover his memories of Tomoeda and…" Right then, all eyes suddenly turn to Tomoyo.

"Eh?" Tomoyo muttered curiously.

"Hm," Eriol murmured and slowly drew himself closer to her.

"Wh-what is it…?"

"Why do my instincts have been kicking me inside that you may know something about those two…?"

Tomoyo gave an innocent look and lightly grinned. "Me…? What would I know?"

Immediately, Meiling stepped in front of Eriol and then placed her hands right on Tomoyo's shoulder. "Spill it, Tomoyo!"

"Aaaah!" Tomoyo screamed. "I'll talk… I'll talk… I'll talk…" Being the only one in the minority, she knew she just couldn't keep a secret anymore.

_Sorry about this, Sakura… but… you'll understand…_

Meanwhile, Sakura and Syaoran, who had been racing each other to see which one of them will reach the amphitheater area, finally arrived on the stage. Right there, Director Terada, the rest of the cast and crew, and even Touya and his SUV group, all had their eyes at the two. They panted for air, while the crew members handed them face towels to wipe the sweat off their faces and iced water bottles to cool themselves off.

"You run really fast," Syaoran complimented her. "People weren't kidding when they said you're a marathon record holder around here…"

"Hehe," Sakura grinned, giving him a thumbs up. "It was awesome racing with you even if it's not exactly long distance! But you're really fast yourself."

"Alright, you two…" Director Terada interrupted their little moment. "It's a good thing that we still got fifteen minutes left before the scheduled shoot. You got time to get ready and dress up for the set. Where's the rest of your group?" The two pointed their thumbs behind them. "Oh great, why on earth are they walking?"

"They're not dressed to do strenuous physical activity," Syaoran shrugged his shoulders.

"Look, whatever, just clean yourselves and get dressed. The dressing areas are just behind the stage. Go! Go!" He gently pushed the two as the crew lead them backstage. He then turned to the others facing them. "Alright, get back to work. Let's make sure our lineup for the scene is ready to go!" He then turned towards Touya and Yamazaki, who had been giving impatient looks on their faces all this time. "Luckily the Cool Rascals will be last at the lineup, so don't worry."

"What the hell is that brat doing with my sister," Touya muttered to himself, tightening his fist.

"Doing the same thing as you would always do, Senpai," Yamazaki reminded him, patting him on the back. "Protecting your sister from the hidden perverts."

"Hmph…" He followed Yamazaki backstage, where they start to set up their instruments, already brought there by the Daidouji Couture's personal delivery trucks.

#

The cherry blossom tree that housed the Best Friends' Flower Hill did not fail the visitors in to keeping them cool at this very scorching hot summer day. In addition to that, the never-ending blossoms also made a certain lone wide gravestone of white and gray marble, now adorned by many new bouquets of fresh flowers brought by Fujitaka, the Lis, Sonomi, and the Kashiis. On the surface of the stone was engraved the following words:

"_The doors to heaven have opened, and there, home awaits for me."_

At the base of the gravestone has the family surname "Kinomoto" written on it, much like most of how most Japanese gravestones look like. Below the words mentioned above is a small portrait of a smiling and happy Nadeshiko, along with the years she lived from birth till death. Behind the stone is a tall wooden strip with Nadeshiko's posthumous name written in ancients old Kanji now obsolete in modern Japanese kanji system today. In the Buddhist tradition, giving the deceased a new posthumous name containing Kanji no modern Japanese would be able to read will prevent the spirit of the deceased from returning to the mortal world. Within the gravestone is the urn containing Nadeshiko's ashes after she was cremated. There were spaces that can fit three more portraits next to Nadeshiko's portrait, which are reserved for Fujitaka, Touya, and in the case of today, Kaho, when their time comes. In Japanese custom, once a woman is married and eventually dies, her ashes are buried within the family grave of her husband and his ancestors. Because of this, Kaho's ashes will be buried within the Kinomoto Family gravestone instead of her own family's gravestone. This also meant that should Sakura end up marrying Syaoran and during her lifetime she dies, her ashes will be buried in the Li Clan family gravestone instead.

Not too distant from the Kinomoto Family grave were the visitors, now having a small picnic underneath the cherry blossom tree, simply enjoying simple refreshments while catching up and sharing memories seven years before.

"So, you're moving the main headquarters of Li Enterprises to Sendai," Fujitaka confirmed his new-found knowledge as the Lis informed the rest of their long-time friends. "I'm glad everything within the company is finally in order."

"There's a lot of mishandling of business practices and the company funds back in Hong Kong during our residency here in Tomoeda," Xiaojin said. "All of this was happening without our knowledge. Of all this, we had to hear it from a former employee who contacted one of my executives at the Sendai Branch. We had no choice but to move back to Hong Kong to fix things." He then sighed deeply after. "I know it was rather too early to have Xiaolang get exposed in to the family business but I also wanted to teach him a few lessons about taking responsibility for the mistakes done by others that just happened to be under your name. Yelan and I may not be directly involved with all these cases and lawsuits that the company has been receiving left and right over there for mismanagement, but the fact that I'm currently the head makes me liable."

"Well, now that we understand the reasons why you had to leave Tomoeda," Sonomi said, "I know you probably explained this to Fujitaka already, but how was it that you suddenly disappeared from us by cutting off communications? You know, such as changing of the phone numbers, addresses, the likes?"

"After Xiaojin and Xiaolang got in to an accident, many of our close colleagues within the company suspected that there's a conspiracy involved to have both of them eliminated for good. We had many of Hong Kong's best detectives to look in to this and I as a wife and mother became worried for their safety. Though Xiaojin insisted that I should worry more about Xiaolang than him, how I can abandon him, especially that the accident caused this major injury that left him paralyzed for life? We had no choice but to cut ourselves from the public eye outside the company and have Xiaolang continue his training in silence until he was ready. And because 'Li Xiaolang' is one of the most common names among boys in Hong Kong, we took the risk of having him using his real name when we had him enrolled in idol training as part of his quest to… find himself again. Luckily we haven't received any threats or had any strange incidents that may cause him his life— except for those maddening, screaming fangirls, of course."

Taeko, or rather Jingmei, took a sip from her can of unsweetened iced green tea. "I'm really glad that you finally made contact with me after all these years, Cousin Yelan. You seriously had me worried sick when all of a sudden my letters to you kept coming back and my long-distance phone calls couldn't go through. Not even my own folks have any new contact info for me to use just to get in touch with you. Now I know the reasons…"

"I'm sorry about all this, everyone…" Yelan gave a guilty face.

"Well, now that all of is cleared out," Toshifumi said, "what now? You're all here, back in Tomoeda, except your son actually isn't aware that you're already here today. Everything's looking real good at the movie shoot and Xiaolang's— no, he's known as Syaoran-kun here— really portraying his intended role real well."

"And," Taeko smiled, "he's really enjoying and seriously delighted whenever he has Sakura-chan as company. Sometimes I get suspicions that they are secretly meeting each other at some super secret place and are actually lovers in secret!"

The ladies broke in to laughter while Fujitaka simply shook his head. "If that were true, Jingmei," Yelan said, "then that would be a good sign that Xiaolang is slowly recovering his lost memories. Once he finds himself truly falling in love with Sakura again, then he'll definitely recover his memories."

"When that happens, we can finally break the news to him of his condition and have him go through this critical medical procedure…" Xiaojin sighed deeply. "We didn't tell him sooner because we're afraid that he would rather have the operation done immediately and then not care about recovering the rest of his lost memories forever. Oh no, as a father and the current leader of the Li Clan, that's unacceptable for me."

"Well, after his first session with me last night, I'm sure he's taking his personal mission seriously now," Fujitaka said. "I'll continue to give him similar sessions like last night just to be sure that he stays on top of things."

"So, let me get this straight," Sonomi said. "We still continue to play dumb around Syaoran-kun?"

"Well, not for long," Yelan said, "once he's beginning to recall his lost memories little by little."

"Sounds like a plan then," Fujitaka nodded. Right then he turned to his family grave. "I wish you were here with us in this beautiful summer picnic day up here, Nadeshiko. I'm pretty sure you'd want to be part of the plan too."

"Knowing Nade-chan," Sonomi said, "she'd probably the first person who would come up with so many crazy ideas that may actually work."

Yelan raised her iced tea can to the grave. "Lend us your crazy wisdom, Nade-chan!"

The adults continued on with their picnic until it was time for them to go.

#

Forty-five minutes after the shooting begun and four local talents on stage later, Director Terada called out for the next and final act. The initial idea was that the local performances will be filmed first before the main teen cast perform one of the dance routines they had been practicing this past week. At the moment, the stage is still being set up for The Cool Rascals' turn to perform. Daihokusei, the regionally-known retro-style band, just performed a very familiar remake of an old tune known as "If We See Each Other in a Dream." During the set up, many of the locals behind the set borderlines gathered to watch this particular movie shooting. In this morning's news, the TV crew of a popular teen trends show called "Oshare-na Cool Teens!" were making a live appearance featuring not just the five main couples of the movie, but they were also there to give a special feature on the local bands and performers chosen to be part of the movie.

This could mean national exposure for The Cool Rascals and the more known local acts such as Daihokusei. Whether this opportunity was a good thing or a bad thing, they had not choice but to take the opportunity. If you were in Touya's shoes right now, you may probably think that there may be extra pay just to get himself exposed on TV. On the other hand, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them. One of the popular hosts of this teen-oriented variety show, a sixteen-year-old beauty who simply went by Ai Aihara, is an idol in her own right and the most sought-after among the fans in Tomoeda.

In the meantime while the stage is being set for The Cool Rascals, the band themselves get to have their own air time with the ever-lovely and sophisticated Ai Aihara. If The Cool Rascals were not exactly huge fans of the likes of Li Xiaolang, Eriol Hiiragizawa, and Meiling Li, the name of Ai Aihara is definitely a household name for every teen of all shapes and sizes throughout Tomoeda. At the moment, the band tried to get themselves in a good position, as close to Ai Aihara as much as possible, up until the floor director gave the pretty teen reporter her cue. In the end, Yamazaki secured his spot next to Ai's left side, Yukito next to him, and Touya, the tallest of the three boys, stood behind them. Tomoyo stood on Ai's right side while Sakura stood next to her. .

"Welcome back to 'Oshare-na Cool Teens!' Ai Aihara here, on location here in the beautiful secluded forest town up north called Tomoeda, giving you an exclusive live scoop behind-the-scenes of the upcoming, much-anticipated teen half-musical romcom movie _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_! The second week of the movie shoot is about to wrap up and they still got a lot of ways to go! In addition, in just two days will be that hot teen actor Li Xiaolang's eighteenth birthday and eventually we will get to have an exclusive interview with him later, but first, I would like to introduce to you another local band who will be making plenty of cameo appearances throughout the movie. This five-member band hailing from Tomoeda, The Cool Rascals, have been performing for their fellow townsfolk young and old since childhood through their own original music, as well as covers of other popular artists and tunes of all ages, and as we wait for their turn to have their first movie shooting actually performing one song, let's get to know a little bit of this five talented and cool-looking musicians! So here they are, folks, The Cool Rascals!"

"Yay!" The five members applauded, then bowed to the camera. "Good to meet you all!"

Ai glanced right at the band, with the three boys actually looking rather starstruck at this pretty teenage reporter. "First of all, please introduce yourselves to our fellow teens out watching today!"

Tomoyo answered first. "I'm Tomoyo, lead vocals. Sometimes keyboard."

"I'm Sakura, keyboard. Sometimes lead guitar, sometimes acoustic."

"Takashi, lead guitar. Sometimes drums."

"Yukito, bass. Sometimes lead guitar, sometimes keyboard."

"Touya, drums. Sometimes keyboard."

"Well then, first of all, how are you feeling now, being part of a major movie project such as _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_?"

Once again, Tomoyo decided to answer for the group. "We're very excited now, especially today! So anxious! Maybe a bit nervous since this would be the first time that we'll be performing in front of a movie camera and even in front of well-known names in the movie and TV industry too. For us, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and while we're at this age, why not take it and savor it until the end?"

"Sounds wonderful!" Ai gave a soft chuckle. "So, I'm pretty sure all of our fellow teens throughout Japan would like to know how old the band members are!"

"Well, I'm seventeen," Tomoyo answered.

"Seventeen too," Sakura answered next.

"Seventeen three!" Yamazaki made a three sign on his fingers while answering.

"Twenty-four and happily taken," Yukito answered.

"Same with him," Touya shrugged.

"My my! Happily taken, the both of you!" Ai gasped, turning to the two older members. "What about our fellow three talented teens?"

"I'm taken too," Yamazaki grinned, taking in as much exposure as he can while getting himself lucky standing next to one of his favorite female idol girls. "Sorry ladies, but there are plenty of hotter-looking guys than I am. Sadly, there is only one of me and there's… too many of you! Don't bet on the two senpai dudes with me because they're not just taken, they're also engaged."

"My my!" Ai giggled. "Congratulations, Yukito-senpai, Touya-senpai!"

"Thank you," Yukito and Touya answered simultaneously.

"So, when would the big day for you fellas?"

Touya answered first. "Next year, most likely after graduation."

"Oh, you attend school?"

"Grad school."

"Sweet! How about you, Yukito-san?"

"Next year also, in the summer. About three months after Touya ties the knot himself."

"Oh beautiful!" Ai turned to the camera. "I'm sorry to all the girls there, but like Takashi-kun said, there's a lot of hotter guys out there than them, so in short, keep searching! And now, let's talk about the girls!"

"I recently got out of a relationship, so I'm single now," Tomoyo answered immediately. "But don't worry, I'm not lonely or desperate or anything like that, but I'm available."

"Um… it's complicated," Sakura answered humbly nervously grinning.

"Complicated?" Ai asked curiously. "That means there's a special someone involved right now?"

"Um… kind of… well yes… but no… but in a way, yes."

Ai blinked her eyes in confusion. "Okay… it is indeed complicated."

"Yeah… hehe…"

"Well then, moving on! With that being said, I got news from the crew that The Cool Rascals are actually the featured band throughout the movie, meaning you'll have a strong presence but don't actually have a significant role in the storyline, so to speak."

"That's right," Tomoyo once again took the mic. "Well, we don't have any acting experience ourselves and we are very brand-new to this movie concept, so of course, we don't mind having smaller roles but a strong presence. We have a few lines here and there but that's it."

"But you do know that you will be having plenty of scenes that has our leading stars in it. How does it feel working for the bigger-named teen stars such as Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa and Meiling Li… or even Mai Hirashiki?"

Just as Tomoyo was about to answer, Yamazaki decided to answer himself. "We were nervous at first. In fact, scared. But the director and the cast made us feel equal and they treated us as equals. Well, most of them anyway. But other than that, here we are, ready to go."

"What song will you be performing for your first scene? Give us a bit of a sneak peek for our viewers!"

Just as Yamazaki was about to grab the mic from Ai, Tomoyo beat him first. Yamazaki then gave a frown. "Well, we'll be singing more songs since we're almost finished recording of the movie soundtrack, but for this scene, we'll be performing a song called 'Guess I'm Dumb.' It's from a male point of view so Yama— Takashi-kun here will be singing it."

"Well, since we won't be able to see the actual shooting of you guys performing the song, how about a little sample of the song. Takashi-kun?"

Yamazaki's grin grew huge. "Why sure, anything for you, Ai-chan… and for all you ladies out there!" She lent him her microphone and then he began to sing the first few lyrics while the rest of the band clapped their eyes as their drum beat.

_The way I act don't seem like me_

_I'm not on top like I used to be_

_I'll give in when I know I should be strong_

_I still give in even though I know it's wrong, know it's wrong_

_I guess I'm dumb but I don't care_

"That's it, peeps. I can't sing anymore. I don't want to spoil it!" Ai and the rest of the band applauded as he handed the mic back to her.

"And there you go, everyone!" Ai continued on with her reporting. "And since we're talking about 'oshare' here, let's talk about the current outfits that you guys are wearing for the set! Let's go with the girls first this time!" She then turned to both Tomoyo and Sakura, who are now wearing simple yet chic flowery summer dress. "Because it is the summer season and the movie does take place in the summer, we now have the girls donning these simple-looking but very attractive summer dress! Could you tell us more about what you girls are wearing?"

"Well, first of all," Tomoyo answered first again, "I also design clothes myself. My mom is a… a seamstress." She wasn't sure if Ai Aihara was already aware of her real identity being the future heir of the Daidouji Couture after her mother retires and decided to make things simple.

"Your mother must be very proud of you to have such beautifully-designed summer dresses! Can you tell us more about it?"

"Sure! Let's talk about Sakura's cute dress here. It's very pastel pink since it matches her name. It's a U-shape collar strap dress that doesn't reveal much aside from her beautiful, delicate shoulders that stretches about two inches above the knees. The hem is very intricately hemstitched. It took me about a week to finish it, but I really made this dress for Sakura alone. The fabric is a balanced blend of cotton and hemp because natural fabrics can trap the most extreme heat of the sun, making the wearer remain as cool as she can."

Ai gasped excitedly. "You look so adorable in that dress, Sakura-chan! It really does suit you, like Tomoyo-chan said!"

"You think so? I like it too!" Sakura grinned. "And it's really light too, so I can run with it when needed."

"And the soft pink headband with the little sakura sewn on to it gives that simple and adorable charm too!"

"I'm really excited that I get to wear this in the movie set!" Sakura chuckled.

"The soft pink really compliments your green eyes too," Ai continued her analysis. "When you step up at the stage later, guys are seriously gonna flip over you! But you already have a special someone, ne? Would he be in the audience?"

"Um…" Sakura then covered her face to hide her blushing. "Well… he's around but… I hope he watches and… I hope he likes me in this dress…"

"I hope he does too!" Ai winked, then turned to Tomoyo. "Now it's your turn, Tomoyo-chan!"

"Mine, of course, is a bit of a retro look, but I've always like the styles from the past. They never really go out of style once you know how to work around them, you know? Mine is a U-shaped white collar strap dress that stretches just above the knees, also not revealing, and I decided to use a baby blue and white Gingham pattern on as the main fabric, this time made of combed cotton. At the hem, I gave a bit of a ruffle to give it a bit of a simple charm."

"You really do know how to dress yourself, Tomoyo-chan! You look like a living doll!"

Tomoyo chuckled. "I get that compliment every time but thank you, Ai-chan!"

"You seem to be the type who wears dark clothing a lot for some reason, but the pastels do work on you as well!"

"Ha ha, you're right about that. I really do like dark, bold colors, but they're not suitable for the summer because dark colors absorb a lot of the heat, while light colors, like the one Sakura's wearing right now, can reflect sunlight, so summer is an exception. And the guys are also wearing pastel colors too even though they're not exactly masculine."

Ai chuckled. "Still, the guys look really good also! Now that we're on the subject of the guys, let's talk about the attire that the guys are wearing!" Just as she was about to hand the mic towards Yamazaki, he then spoke.

"Tomoyo-chan… also… designed these for us too."

"My my! You've got a talented lead singer here!" Ai giggled. "Alright then, let's have the expert talk about your outfits!"

Tomoyo made a gesture at the rather fame-hogging Yamazaki by sticking her tongue at him. Yamazaki glared at her by rolling his eyes. "Well, like I said before, it is the summer season, and the best colors and fabrics that everyone should wear are white, beige, and pastel colors with fabrics made by natural garments, such as cotton and linen. These polo shirts were actually randomly designed because my mom had some leftover fabric from last year that she was going to dispose. I asked permission from her if I can have all her leftovers for free, since some of the fabric she bought are pretty expensive. The polo shirts that the guys are wearing now are all made from the same material, a slight combination of cotton and linen, but mostly cotton, just to save money. The patterns are pretty standard striped and calico. As for the bottoms, because Tomoeda is also a beach town as well as a forest town, capris are totally in! Khaki colors compliment these different patterned shirts, and the material used for their capri pants is a blend of cotton and ramie. The ramie makes the fabric tougher and it only makes the fabric a whole lot stronger when it's wet."

"Well!" Ai exclaimed. "For someone who isn't at a professional level yet you really do know all the specs of a piece of clothing. It's not just about the looks, but how it's made as well."

"You have to know these things if you want to get in to the fashion design industry," Tomoyo said. "Mom says that if you want to be really serious with this line of work and then have the industry truly recognize you, you have to really know what you're doing, not just to the design itself, but also the fabrics you're using too."

"True that!" Ai gave a thumbs up. "Now that we're talking about the industry here and there, I've gathered that you perform as a band for the community, right? You're not really doing this to get famous and get in to the mainstream. What are all your personal goals? Or rather, what do you want to do after you're done with your schooling?"

Once again, Tomoyo defeated Yamazaki for the mic. "I think I'm gonna move on forward with fashion designing, but I want to start off serving local before I decide to go big time. When I finally have my own line, I want to design and sell clothes that every girl can afford. I believe that every girl has the right to look chic and posh whenever they wanted to be. It shouldn't be limited to girls who come from rich families or those who feel that they deserve to be always chic and posh while others don't. I guess you could say that I believe that there is a dress for every girl out there no matter how they look, the color of their skin, their size, and most of all, their financial status."

"That's an honorable mantra, Tomoyo-chan! I look forward to that and I really do hope you make your dreams come true!"

"With a little hard work and preservation, I definitely will!" Tomoyo winked.

The teen reporter then turned to her best friend. "And what about you, Sakura-chan?"

"Me?" Sakura grinned nervously. "Um… I'm not really sure yet but… I think… I'm gonna be a teacher…"

"Oh? What kind of teacher?"

"Um… a P.E. teacher… and maybe a dance teacher…"

"Choreographer?"

"Maaaybe…" Sakura muttered, still flashing her grin. "But I like teaching. I currently do some choreography for our high school cheerleading squad and… sometimes I teach little kids hip-hop dancing too whenever there's a chance."

"Alright then. Let's just say a choreographer."

"Whatever works!"

The reporter then turn to the boys. "And what about you boys?"

"Um… I think I'm gonna be a writer."

"What kind of writer?"

"A creative writer!" Yamazaki grinned. "I was told often by most of my peers that I'm really good at inventing stuff and that I should use my… power of imagination… in to written word, so… creative writer!"

"Okay then," Ai grinned. "And what about the two of you?"

"I plan to be a teacher too," Yukito grinned. "A music teacher, to be exact."

"Ah, a music teacher. What made you decide to pursue that?"

"Well, I'm currently studying for my masters in education and I'm actually qualified to teach anything, but I want to teach music. Primarily forming a school band, you know? Plus I was told I have a knack with working with younger minds who love music."

"Sounds great!"

"Actually I'm also the heir to the Mooncastle Diner as well."

"Ah, we've passed by that place on our way here earlier. A family business?" Yukito nodded. "Well, whichever path you choose, we sure hope that you do well in both of them."

"Thank you very much."

The teen reporter turned to his best friend. "And what about you, Touya-san?"

Touya shrugged. "Maybe in human resources."

"Oh, like you would be responsible for finding people to hire for a company and stuff like that?"

"Something like that. I want to help people find jobs. Maybe work for a major employment agency or open my own."

"You're all ambitions people! I wish you all well with your future endeavors!" At that point, she spotted Director Terada signaling her to wrap things up. "Well now, it looks like we're out of time. The director now wants you guys to be on stage now. Thank you so much for your time for this exclusive interview!"

"Thank you for having us!" The entire band answered simultaneously.

"I'll also be at the night shooting later tonight as well, so consider this as Part One of our interview, so I'll see you guys later!"

"See you later too, Ai-chan!"

She then turned to the camera. "Please do keep on watching 'Oshare-na Cool Teens!' for more exclusive interviews and sneak peeks through the set of _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_! Next up, we'll be interviewing the ten cool teenagers lead by the stunningly gorgeous hot teen idol Li Xiaolang, but for now, let the sponsors do the talking. Be right back!"

"And cut!" Everyone then gave a sigh of relief, as Ai Aihara turned to the band and exchanged handshakes with each other.

"Thank you so much for the interview! Good luck up there!" Ai cheered for them.

"You said you'll be at the night shooting too?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

Ai handed the microphone to the floor manager and then gently pushed her lengthy, wavy caramel brown hair to her back. "I'm not really kidding when I said on camera that you've got seriously gorgeous attire today— all five of you!" She then turned to Tomoyo. "I would really love to have a dress designed by you! I'd pay you big time, Tomoyo-chan!"

"Aww, it'd be an honor!" Tomoyo giggled. "You're a household name among us teens here in Tomoeda. I mean we should be the ones squealing because you get to feature us in the 'Oshare-na Cool Teens!' show. I watch that show like a complete cult follower because of the teen fashion industry and all that."

"Me too!" Sakura joined in. "Actually we didn't expect that you would be here and we didn't even bring magazines and have your autograph."

"Ah, no worries," Ai said. "We'll still see each other later tonight so there's plenty of time to do autograph signing."

Quickly, Yamazaki cut in front of the girls along with his phone. "Ai-chan, I know I'm sounding silly, but can we have a picture with you?"

"Sure!" Ai chuckled and called one of the cameramen to take group photos.

"Make it snappy, Cool Rascals. You're wanted on stage now," Terada called them.

"We're done now!" Tomoyo called. They exchanged byes again towards Ai Aihara, as the band climbed on stage. The sweet-faced idol teen reporter waved at them.

At this point, the crew handed Ai a bottle of iced water as she sat down on one of the seats nearby. The crew gently wiped off the sweat from her face, touching her up again for the next segment. With that happening, the main cast of five couples, as stated, lead by Syaoran, arrived on the scene, dressed up stylishly cool, suitable enough for an urban street dance crew. They were supposed to practice on their dance routine again, however Syaoran had other things in mind.

"Xiaolang-kun, Eriol-kun, Meiling… and even Mai-chan!" Ai called out to them, right after she had her touch-ups. Her fellow idol teens turned to see the chic reporter teen waving at them.

"Ooh! Ai-chan!" Meiling gasped and waved happily. "Looking stylish as always!"

Ai approached them and from out of the blue, planted a kiss on both Syaoran's and Eriol's cheek. Among the teen celebrity world, Ai was one of the very few girls who are able to approach these two young men without any complaints from any of them. This was due to a slight history that they had two years ago that made everything seem okay between the three of them. "I can't believe this movie suddenly became an all-out musical!"

"Oh, not all-out, so to speak," Eriol winked. "We're just gonna be dancing, that's all. No singing, so far."

Mai rolled her eyes thinking about the latter statement. "Oh I just hope the director and those crazy screenwriters wouldn't make any more dumb changes and then they make all of us sing our lines out! This is just getting absolutely ridiculous."

"Oh come on now, Mai-chan," Ai grinned, "those crazy screenwriters are the Kashii Team. They happen to be award-winning you know and this is actually the first time they've written a story that's teen-oriented. You should be honored that you even got the leading female role."

"I wouldn't be surprised if they make another change in the script that would make some of us sing," Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Stern and stoic as always, Xiaolang-kun," Ai giggled, gently tapping her finger on his cheek. "So, I heard from Meiling lately that you two have been flirting with a few local girls here!"

"Eh?" Syaoran's eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"That's not fair. You reject almost all of the cutest, prettiest celeb girls in the biz— including sweet little me— and you're actually flirting with the local girls here? Gimme the scoop!"

"What the—" Syaoran and Eriol immediately glared at Meiling, who only responded to them with a sheepish grin. "You just _had_ to tell that to the media?"

"Oh come on, Xiaolang," Meiling glared, "Ai-chan is not the media. She's one of us who just happens to have the role of a reporter in a long-time running teen fashion show as 'Oshare-na Cool Teens!' It's all because of her that show is still on air right now and has won several TV awards too!"

"Hey, I may be just a teen reporter but I'm an idol in my own right too," Ai frowned. "Anyway, I'm not that kind of reporter who would just blurt everything in public, but I still have the right to know!"

Eriol became excited and began to answer. "Well, you see, ever since we arrived here, the first time we met the daughter of—"

"None of your business, really, Ai-chan," Syaoran immediately cut his cousin off. "I suggest you not pester the locals about us. They wouldn't know much about what's going on in the set anyway. And if you're thinking about pestering the local talent involved in the movie, seriously. Don't."

"What?" Ai giggled. "Only a desperate, nosy fangirl would do such a thing! And besides, a lot of the teenagers along the line of local performers in this scene of the movie I interviewed so far seem so… I don't know… trying hard…"

"Trying hard on what?" Meiling asked curiously.

"Oh I don't know… trying hard to get noticed. They actually think that being part of the movie is their shot of actually making it in to the big leagues. Don't they know that it takes more than just being in the movie but not really doing anything significant just to be recognized by the industry?"

"Well the fact that you're a complete household name among the teens throughout Japan and the fact that 'Oshare-na Cool Teens!' is airing live in their own little town, you can't blame them for trying hard to impress," Mai said, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean if I were in their shoes, I'd be trying hard to impress myself too."

"Oh come on, Ai-chan, that's unfair," Meiling joined in. "Actually most of them don't want to be in the big leagues, as you call showbiz nowadays. A lot of them do this for fun and to serve their own community. Since they're so far away, as if they're so cut off from society, they can manage their own pop culture, you know."

"Haha, good way of wording it, Meiling," Eriol winked.

"Just how would you know things like that, Meiling?" Mai asked curiously.

"Like you'd really want to know, huh, Mai?" Meiling smirked.

"If you ask for my opinion," Ai began her reply, "I think the last two bands that I interviewed are the ones who I feel have potential in to making it in the big leagues…"

"Oh!" Eriol grinned. "You mean Daihokusei and The Cool Rascals? They're really good, ne? Although the guys in Daihokusei are more of like Touya-senpai's and Yukito-senpai's ages and don't actually fall in the teens category…"

"And their goals are actually realistic," Ai added. "I admire them for that and they're not just saying that they want to be in showbiz just because they're in front of the camera like most people I've interviewed. There's no reason to be pretentious in front of national TV if you ask me."

"What?" Mai gasped. "How can that be realistic? I mean, most Japanese teenagers today, especially girls, all dream of becoming an idol one day, you know? I mean, there's plenty of types of idols in this country: singing idols, actress idols, _tarento_ idols, gravure idols, cosplay idols, _seiyuu_ idols— this country is a country of idols!"

Syaoran burst in to laughter. "What the hell kind of an industry are you in really, Ai-chan? Showbiz is pretty much a world of lies. Majority of the celebrities interviewed and the goes out in the media are all lies. As for me, I don't have any reason to lie. Even if I wasn't in showbiz now my life would still be an open book."

"True…" Eriol and Meiling sighed in unison. He really didn't need to be in showbiz just to be famous. He was already famous, more or less, even way before he entered showbiz. The future heir of one of Hong Kong's most powerful clans just can't be ignored by society altogether.

Immediately, they hear the drums play. The Cool Rascals' performance was about to begin. "Shh," Meiling hushed, "they're starting!" The celebrity teens, including Ai and the rest of the dance crew, decided to watch the band from the side.

"Seriously, this town really is a hidden gem of this country," Ai sighed, gazing her eyes towards Tomoyo and Sakura already performing.

"And why's that?" Meiling asked curiously.

"They dress better than me… they're like… maximum _oshare_!"

"What?" Mai giggled. "How could you praise those girls' outfits? I mean they're so… ordinary!"

"Hell, if they're not the best-dressed girls I've ever seen," Ai replied to Mai's remark, "it still a fact that they still dress better than you."

"What?" Mai gasped. "Let me remind you that I'm one of the models for the Daidouji Couture teen line, a recent recruit so now I'm in the same ranks as Xiaolang, Eriol, and of course, Meiling here!"

"Even so," Ai smirked, "don't forget that I'm the teen fashion icon of our generation here. Even if their outfits aren't high-end designer brands like the Daidouji Couture, they still dress better than you."

"Ugh," Mai frowned and decided to stay silent.

Meiling giggled and then gave her reply. "They dress better than us because they're original, you know? They don't follow the latest trends in the urban cities if you know what I mean."

"But I asked Tomoyo-chan if she could design a dress for me so I'm really excited!" Ai exclaimed.

Meiling shifted her eyes at the reporter. "You're gonna pay her, right?"

"Of course I will! Come on, I'm not that cheap."

"But, you gotta admit, even if the design looks simple, in some ways, they're really elegant," Meiling commented. She then turned to the two boys who are currently watching the band in silence. "Right, guys?"

"Tomoyo-chan looks so beautiful today… in that dress…" Eriol muttered as if he was completely hypnotized just by watching Tomoyo taking over the keyboards this time with Yamazaki singing lead, now playing an acoustic guitar, with Sakura with the lead guitar, Yukito on bass, and of course, Touya on drums. "Right, Xiao…?"

At this point, Syaoran remained silent. His eyes were completely fixated towards the glowing Sakura for him to even notice his fellow idol friends talking to him.

_And breaking up wasn't hard to do_

_But I couldn't stay away from you_

_I feel love but not the way I did before_

_This time, girl, has got to be forever more, ever more_

_I guess I'm dumb but I don't care_

When the instrumental came, something else came in to Syaoran's mind. His inner voice already confirmed the reason why he found his heart racing like the end of the world was near.

_Sakura… my Ying Fa… I… I don't care who you're in love with right now, but… I'm your little wolf now… One day, I'll make sure that you'll realize that… I'm you're one and only little wolf… no one else…_

Right then, the song finally reached its final verse.

_And, baby, since we've been apart_

_Maybe I've found I had a heart_

_I couldn't let go even if I wanted to_

_You must know, baby, now it's only you, only you_

_I guess I'm dumb but I don't care_

The final chords were played and the performance was over. The band took a bow as the audience applauded. Director Terada called out: "And cut! That's a wrap!"

Tomoyo and Sakura hi-fived each other, while the three boys exchanged hi-fives and embraces. First time that they have a performance scene and the first time that they nailed their scene with just one shoot. Director Terada approached the band, praising them.

"You must have rehearsed a lot for this song," the director said. "You did really well performing live, and considering that we've got Yamazaki-kun singing lead instead of the usual Tomoyo-chan."

"We already recorded this song already late last week," Yamazaki said. "So yeah, the takes during recording did justice."

"You kids are done for the day. We'll be having lunch period right now before I have the five couples come out and do their dance routine shoot. You can stay here until your night shoot or go home and have a good rest."

"Well, the guys and I are gonna stay though," Yamazaki reminded the director. "See, our girlfriends are here to do their scenes as extras!"

"Ah, I see. Well then, we'll see you at lunch then." The director patted each of the band members and then called out to the rest of the crew that they will be taking their lunch break now. The movie crew started taking down the instruments, as the boys climbed down to meet with their girlfriends, who had been part of the scene as spectators. Tomoyo then held Sakura on the wrist.

"Come on, let's go get changed at the dresser tent."

"Okay Tomoyo, lead the way!" Just as they were heading towards the side, they met up with the stars who were watching them on the sidelines.

"You did wonderful out there," Eriol was the first to compliment the girls. "Really sweet outfits too!"

"Thanks!" The girls answered simultaneously. Right then, Ai got in front of them with another curious question. This time was right towards Sakura.

"So, Sakura-chan, did you see him?"

"Hoe?" Sakura gave another perplexed look.

"You know, that special someone who you feel may be the one but isn't exactly the one?"

She gasped in realization. "Oh, him! Well, actually—"

"I saw him!" From out of the blue, Syaoran cut them off and decided to answer for her. "I saw him… Sakura…-chan."

"You did?" Sakura went along with the amber-eyed idol. "Aw, I saw him, but I wasn't sure if he was looking at me. He… he wasn't showing much emotion so I thought… maybe he doesn't like the dress—"

"Oh, no, you're wrong about that!" Syaoran exclaimed, leaving the rest of the teens present looking a whole lot more confused than ever. "Just by the way he looked at you… I think… you left him completely breathless… words just can't… uh… describe real beauty when he sees it… you know…?"

"Eh?" The rest of the teens looked a whole lot more confused with this scenario than they were in the beginning.

"Do you really think so? I mean… do you really think that he thinks that…?"

Syaoran shrugged his shoulders while smiling. "Sure. Why not? And also… he's probably thinking to himself as he continued gazing at you looking really beautiful, dress, guitar, smile, everything. He's thinking, 'Gosh, if only she would wear the same thing on my birthday party… I would be very happy.'"

"Hoooeee…" Sakura giggled. "You're just making that up!"

"Hey, you may never know…" Syaoran simply gave her another sheepish grin.

"Anyway," Tomoyo chuckled, hooking her arm around her best friend's. "We're gonna go get changed now. See you at lunch!"

"Bye now!" Sakura waved at them, as the two girls made their way to the dressing tent.

Right then, Director Terada called at them, reminding them that lunch catered by Mooncastle Diner had just arrived. Just as Syaoran was following the rest of the teens at the back of the stage area, Eriol immediately grabbed him by the collar of his shirt from behind. "Hey! What gives?"

Eriol and Meiling immediately faced him, with Eriol placing his arm around his cousin. "My dear cousin Xiao… a short word with you."

"What?" Syaoran gave his usual uptight expression on his face.

"That mysterious someone special that you and Sakura were describing in front of Ai-chan just now… you were actually talking about yourself, ne?"

The chestnut-haired, amber-eyed idol glared at his cousin. "What would you know?"

"And there goes the glare again," Eriol snickered. "You know, Meiling and I learned something really interesting that _may _help you recover your memories."

"Oh? How could you possibly know something when we mostly spend our time working on the scenes and shooting them?"

Meiling quickly embraced Syaoran from his other side. "Tee-hee! Oh we know plenty… more than you think!"

Syaoran slowly scooted away from Meiling. "Yeah? And what would that be?"

"Oh I don't know… there's a special girl just really close to us who yearns for her one true love…" Meiling winked. "Ne… Syao—ran!"

Immediately, the same jolt of familiarity struck right through his mind. Sure, this wasn't the first time he had this lightning struck him once he heard the name Syaoran, however, this time, the jolt seemed painful. "Huh… I don't know what you're talking about—"

"Not what we want to hear, Xiao," Eriol grinned. "Let's just say we kind of… know your secret…"

"What secret? I haven't kept any secrets from you two."

"Okay, maybe secret isn't the right word," Meiling grinned. "But we do have a feeling that you're toying around with poor and vulnerable Sakura-chan just because she's been yearning for her beloved…"

"Now, we know you're not exactly the warmest guy towards girls in general," Eriol continued, "but to toy around with a girl like Sakura by _pretending _to be her long-lost boyfriend isn't very nice—"

Immediately, Syaoran released himself from the two. "I'm not toying with her! I'm just trying to help her out by not always looking sad and depressed for him. Since I'm such an awesome young actor as the media has been buzzing all the time, why not use my elite acting skills to be that guy so she won't have to feel sad anymore…"

"But you know," Meiling continued on. "You won't be able to portray that role for her for that long. Eventually, she's gonna realize that he will never return to her… I mean, think how devastating would that be for Sakura-chan. She doesn't deserve that."

"Why are you two making me look like the bad guy here? I'll be her guy as long as she wants if it would only make her happy!"

"But you know that's impossible," Eriol said.

"How would you know that?"

"Because we won't be staying here that long, remember?" Meiling said. "Once we're done with the movie shoot, we'll be leaving Tomoeda… and then you'll be moving on with your next projects and she will go back to being the heartbroken girl still waiting for her love to return to her."

"That won't happen, Meiling…"

"Meiling's right, Xiao," Eriol gave a slight frown. "What happens if she forgets about her guy, then she falls in love with you, and in the end you'll end up leaving her too once we're finished with the movie shoot."

"It won't happen, Eriol, because I love…" Right then, he found himself trailing off just as he was about to say something he subconsciously was about to say. He slowly backed away from the two. "I need to be alone for now, okay? See you at lunch." He then turned around and headed towards the back.

Eriol and Meiling turned to each other with really concerned looks. "He almost said it, Eriol…"

"I know," Eriol nodded. "The cat's almost out of the bag."

"Tell me about it."

"If he said those words right then, then that should be the trigger that would recover his memories."

Meiling gave a sad expression. "I can't believe he's really forgotten he's Syaoran… just like Tomoyo said earlier."

"And Sakura's already working hard to help him remember, Meiling. I don't know how the two of us would be able to help him recover his memories…"

"We'll find a way. Maybe if we get Xiao— Syaoran to fall in love with Sakura, maybe he would remember…"

Eriol nodded in agreement. "When he does recover his memories… well… I'm gonna miss him…"

"Well… we're gonna miss him in showbiz," Meiling smiled. "That doesn't mean he'll disappear on us forever."

"I know. Once he remembers his true self, then he's ready to leave his idol life and go back to who he truly is destined to be."

"Mm-hmm. And I know you and I will always have his back, no matter what he decides to do."

The two teens then headed at the back to get their lunch.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, here's the thing and I think there's already a pattern. Somewhat. If you feel that I'm taking awhile to upload the next chapter, it must be one of the two reasons: #1 – busy offline or #2 – expect a super-long chapter. In the case of Chapter 11, it's the latter reason. Super-super-super long. (Okay, maybe not that long.) Eheh. ^_~

I actually had some trouble coming up with the title for this chapter because two things are happening at the same time: the Li Clan, at least the immediate family, has returned to Tomoeda and are now in a secret "meeting" with Fujitaka, Sonomi, and the Kashiis. Second, of course, is the daytime shoot. I personally look more forward to the night shooting but I gotta get this scene out of the way, of course.

Plenty of reasons why I love J-Pop so much and variety of tastes is one of the reasons why. I guess with J-Pop, there's always something for everyone. Unlike K-Pop, which majority (I'm sure) lean more towards pop, dance, R&B tracks. J-Pop has everything- pop, dance, R&B, hip-hop, alternative rock, those catchy tunes that you hear in various anime and video game soundtracks, and sometimes J-Rock can even be considered J-Pop. There are even popular groups that still popularize the "old retro sound" and are still enjoyed by the masses. One particular J-Pop/Rock band that I really like is Kinmokusei. Most of their songs sound like "old school," but they're a band who debuted in to the scene in early 2000 (I think 2001, but not sure) and I own three of their albums. They're in their 30s now as they're around my age. A sample song that I recommend for everyone to listen/watch on YouTube is called "Sayonara no Hyoujou" (A Goodbye's Expression). Just search for キンモクセイ ‐ さよならの表情 on YouTube and you'll see the music video (or PV if you're a die-hard J-Pop fan). Reason why I mentioned this band is because that's where I got the inspiration for the more "experienced" band, Daihokusei, in the story.

Lately I have been reading more of other people's CCS fics. There are a few good ones that I really liked, however there are hindrances. I admit that I'm a stickler for grammar/spelling/punctuation (although I have problems with this as well with my own fics), however I would like to stress out my frustration with the mis-usage of the word "your." Now, we all get frustrated with homophones/homonyms, but come on now, how obvious can you get with the mistake of determining the difference between "your" and "you're" (you are)? There's a lot of close-minded English speakers who demand English translations and not use too much Japanese phrases and yet they can't even tell the difference between "your" and "you're" (you are). I'm already on my knees begging all writers: please watch out for "your" and "you're." Most of you may be thinking that "no one really cares about grammar/spelling/punctuation," which may be true. However, if the mistakes are just that obvious, believe me, many of us readers do care. Please. (T_T)

Well then, to close, once again, shoutouts to the new peeps who started following and favorite-ing Stuffed Animal. Thank you for your continued support!

And of course, replies to all the reviewers:

**Aizawa LSV** – I'm not hating on you or anything. Just completely confused, so don't take it the wrong way. I guess Ch. 10 finally satisfied you LOL. Thank you for your continued reading and support though. I'll do what I can to improve further. :)

**James Birdsong** – Cool. O_o;

**deadflo –** I actually had this original goal for Stuffed Animal that I would end each chapter with a rather cute and adorable scene. Obviously it's not working, so I'll just go with the flow instead LOL. XD

**DualStarduster** – You're not alone, so don't be embarrassed. I tried to make every chapter ending a heartwarming one, but no, it ain't happening. LOL. Forgive me =X

**SakuSyaoLvr** – Me too. ^_^;

**brightestoflights** – Thanks for joining the Stuffed Animal Readers Family (if there's such thing LOL XD). I try to write something different from **most** of the (AU) CCS fics I've read so far. Most of them are just so depressing and so... un-"Sakura and Syaoran"-like if you know what I mean.

**DALUNA** – Welcome aboard! I don't like rushing with my fics, as you can see how long they are LOL, so... here's what I'd like to say to you: Patience is virtue. ^_^

This is Adri Mars, signing off! :D


	13. 12: My Name is Li Xiaolang

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 12: MY NAME IS LI XIAOLANG**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

The cast, crew, extras, and those involved in the movie set were already in line for their ready-made bento lunch box wrapped in its distinctive pastel-colored furoshiki cloth, courtesy of, as always, Mooncastle Diner. Soun Tsukishiro, Yukito's grandfather and the owner of Mooncastle Diner, along with a few of his catering employees, were at the scene this time, serving their free bento boxes. Both engaged couples are off for the day due to their full schedule at the movie set,which was why another familiar face was present. When Yukito and Touya got up to the line, they greeted their boss and their fellow co-workers.

"Seems Tomoeda local businesses and products are becoming really recognized nowadays," Soun said to his two favorite employees. "You know, the strangest thing has happened to me earlier today during business. There was a pair of businessmen representing Sunbow Promos offering to shoot a few TV ads for Mooncastle Diner. They heard rumors from the media or something that we've been serving their favorite stars and crew their meals from morning till after hours. Of course, the ad will only air in our own region considering Mooncastle Diner is only available in Tomoeda. I don't know a lot about the TV biz or anything like that so I thought maybe some peeps from the movie crew can help me out confirm."

"That's good news, Grandpa," Yukito chuckled humbly. "Well, you did get their business cards, didn't you?"

Soun reached for his pocket and handed it to him. "You two seem to be close with the director, so maybe he would know."

"If he doesn't, I'm sure he knows someone who does," Touya said. The two men read the name and the company indicated on the card.

"Thanks for the tip, Grandpa," Yukito said. "We'll ask the director when we see him."

"Great!" The two best friends took four bento boxes. The other two obviously were for Kaho and Nakuru, who are currently waiting for them at the amphitheater seats.

Meanwhile somewhere near the stage, the five-member early-20s retro-style Sendai local band, Daihokusei, signed their autographs on free copies of CD that they brought in case someone wanted to have a free autographed copy in the set. They felt lucky that they found ten so far.

"And here you go," the lead singer of Daihokusei handed the autographed CDs to Sakura, Tomoyo, and Yamazaki. The three gasped happily and bowed to them in gratitude.

"Thank you very much!"

"You're welcome," the lead singer said. "Happy to meet a fellow local band also involved in this movie set. Whatever you kids do in the future, we wish you well."

"We should have a collab one day," Tomoyo said happily.

"We should, ne?" One of the Daihokusei band members joined in. "I know the song you guys performed earlier is composed by some famous composer but you guys did well with it. It'd be cool to do a collab with you guys." The rest of the Daihokusei band nodded in agreement.

At that point, Eriol and Meiling arrived on the scene with worried faces. "Hey guys!" Meiling greeted them. "You guys haven't seen Xiaolang anywhere, have you— waaaah! Daihokusei!" Just as she was about to finish her question, she found herself distracted by the older local band with the three younger Cool Rascals. "I'll be sure to buy a CD later today and can I have your autograph? I'm your new fan after watching you guys earlier today!"

"Honored to have a famous celebrity as a new fan," the lead singer said. "But no need to buy a CD, we brought extras."

"Wai! Thank you!" Meiling cheered as the band began to sign their autographs on the cover. "My name is—"

"Don't worry, we know who you are, Meiling-san," one of the band members said.

"Yay!"

Meanwhile, Eriol turned to Sakura, Tomoyo, and Yamazaki and repeated what Meiling was asking them earlier before she got herself starstruck with the local band. "We were looking for Xiaolang. We got his bento box here. I got him with the mint green furoshiki cloth since he loves green so much. Anyway, he took off from nowhere after we sort of… brought the cat out of the bag on him…"

Tomoyo gasped in shock. "Wait… you told Syaoran that you guys know?"

Sakura gasped right after. "What… you mentioned him as 'Syaoran' in front of Eriol and Meiling? How on earth did they know?"

And of course, in turn, Yamazaki joined in as well. "Wait… why are you calling Li-kun 'Syaoran'?"

"Erm…" Eriol immediately cleared his throat. "Um, I'll talk to you about that, Yamazaki. It's just that… well he seemed upset after we sorta… revealed to him… maybe we said it the wrong way—"

"I'll go find him…" Sakura immediately volunteered. "I'm sure he can't go any further."

"We called him and even texted him and he isn't answering his phone. I'm getting worried about him… and Ai Aihara was supposed to have an interview with him during lunch."

Sakura took the extra bento box from Eriol. "Well, us Cool Rascals are free for the rest of the day until the night shoot anyway. Just do your interviews and I'll find him."

"Thanks so much, Sakura," Eriol nodded. "Seriously we've been here for two weeks now and I still don't know my way around Tomoeda."

"You will soon, dude," Yamazaki patted the idol on the shoulder.

"I'm gonna go get our bento boxes then," Tomoyo smiled. "I'll be back."

"Well, I gotta get going," Sakura waved and made her way out of the park. Eriol then began speaking to Yamazaki about what they just learned from Tomoyo earlier today.

#

_If I were Syaoran, where would I go to be alone?_

Already at the streets, Sakura looked around the block at the commercial side of the park. She could have checked Yukito's SUV at this point but seeing that Syaoran wouldn't have the keys, she eliminated that possibility. She crossed the street and now found herself at the central square of town. When she got to the central fountain where the statue monument of the legendary winged lion guardian named Keroberos stood, she found a group of Wolfpup girls— Li Xiaolang Fangirls— resting at one of the sides of the fountain, simply chatting and gossiping.

"So, how are we going to pass on our birthday gifts to Xiaolang-kun?" One of them wondered. "I mean, he'll turn eighteen this Saturday, and I heard that it's going to be another movie shooting day, so he'll be busy."

"Poor Xiaolang-kun. He'll be working on his birthday. They won't even give him a break."

"But wait, seriously, what would be the perfect gift for an eighteen-year-old idol hottie anyway?" Another one wondered. "I mean, he must have everything right now and you know we're not that rich to give him state-of-the-art presents."

"Well, maybe he wouldn't mind receiving a gift that most eighteen-year-old guys would normally receive. You know, something useful and practical."

"Oh? Like what?"

"You know… like… maybe a razor set. I mean, most guys grow beards at age thirteen or fourteen already. That'd be something practical."

_Hm, that's not a bad idea after all…_ Sakura thought to herself. _I know he said not to worry about gifts but… I really want to give him something… something very special… something that would make him remember everything… and remember me… but what can I give him…?_

"And maybe a new backpack or luggage!" Another girl giggled. "I mean, he also plans to go to college, right? He might even move to a dorm if he does decide to go to college!"

"I don't think he'd move in to a dorm. Most likely he'd attend college closer to where he lives."

"Aw, I wonder which college he's planning to attend? Will it be here in Japan or will he have to go back home to Hong Kong?"

Right then, the Wolfpup fangirls immediately cried out. "No! He can't go back to Hong Kong! He just can't!"

At the same time, Sakura felt her heart throbbing and placed her hand over her chest. _Oh no… I never even thought of that… he might go back to Hong Kong for college and… who knows, he may not go back to showbiz anymore and… _Quickly she shook her head to get this negative thought off of her head. _No… that won't happen. As selfish as it may sound, just… going back to Hong Kong wouldn't be like him… Not Syaoran._

She then stood up from her seat and decided to proceed with her search. As she passed by, one of those Wolfpup girls immediately recognized her. "Ne? Sakura Kinomoto? Is that you?"

Sakura turned her head and gave a humble grin. "Hi there!"

One of the fangirls stood up and approached her. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be back at the movie set or something? I mean after all… you're part of the musical lineup."

"Oh, we're done for the day. We go back to work again tonight."

"Waai, so lucky!" Another one of the girls exclaimed. "I mean, working closely to Li Xiaolang… I mean, any girl would seriously kill just to be in your position now!"

Sakura simply shook her head. "Not exactly. I mean, all of the actors work with different people. Even us extras work with other actors. It's not just Syao— Li Xiaolang by himself."

Immediately, a few more of the girls got closer to her. "So, Sakura-chan, how's it like working with the five star sweethearts?"

"Hoe?" Sakura blinked in confusion.

"Oh, that's what fangroups call the five popular teen couples casted in the movie. Well, the pairing of Li Xiaolang and Mai Hirashiki is brand-new. It used to be him and Meiling Li but… things change."

_Five Star Sweethearts? These fangirls sure are really in to this whole idol thing, don't they?_ Sakura simply replied witha nervous chuckle. "I wouldn't know, really…"

"By the way," the girl who seemed to look like the leader of the Wolfpups girls changed her tone. "What's up with you, Kinomoto? Your little arranged dates spree suddenly ended?"

Sakura knew exactly what this girl was talking about. "My father didn't have to set up random dates with me anymore… Syaoran came back…"

"Eh?!" The Wolfpup girls exclaimed in complete shock. "Syaoran— as in your childhood sweetheart Syaoran Li?"

"Yup." Sakura grinned with pride. "In fact, I'm gonna go and meet him right now."

"Aww… how come no one's told us anything… Chiharu-chan didn't even tell us… and she's like our big sister of the Wolfpups…"

"But you girls are more interested in Li Xiaolang than little old me and my almost outdated love life, ne?" Sakura gave a slight snicker.

"Hm, you're right about that… but congratulations!" One of the girls gasped happily. "You won't have to feel lonely anymore!"

"Whew, and we were so worried that you'd end up taking advantage of your position right now…" Another one of them made her statement.

"Hoe? What do you mean?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Oh, we were just thinking that you and even Tomoyo-chan may take advantage of your being part of the act to get closer to our darling Li Xiaolang and you know… steal him from us!"

Sakura gulped nervously. _Oh no… they can't be serious…_

"But… why would I want to do that…? I'm way too in love with my little wolf to fall in love for some… some idol…"

"See, we have this mantra for us Wolfpups— that none of us would compete with one another and try to win Li Xiaolang's heart for herself. He belongs to all of us Wolfpups!"

"That's why Chiharu can withstand all this," another one said. "I mean, she's been with Takashi Yamazaki since forever and still can handle being the president of our branch of the Wolfpups. But for the rest of us, until we find our one true love, Li Xiaolang, for the time being, is our one true love…"

"And whoever dares try to mess with us by stealing Li Xiaolang from us will seriously pay!"

_Oh boy… I better not get close to any of these Wolfpup girls… I'll just stuck to Chiharu, thank you… _Sakura's voice spoke in her mind. "Ah, I better get going! Syaoran may be angry right now…" Sakura chuckled nervously.

"Ah, you're right! Sorry we're holding you too long," one of the Wolfpups gasped. "Well, enjoy your sweet date with Syaoran-kun, ne?"

"Th-thanks!" Sakura bowed and waved at the Wolfpups. She quickly dashed her way through the street and find the back roads that would lead her to the forest leading to the beach without being seen.

_Of course, I know where Syaoran would be…_

Once she found a small trail leading to the forest using the roads with very little human presence, she immediately entered the forest and eventually found the correct trail leading towards that very super special secret spot that only she and Syaoran would know of. She sighed in relief that none of those Wolfpup girls realized that her beloved Syaoran and their beloved idol Li Xiaolang.

_Still… what if they find out that their idol Li Xiaolang and my little wolf Syaoran are the same person? Would they show respect to me by letting him go and accept the fact that it was always he and I? Or would they become hounds and then tear me apart once they catch me?_

Minutes later, she found the right trees serving as her landmark leading to the super special secret spot, the isolated beach of perfection that she and her little wolf only know of. _Please be here, Syaoran…_

When she arrived at the sand, she could not see any presence of Syaoran anywhere. She felt her heart sinking in sadness for not finding him. If he wasn't here at the beach, then where could he be? This beach would be the only place Syaoran would go to when he wanted to be alone.

She then turned away from the sea and decided to search at the forest, only to hear a huge splash coming from the sea. She quickly turned to find Syaoran emerging from the sea, appearing with his very dripping wet chestnut hair and the richness of the sea dripping down through his perfectly contoured body from his broad shoulders to his perfectly-sculpted muscles to his entire manly body. He wasn't very muscular like those bodybuilders, but he wasn't like those scrawny wimps either, but just right, more than enough for any girl to fall for his masculinity.

She immediately blushed and quickly turned around as to not look at his bare body. Good thing he was wearing swim trunks at this point.

"Sakura! You're here!" Syaoran approached closer to her.

"I… I found you, Syaoran…" Sakura answered shyly. Right then, he stood in front of her, wiping himself with a towel.

"Oi… why aren't you looking directly at me?" He chuckled.

"Well… um… it's just that…"

"Oh I get it…" He snickered as he gazed at his dripping wet shirtless self. "You like what you see?"

"I… I'm just not used to look at shirtless guys… that's all…" Sakura gritted her teeth nervously while trying to hide her blush away from her face.

"What? You've never seen your father or your brother shirtless before?"

"Hoe— that's different! They're my father and my brother!" Sakura suddenly spoke out in defense, only to realize that she was now facing him. Quickly she gasped and backed away from him. "Mou… put your shirt back on!"

Syaoran burst in to laughter, but still continued to take his time wiping off his drenched body. "So innocent…"

"What… what's wrong with that?" Sakura pouted, clinging on to the Bento Box she brought for him.

"Nothing. Makes you more adorable than people think…" He winked right at her.

"Hoe… you're making fun of me…" Quickly she changed her subject before he goes on a roll teasing her. "I… I brought your lunch— Bento Box day from Mooncastle Diner."

"Aw, thank you." Syaoran grinned. "Wait for me underneath that cherry blossom tree over there. Let me go get my shirt."

"Okay." She headed for the cherry blossom tree as she waited for him to grab his things.

She rested herself against the trunk of the tree while she prepared the bento box. When she opened, it had Yakibuta (Chinese-style Roast Pig), vegetable-based green, pink, and orange rice, and a few of the familiar fillers like sushi and intricately-shaped hotdogs. The box itself was so perfectly thermal that the food inside still felt like it was freshly cooked even though it had been about thirty minutes since they were being served before distribution.

Syaoran arrived with a brand-new t-shirt and new knee-length khaki shorts with a backpack on his shoulder. Sakura waved at him as he approached her. Once he sat next to her, she handed him his box, chopsticks and all.

"Here you go," Sakura smiled. "Looks really tasty!"

"Smells really tasty," Syaoran chuckled. "Ne, have you eaten yet?"

"I'll eat later."

"You know there's enough food for two people— and there's an extra fork in here too."

Sakura blushed immediately. "But… I know there's a lot of food in the box but it's yours. I mean… you're a growing boy and… I mean, I feel really bad about what happened earlier…"

"Eh? About earlier?"

"When… when you pretended that you're… I mean Syaoran… is out there… watching me perform with that dress and all…"

Syaoran sighed and lowered his head. "I should be asking you that question…"

"Oh. I… I'm sorry…"

"But I'm hungry," he immediately chuckled. He handed her the extra fork in the box as he took his pair of chopsticks. "Let's eat."

"Are you sure?"

"You Japanese can be complex sometimes," Syaoran snickered. "Bento Boxes are meant for two people, ne?"

"I… I guess… you're right…"

The two then faced the open bento box as both clasped their palms together and bowed. "_Itadakimasu!_" Right then, they began feasting on the dish.

"Eh? Yakibuta?" Syaoran gasped. "I'm getting tired of eating Chinese food, but this is Yakibuta. It's the Japanese version of the Chinese-style roasted pig."

"Silly! I wish they had Kaarage instead, but Yakibuta's good too!"

"Right, right." They continued eating again when Sakura broke the silence again.

"Ne, Syaoran, I mean Xiaolang—"

"There's only the two of us here— Ying Fa." He winked at her.

"Um… o-okay… Syaoran, why'd you run all the way out here? I mean you have that interview with Ai-chan and… the dance routine scene—"

"I asked for a day off." He grinned.

"Eh? You asked for a day off? And you didn't tell anyone else?"

"I know my privileges in that movie shoot, Ying Fa. I just want to be by myself for the rest of the day until night shooting—"

"Hoe?"

"I'm the top star of the entire project. When I don't feel well, I don't feel well. That's all there is to it. No explanations needed."

"Ehhh… so you're that powerful…"

"Shh…" Sakura gave a whispering chuckle while Syaoran grinned in return.

"So what's gonna happen to the dance scene?"

"It'll be postponed for tomorrow. I know. I'm horrible." Sakura suddenly slapped him on the side of his arm. "Ow!"

"You really are horrible, Syaoran Li!" Sakura frowned, as Syaoran broke in to laughter. "Everyone will be angry!"

"Those who have worked with me before should know my work ethic. When I didn't feel like shooting, that means I'm not feeling well. When I'm not feeling well, it also means that I want to be alone by myself. Simple as that and no questions asked."

"Ne… that means I'm disturbing your peace when you want to be alone by yourself…" She gave a slight pout. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you wanted to be by yourself right now—" Just as she was about to continue, Syaoran quickly slipped an octopus-shaped hotdog inside her mouth with his chopsticks. She ended up chewing it unconsciously. "Yum… Mooncastle Diner's hotdogs always taste so good…"

"Just eat, Ying Fa. Alright? No more saying sorry for little reasons."

"Y-yes… sorry!" Quickly Sakura covered her mouth just as she just said the latter word. Syaoran remained silent but still smiling, as he continued eating. She also continued on feasting as well. Eventually they finished the food in the box as Sakura wrapped the bento box in its furoshiki cloth.

"Aaah… that was so good…" Syaoran panted, resting himself against the trunk of the tree.

"Delicious… as always expected of Mooncastle Diner…" Sakura grinned.

"Ne," Syaoran began. "Maybe one of these days, Ying Fa would make me lunch?"

Sakura immediately blushed. "Hoe? Y-you want me to make you lunch?"

"Isn't that what Japanese girls do for the guys they're in love with?" Sakura felt a jolt inside her and then began to chuckle nervously.

"Th-that's r-right… but… but lost of Wolfpup girls always bring you lunch at the movie set for you… um… wouldn't it be inconvenient?"

"Huh?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "So… you don't want to make me lunch?"

"Mou, you're so spoiled, Syaoran!"

"Me? Spoiled? I don't throw out fans' lunch, you know. I give them to the movie crew whenever they need seconds from the catered Mooncastle Diner lunch. I'm _that _charitable."

"Well, that… and… um…" Sakura swallowed nervously. "I'm… I'm a little intimidated by those Wolfpup girls…"

"Hm? Why?"

"Because… well, I ran in to them while I was looking for you earlier. I sorta… lied to them… when I said that Syaoran's back and that I'm way too much in love with him for me to even notice their idol… well, no offense to you, Syaoran, I mean… um…" She sighed and dropped her head. "I'm hopeless…"

Right then, she felt his finger slipping under her chin and gently lifting her head up to face him. "Sweet Ying Fa… why be scared? In their dreams, I'm theirs. In reality… you know already…"

Sakura gasped and found herself blushing, covering her face with her hands. "Syaoran…" Knowing that he was only acting as her beloved little wolf because of his amnesia, she felt within her heart that subconsciously, he truly meant with those words. "I… I know…"

He gazed out towards the rolling sea. "I'm no longer Li Xiaolang, remember?"

"I know, I know…"

"But you still call me Xiaolang in front of everyone else—"

"Hoe?" Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "But…"

"You know Eriol and Meiling already have an idea about what we talked about before, Sakura."

"P-Please don't be angry with them. I mean Tomoyo sure told them… and it's my fault that I ended up telling her. I mean she already has an idea about you but she didn't want to jump in to conclusions until…"

"Well, that's Tomoyo Daidouji. She's just like her mother when it came to fitting the clothes for modeling and all that… except your BFF is a lot scarier. I already get the idea that there is no escaping Tomoyo."

"I'm really sorry about that…" Sakura gave a soft chuckle.

"Well, it's already out. We'll just have to play our roles as we speak."

"Roles? Like, for example?"

"If those Wolfpup fangirls spot me around town, I'll just let them know that they're mistaken."

"How?"

"By letting them know that I'm Syaoran Li, Sakura Kinomoto's boyfriend, not Li Xiaolang, hot and popular teen idol from Hong Kong."

Sakura broke in to laughter. "They're not gonna buy that! They're gonna ask you for proof!"

Without expecting anything, Syaoran slipped his arm around her shoulders and leaned against her. With his other hand, he took out his phone and then he said. "Say cheese!"

"Cheese!" Sakura subconsciously called out while making a peace sign at the same time. Syaoran pressed the shutter button on the screen of his phone, taking a couple photo of themselves. The result appeared on his screen as the two gazed at it. Sakura gave a sheepish grin with a peace sign like a typical happy Japanese girl, while Syaoran leaned his cheek next to her while giving his signature hardcore gaze towards the camera.

"Hoe… I look really goofy there!" Sakura pouted.

"You look cute there! Besides, this should convince them that they got the wrong person."

"Eh? How?"

"Opposites attract, ne?"

"Yeah but you're not smiling. People are gonna think that you look bored… plus knowing how fangirls think, they're gonna start bombarding you with questions too, especially those desperate ones."

"Oh? Like how?"

"One picture is not enough. They're gonna ask for more pictures of you and me… mostly me… you know, just to be sure that you're Sakura Kinomoto's girlfriend and not the hot and popular teen idol from Hong Kong."

"Send me all your old pictures then," Syaoran suggested. "And in the meantime, I'll take more pictures of you here at the beach and more pictures of us together. They won't be able to recognize the beach we're standing. They're gonna think that we actually left town to have a hot date at the beach where no one else can disturb us, ne?"

"Hot date at the beach? You're crazy!" Sakura giggled. Right then, she started sending old photos of herself that her father was able to restore from her old phone to her new phone. At that point, Syaoran takes pictures of Sakura looking at her phone while sitting down on the sand, enjoying the summer breeze. After she was finished, they decided to play "model and photographer," where Sakura becomes the model and Syaoran the photographer.

He had her pose in fun and adorable poses from her usual peace signs to her dancing from her cutesy cheerleader-style dance to otaku girl dance in to the more intense and smooth hip-hop style. He even took photos of her doing random gymnastics-style somersaults from cartwheels to air flips. In return, Sakura began taking pictures of Syaoran by himself with her phone camera doing the same poses as her. Like her, he also made random somersaults from cartwheels to air flips. Then, they began to take photos of themselves as a couple from posing on the tree where they had their names and warning signs carved on the trunk. Lastly, Sakura drew the familiar _ai ai gasa _(love-love-umbrella) drawing on the wet sand, with her first name in Hiragana at the right side of the umbrella and Syaoran's name in Kanji on the left. With that, Syaoran was able to take the photo in time before the rolling water crawled over it and destroyed it.

After getting themselves in the mood of taking each other's pictures, as well as taking pictures of themselves, they rested at the same tree they were sitting earlier, with Sakura looking through the photos she took on her phone and also on Syaoran's phone. Meanwhile, Syaoran began to jot down on the notebook Fujitaka gave him last night on their first counseling session.

"Ne," Sakura whispered softly while gazing at the couple photos they took of themselves. They were mostly more goofy than romantic, but Sakura new it would be wrong to take advantage of the scene by getting romantic with the boy who is still currently suffering from amnesia. There was one reason why she felt so happy during their mock photo sessions. This wasn't the first time that she and Syaoran had gone crazy with the camera at the beach. In fact, this happened to them before, right at this very same super secret special spot.

"Hm?"

"Are you really sure that those Wolfpup fangirls would leave you alone once you show them photos of us looking all… you know?"

"Let me ask you something, Sakura…" He closed his notebook and turned to her.

"Hoe?"

"How many elementary schools here in Tomoeda?"

"Just one. But there are other kids from Tomoeda who also go to other schools in the neighboring towns, but most kids here in Tomoeda attended Tomoeda Elementary."

"Hm… I do remember that I did go to school when I was growing up here. I saw the old childhood pictures from Mom and from the sisters."

"Yes?" Sakura suddenly gave her enthusiastic expression on her face.

"But I can't remember which school I attended."

"Hoe…" Sakura sighed deeply. _Oh Syaoran… your amnesia sure is this bad…_

"Maybe we can go to the public library or something and ask to see if we can find old yearbooks of the schools around this area."

"Wanna go now?" Sakura grinned.

"Not today. Maybe tomorrow. I just want to stay here for the rest of the day."

"But you'll be going to the night shooting, ne? Because I'm going and I'm not gonna skip that."

"Don't worry, I'll be there."

"You better because it's the PJ party scene! I like PJ parties." She gazed right out at the calm ocean.

"That'd be a better idea though… a PJ party for my birthday instead of the usual fancy and elegant parties like most rich kids do."

She snapped her head towards him. "You should! Maybe you can convince your mother that you want a PJ Party theme instead. In that way, no one would have to complain about what to wear at the party."

He nodded in agreement. "I should. Besides, it'd be less expensive also. I'm sure the arrangements with the facilities department at Clow Reed University wouldn't have a problem with us sleeping over at the Spinel Sun Auditorium."

"Yup. And it's only Thursday, so we got plenty of time, ne?" Syaoran nodded. "Okay! It's settled then!"

"Heh, besides, guys would seriously flip when they see what the girls are gonna wear when they go to bed. You know… nightgowns… nighties… baby doll slips and—"

"Mou!" Sakura shrieked with a frown. "PJ Party! Everyone should be wearing PJs! Why would you want girls to wear something… _revealing_… like that?"

"Aw," Syaoran pouted sadly. "But I'm turning eighteen… and I'm a guy… and I have needs! Plus, the weather report says that it's going to be really hot outside at night and no one wants to wear long PJs on a sweltering hot summer night, ne?"

"Hoe…" Suddenly, she covered herself with her arms as if she were naked.

"Now, if we were in Hong Kong now, there would be alcoholic drinks served. Since I'll be eighteen, I'll be at the legal drinking age. Independence is now knocking on my door!"

Sakura gave a slight frown. "But I don't want you to get drunk… I mean… here in Tomoeda, a lot of people get hurt because their loved ones get drunk and they end up doing… bad things to them… and…"

Syaoran laughed. "We're not in Hong Kong, silly. I may not be a Japanese citizen but I still gotta abide by the laws here. I'll have to wait two more years for me to be legal here, ne?"

From out of the blue, she quickly embraced him. "No alcohol, please…"

"Okay, okay," he laughed. "No alcohol. I promise." Her face still remained uncertain. He knew words wouldn't assure her, so instead he did something he would never imagine of doing with a girl ever. He leaned to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Come on, don't worry about it, okay?"

With that single kiss on the cheek, she immediately blush. "O-okay… okay… I won't worry anymore."

"Good. Wait here, okay?" He placed his notebook on the ground and headed at the forest area not too far from where they were sitting. Her eyes followed him and walked a few feet away from them. He stopped at a particular tree and then began pushing away sand from the ground. She stood up to see what it was and then found a huge metal cover swinging upward. There, he took out a huge green-shades striped small bag that may look like a folded beach blanket. When he got there, he unzipped the little bag, and it revealed a nylon material beach blanket fit for two people with two inflatable cushions that serve as pillows. Sakura quickly helped him unfold.

"Wow! This is a really cool beach blanket! Aww… this looks very sturdy and comfortable!"

"First time using it. I had Wei special order it for me about a month ago when my mother told that there is a beautiful beach in your town. Here, let me set it up first." He began filling up the four corners of this innovative beach blanket with sand to keep it steady from being blown off by the wind in case the weather becomes windy while Sakura unfolded a striped white and green towel the same width as the nylon blanket.

"Ne, Syaoran… you really don't plan on going back to the movie set until nighttime, huh?"

"Nope," he smirked. Once he was finished, he and Sakura unfolded the towel and placed it over the nylon base and securing it with a button so it won't fly away by the wind. "I've got a lot of things in my mind right now that I need to write down in the notebook your dad gave me. If I start working while I have these things in my mind, not only I'd do horrible on the set, but I might even forget these things too."

"Ah, good idea!" Once they were finished, Syaoran invited Sakura to lie down first. "Oh, you want me to go first?"

"What kind of a guy I am if I don't let the lady go first?"

"Aww…" Sakura blushed and lied down on to the towel-covered nylon beach blanket. Syaoran followed after her, but still sitting up and leaning against the tree so he could continue writing. She never felt more relaxed and at ease lying down on the sandy beach like this that she began to have an urge of taking a nap.

"Tired?"

"A little… aww under this weather it feels really nice to take a nap… under the shade of the cherry tree… with someone very special to you… I wish we could just live here forever…"

"If you're feeling tired, go ahead and take a nap. I'll be here with you, don't worry."

Sakura gave an uncertain expression on her face. "Are you sure? I mean wouldn't it be rude?" He shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I'll set up the alarm on my phone just in case I fall asleep too. Go ahead."

"Thanks, Syaoran." She smiled happily and then turned to her phone first to see if anyone called or sent a message. She just realized then that at their beach, nothing can disturb them or find them, so much that there was no signal at all on her phone. This truly is a super special secret spot. Isolation from the rest of the world. She then placed her phone in her pocket and then closed her eyes.

"Sweet dreams, my Ying Fa," Syaoran whispered. He then turned back to his notebook and began to jot down his thoughts and some of the things he wanted to write down for the next session he will have with Fujitaka next week. So far he wrote everything in Chinese rather than in Japanese as he felt more comfortable writing in his own native language. It was a good thing Fujitaka is multilingual and can also read and write Chinese text.

He began to write the following:

_The more Sakura called me "Syaoran," the more that the name is beginning to sink in to me. I've played several different characters with different names in the past movies and TV dramas I've acted on and plenty of people including fans even call me by my character names rather than my real name. I would just normally respond and play along with them, but "Syaoran" is no fictional character. I'm currently treating "Syaoran" as if he was just another role I'm playing, but hearing Sakura's voice calling me by her lover's name has become natural for my instincts. My inner instincts, inner conscience, everything else is quickly adapting to his name, so much that I no longer finding myself just playing the role of her long-lost childhood sweetheart. Instead, my instincts are telling me that I really am that long-lost childhood sweetheart._

_I'm still suffering amnesia up to now. I've almost recovered most of my lost memories after the accident and my memories of Tomeoda are the only ones left. I really have to know— or rather recover— and determine if her beloved Syaoran and I are actually the same person. Everything she described about him completely matched my personal profile from his looks to even his vital stats. Same birthday as me, both of us are from Hong Kong, he has sisters and I have sisters too (though she's not quite specific about them), his favorite color is the same favorite color as mine, and of course, "Syaoran" is simply the Japanese reading of Xiaolang. Well, that's what I think anyway. I would probably pry further by asking her for a photo of her Syaoran when he was a kid to see if she was playing with me or not, but somehow her words and the way she delivered them really made me believe that she was telling the truth._

_There's no doubt about it that Syaoran and I are the same person, but until now none of that is registering in my mind. I don't understand. And by natural instinct, I really do like Sakura a lot even though this was the first time I've met a random girl whom I've become so intimate with. I'm not talking about just liking her as a person and as a friend, but… more than that… half of me is telling me that I'm the one she's pining for, and the other half of me is telling me that she needs to get over him and get her to pay attention to me more as if I was a different person from Syaoran._

_But there is a small part of me that didn't want me to regain my lost memories back. I'm scared of the possibilities of what those lost memories were. What if I turned out to be someone else and that it turns out that Sakura hated me and I felt the same back then? If that really was the case, would Sakura and I still be this close and intimate with each other even if I recover those memories? On the other hand, supposed Sakura recognized me and she was just being nice and courteous just because I'm an idol suffering amnesia? Or the worst case scenario— what if she and I have never met before and this was the first time we were speaking to each other?_

_Now that I think about it, I think not recovering those lost memories would be the worst of it all. If Sakura and I were really close back then— or rather, if I turned out to be Syaoran Li, her missing lover, would she give me a chance that we can start all over and retain our relationship that we have now? I hope that would be the case and that Sakura would understand me. Now that I thought about it, I'm beginning to wonder why I'm thinking of these things whenever I think about Sakura. Could it be that I'm starting to fall in love with her?_

_No way. I'm Li Xiaolang. I haven't fallen deep down in love with any other girl aside from Meiling a long time ago. It's not as if I'm not over Meiling or anything, but it usually is the other way around. The girl falls in love with me first before I realize that I've fallen in love with her in return. Now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder how Sakura truly feels about me as a person, not because I look like Syaoran Li, but me as in… just me? Does she have special feelings for me or was she just being nice and courteous for my sake?_

_Tomorrow, we'll stop by the library to look for the school yearbooks. If I find my name and photo in the old Tomoeda Elementary School yearbooks, then that should confirm that I am Syaoran Li. Hopefully, that should be the trigger that would really get my memories back. I hope._

_Right now at lunch period, Sakura and I are alone in our little secret meeting spot. Somehow there are a few things that felt so familiar to me. We took pictures of each other with our phones, goofing around and simply having fun. I was tempted that we take pictures of ourselves as a couple but I'm a little shy and I didn't want to scare her._

_And also, I remembered something about my birthday… in particular, my eighth birthday. At night, I was at a beach alone with a girl who I have the strongest feeling may be Sakura. That moment suddenly resurfaced just moments ago before I began writing this in this notebook, but at my eighth birthday, it was the first time that I shared something very special with Sakura._

Immediately, he stopped writing and closed the notebook. He was beginning to feel drowsy himself. He placed the notebook to his side and then lied back down on his side of the blanket. He found Sakura sleeping on her side towards his direction. Good heavens, he thought. She looked so innocent, so adorable, so… beautiful.

Once he laid down and, facing upward towards the sky, began to close his eyes. Few seconds later, he heard his love mutter in her sleep.

"Syaoran… you've come back to me…"

And with no awareness, Sakura moved closer to him and placed her arm around his waist. Syaoran blushed heavily and decided to scoot a little closer to her and slipped his arm under her neck and cradled her to him.

"Sleep well, my Ying Fa."

Once both are in each other's arms, he closed his eyes and proceeded to his nap.

#

The adults had their lunch at the food court area of Clow Reed University. Still surrounded by faculty and students attending the summer quarter, the Lis were impressed to see this particular university thrive and grow in to one of Japan's recognized universities due to its latest state-of-the-art technology and high class research facilities. Plenty of key figures in today's Japanese society at least attended a few years at Clow Reed University or graduated there. Fujitaka never attended this university as a student as he earned his bachelor's, masters, and his first doctorate at Todai, but now that he is an employee, serving as a resident professor in the anthropology department, he is now taking advantage of their award-winning doctorate programs for him to earn another one for general anthropology. He may be an ideal father and husband, but he too has his own ambitions. He wished to be a future chairman of the university's anthropology department, and with his own connections through long-time friends, he would be able to apply the latest methods and technology in the field.

After their lunch, it was still about an hour and a half away from his Culinary and Gastronomy Club meeting that Fujitaka decided to be a temporary tour guide to give the Lis a tour. Sonomi had to head back home to continue on with her fashion design work, while the Kashiis had to head back to the movie set to meet with the producers and Director Terada. The Lis and Wei stayed on campus.

They approached the famous Spinel Sun Auditorium, where many of Clow Reed University's performing arts and other prestigious events take place. The facilities director of the university was astonished to learn that one of the university's fellow professors were long time friends with one of the world's wealthiest tycoons, and to top it all off, intimate with the couple themselves.

"The Spinel Sun Auditorium was one of the first structures built in the university when it was only under construction some hundreds of years ago," the director said. "Over time, of course, it had been rebuilt and renovated because of the natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis… it's a good thing that the tsunami did not reach up here a few years ago." He then turned to Fujitaka, the Lis, and Wei. "Shall we enter?"

"Yes, please," Yelan said. The director opened the locked doors with his keys as he slowly opened them forward. They stepped inside to see how the interior looked like. The seats were perfectly lined up in rows and there are also second and third level balconies up above. The interior reminded Fujitaka of those 19th Century stage theaters he visited during his foreign exchange student days in England at his youth.

"The auditorium also became an all-purpose hall so these seats can be easily elevated up and down through the floors if the venue was going to have dining tables and catering or simply have this place become a dance hall," the director said. "From what I can remember, your son's eighteenth birthday party will be a semi-formal venue, isn't it?"

"Well," Yelan muttered, "that was the original plan. However, I'm having this little motherly instinct that he may want to change the theme."

"Eh?" Xiaojin exclaimed. "Now, how on earth would you feel that way, Yelan?"

"Oh, you don't know your son more than I do, Xiaojin," Yelan warned him with a stern voice. "Sometime later tonight, he will contact me and request me to change the theme into something a bit more… simple."

"Well, either way, it will work with our auditorium, Ma'am," the director said. "Like I said before, we can elevate these seats downward so it will be just an empty floor where caterers can serve their food, guests can sit down at their tables and dine, and of course, plenty of room for dancing. Knowing how kids can go crazy at the late teens, the auditorium is available to you until the morning."

"Good," Yelan nodded. "We're gonna need it until morning in case… accidents happen…"

"Very well then. I'll make note of that, Mrs. Li."

They exited the auditorium as the director locked the doors. The visitors thanked the director for showing them the future venue this weekend. The director made his way as Fujitaka continued to be the Lis tour guide through the campus tour.

"I know we are in Japan, dear," Xiaojin said, "but Xiaolang is first and foremost Chinese."

Yelan shifted his eyes towards her wheelchair-bound husband, now being pushed by Wei. "What exactly are you talking about, Xiaojin?"

"Well, I just feel that even though Xiaolang will be eighteen soon, you're still restricting him from doing things he's now eligible to do."

"Excuse me? Restricting him from what… exactly?"

"Yelan," Xiaojin sighed, "you do know that a man at that age has his needs… and I don't mean the nourishment kind…"

Wei suddenly showed a concerned look while Fujitaka simply stared at the couple. "Do we… really need to discuss this in the open…?"

"Really, Xiaojin, did you think I wouldn't find out about your little attempted influences on our son? For his sixteenth birthday, you had him spend an entire night with some random girl in bed? I don't care if she's a daughter of one of the most elite families in China, your so-called family traditions can be indecent sometimes!"

The husband sighed deeply. "It is how it is with us Li men, Yelan. You should get used to it. I even admitted to you before we started dating that I wasn't exactly a decent guy to begin with. Women are different. I'm sure Fujitaka understands."

Fujitaka gently scratched his temple with a nervous grin. "Well… Hong Kong and Japan are different. Actually the age of consent here in general is thirteen, but every prefecture has its own laws. In our prefecture here, the age of consent is eighteen."

"And it's part of the training, Yelan," Xiaojin continued on with his argument. "It is tradition for us Li men to always be prepared, especially if you are destined to be the next leader of the clan. You are not only being trained for being a true leader of the clan in all aspects, but you also have to be trained to be a good lover so he can find himself a good wife to marry, and of course, become a good father to his future children instead." He gave another sigh. "If it weren't for that… training… I wouldn't have found you, Yelan…"

Yelan immediately covered her ears. "I don't want to hear it, Xiaojin. Just because it's tradition among you Li males, doesn't mean that it should continue. Oh my poor son… what if Sakura finds out about him already… experienced… she would be disgusted with him and she'll dump him because of that!"

"Are you serious, Yelan? It's because of that… training… Sakura-chan will fall in love with him more than she did when they were still little. He will be thankful when they find their way to living happily ever after eventually."

"Pleas,e Xiaojin… just… just shut up…" Immediately the Lis turned to Fujitaka, who had been keeping silent all this time.

"Well… um…" Fujitaka scratched his head once more. "I let Sonomi talk to Sakura about… things like that. I tend to stay away from that topic considering I am male. With Touya, yes, but not with Sakura."

"I guess that means you don't know how your daughter would react if she learns that our Xiaolang is…"

"I'm sorry, but I… can't say…" Fujitaka shrugged.

Wei immediately interrupted the couple. "Master Xiaojin, Mistress Yelan… you two seem tired. It's time for you to head back. Your daughters may be getting worried right now."

Yelan sighed. "I suppose you're right, Wei. I apologize for… bringing up that subject…"

"Well then, Wei is right," Xiaojin said. "We don't want our son wondering suspiciously about his manager's whereabouts after all."

The wife then glanced at Fujitaka. "Thank you so much for the campus tour, Fuji-kun. You know, this university is indeed a good candidate for Xiaolang to attend college to, don't you think so?"

"Depends on the field he plans on pursuing," Fujitaka answered. "CRU is very rich in business, mathematics, science, social sciences, education, and the literary and fine arts. There's always something for everyone here. I'm sure your son would fit in real well here, plus it's quite peaceful here. He'll be safe here if you're thinking about privacy and security."

"Well then." The adults then bowed to one another. "You must go to your club meeting. We'll talk again later," Yelan said.

"Will do."

Wei gasped immediately. "But wait… how will you get back home, Dr. Kinomoto? I almost forgot that you rode with us as well."

"You take care of Xiaolang-kun, Wei-san. I'll just take the bus on the way back. No worries." They exchanged their goodbyes to each other as they parted their ways.

Fujitaka didn't need to bring much to the campus anyway. He had his wallet, his phone, and his set of keys from his car keys to the keys to the office. He decided to head to the Social Sciences Hall, where his office was located. He took the elevator to fourth floor, where the faculty offices of the Anthropology Department are located. Like every respectable tenured professor, he has his own office to himself. He greeted active faculty present as he passed by until he reached for the door to his office. He unlocked his door with the the name tag "Fujitaka Kinomoto, Ph.D - Archaeology, General Anthropology" with his keys and entered.

Unlike many professors who often leave their offices completely messy, Fujitaka was a bit of an obsessive compulsive. Just like his home, he likes to have his things in order. After all, a clean office should signify something to those visiting him. He sat down on his executive seat, turned on his desktop computer, and then logged on. He checked his emails dated since this morning. He hadn't had the time to check his emails before he left to meet up with his old friends.

He checked the time on his computer. He still has about forty minutes left before the club meeting. He read and marked his emails, reminding himself to respond to them when he gets home later. While checking, he heard the door knocking on his wide open entrance.

"Well well, Dr. K's already here!" A familiar female voice called for him.

Fujitaka looked up towards the entrance of his office and greeted his visitor. "Ah, Sayaka-chan! Come on in, my office is currently open."

Dr. Sayaka Iwasaki, some twenty years his junior, is one of his assistant archaeologists serving under him during their excavation projects. She finally earned her doctorate that she now has the right to have the title of doctor, but still considers herself a protege of Fujitaka's.

"So glad to see you here today! Just the perfect timing too!"

"Oh? What's up?"

Sayaka entered the office, followed by another individual, a rather youthful and handsome man following her from behind. "He's finally here!"

"Here? Who here?" Quickly, Sayaka gently pulled the mysterious young man forward. "Well, hello there."

"Remember what Dr. Kudo said a few months ago that we will be having a few new distinguished tenured professors who will be joining the faculty this year? Well, he's one of them."

Fujitaka stood up with an enthusiastic grin on his face. "You don't say…"

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Kinomoto," the new professor, still quite young to be even called professor, shyly offered his handshake. "Sayaka— I mean Dr. Iwasaki has spoken about you so much. I'm really honored."

There was one thing that Fujitaka noticed about the way this young man spoke to him and he immediately identified it. "You speak really good Japanese…"

"I took Japanese class back in high school, Sir. I even was a one-year foreign exchange student as an undergraduate at Keio University."

"Eh?" Sayaka gasped. "How'd you know he's not Japanese, Doctor?"

Fujitaka gave a slight grin and pointed on his ear. "How long have you been living here in Japan?"

"Ah," the young man answered. "About a year now. I'm currently a researcher at the Mindspring Neuroscience Research Center, just a few blocks from here. Before that I worked as a neurosurgeon. I had my own practice back in Hong Kong."

"And you decided to become a professor here?"

"Medical Anthropology, Sir, that's why I'm here at the anthropology department," the young man answered. "To be more specific, natural and traditional medical systems for head and nervous system treatment. It's a brand-new branch that CRU just opened and I thought that I would expand my expertise to future doctors, neurosurgeons and neurologists, and others who have plans on getting in to that field."

"You don't say…" Fujitaka's expression became more enthusiastic than ever. "What are you two doing just standing there, take a seat. Let's get to know each other as a start."

The two young professors sat down at the seats in front of his desk. "Oh, I forgot to tell you," Sayaka added. "This is who I was talking about in my last email, Dr. K."

Fujitaka's eyes widened in surprise. "R-really? Him? Your new boyfriend?" Sayaka nodded shyly. "Well well, congratulations! I can see why you're hopelessly in love with him. Young, healthy, ambitious, six-foot handsome!"

"Um… 5'10", to be exact, Sir," the young man answered shyly.

"She never actually mentioned your name in her emails," Fujitaka chuckled shyly. "You say you're a neurosurgeon?"

"Yes, Sir."

"You don't say… and what's your name, by the way?"

Sayaka chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry, my bad! I was just so excited to introduce him to you that I didn't even mention his name! Anyway—"

"Chen Jintao, Sir. Dr. Chen Jintao," the young man finally introduced himself. "I really do look forward to working with you, Dr. Kinomoto. I've read many of your scholarly journals about general anthropology and I became an instant fan of your academic publications."

"Well, thank you," Fujitaka smiled. "I look forward to also reading your future academic publications as well regarding your expertise in medical anthropology."

"I plan to do that, Sir. I hope I can use your journals as my model."

"Sure, no problem. Always good to help a fellow colleague. Give me credit of course." The two men laughed while Sayaka sat quiet, still looking happy to see her boyfriend and her mentor getting along well.

"So," Fujitaka changed the subject. "Chen Jintao, neurosurgeon turned researcher turned medical anthropology professor from Hong Kong…"

At that moment, a flashback just came in to Fujitaka's mind. In fact, that particular flashback was so fresh that he just couldn't help but to befriend this new faculty member who may be able to save a life of a future clan leader.

"_There is a certain neurosurgeon, considered as the best neurosurgeon in the world, by the name of Dr. Chen Jintao. He's so much on high demand that the medical costs to have him perform specialized brain surgeries are so ridiculously high. Apparently we also learned that he no longer operates his services in Hong Kong and is currently a scholar working at the Mindspring Neuroscience Research Center somewhere in Japan because of its very high-end technology there. We also discovered that the this research center also happens to be located just a few blocks from Clow Reed University in Tsukisora…"_

"Oh!" Fujitaka gasped from out of the blue, which startled his two young visitors. "Ah, sorry about that!"

"What's the matter, Dr. K?" Sayaka asked curiously.

"I just… well… I just remembered something…" Quickly he turned to Chen Jintao, Hong Kong's most prominent and prestigious neurosurgeon, the one Yelan mentioned during their phone call who believed may save Syaoran's life once he recovers all of his lost memories. "Do you have a business card that we can exchange with?"

"I don't have a business card yet for CRU but I still have for Mindspring Neuroscience Research Center," Jintao answered humbly.

"Great!" The two men reached for their wallets and brought out their business cards and traded them. "Thank you so much!"

"No, thank _you_, Dr. Kinomoto. I'm truly am honored!" Jintao bowed his head in excitement.

"Actually, I believe that you and I will work well together, even though we have different academic backgrounds. We're both colleagues and faculty under the same department, so we're definitely going to see more of each other."

"We will indeed!" Sayaka chuckled. "See, Jin-kun and I will be sharing the same office, so we're just gonna be across from you."

"Good to hear!" Fujitaka then turned to his watch again. "Twenty minutes until the Culinary and Gastronomy Club meeting starts."

"Jintao's interested in the club too! Cooking is one of his favorite hobbies. Ne, Jintao?"

The Chinese neurosurgeon gave a soft chuckle. "I made a deal with my mother that if I couldn't make it in medicine, then I would have to become a chef and work at one of my mother's chain of restaurants."

"Well then, you should come and join us at the club meeting today. We'll be discussing our menu contributions for the upcoming Tomoeda Summer Festival next month."

"Ah, I know about that!" Jintao exclaimed happily. "I went to the festival last year when I just moved in here from Hong Kong. They sure have a huge variety of food that I've never had before."

"Great. Well, the CRU Culinary and Gastronomy Club always has a booth there and then sell a variety of dishes that the club members contributed. The money goes to the City of Tomoeda Environmental Fund, so it's for a good cause as well."

"I look forward to it, Doctor Kinomoto."

"Good!" Right then, the three continued their conversation until it was time for them to head to the first floor conference room for the club meeting.

As they continued on with their own icebreakers, Fujitaka finally brought up the subject. "Now that we're on the subject of the brain, I really have to ask this question, Dr. Chen."

"Anything, Dr. Kinomoto," Jintao answered.

"How much do you know about memory loss?"

"Plenty, Doctor. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you see… hm, how do I explain this…" Fujitaka began to contemplate, weary of what Yelan informed him about this young neurologist's personal stance against the social elite.

"Take your time, Doctor."

Finally Fujitaka figured out how to explain his situation with him. "Well, here goes. My seventeen-year-old daughter is hopelessly in love with a lost childhood friend who recently… um… moved back in to town with his family. The problem is that he has amnesia due to a major car accident with his father some seven years ago that even left his father paralyzed for life. The poor boy was also very fond of my daughter, but because of his amnesia, he's pretty much forgotten his memories regarding his childhood life here in Japan including my daughter and… the boy has a very bright future ahead… and of course, I know this sounds selfish, but I really do love my little girl very much that… Look, I'll get straight to the point."

"Dr. Kinomoto, amnesia can either be temporary or permanent and there are various methods for a person to recover all of his memories without any surgery… unless…"

"I'm going to get to that point. The other day I spoke with the boy's mother and she stated that his doctor detected a rare virus or something that can cause permanent memory loss… and she also mentioned about you for having a high profile reputation as one of the best neurosurgeon's in the world…"

Right then, Jintao gave a rather sullen expression on his face. "Dr. Kinomoto… are you asking me if it's possible for me to examine this young man and… perform a surgery on him?"

"Well… if it's possible…" Fujitaka gulped nervously.

Jintao then lowered his head and sighed. "I… haven't performed any surgeries for almost a year now… it's a long story… and it's one of the main reasons why I no longer operate my practice in Hong Kong and choose a different path. When I heard about opportunities in my field in here in Japan, it was the perfect way for me to escape the pressures of my life back in Hong Kong. I thought I could settle here and start all over doing something else than performing high-end neurosurgery…"

Sayaka joined in. "Jin-kun and I met at a friend's birthday party a few months ago. My friend, an old high school classmate, was actually Jin-kun's next-door neighbor at his apartment complex, so that's how we met. I convinced him to try out life in Japan. It may be a little easier for him here than back in Hong Kong."

Fujitaka fell silent at first, then he stood up from his seat, headed towards the door and closed it shut. He went back to his seat. "Well, I shut the door. Whatever we talk about in here stays in his office. You have my word."

Jintao nodded hunbly. "Thank you very much, Sir."

"The boy's mother is aware of you for awhile now but she had been reluctant because of your personal views towards the Hong Kong social elite."

"Eh?" Jintao winced and stared at the more senior professor. "My stance towards the Hong Kong elite? But I don't understand. What's my personal stance got to do with this young man, Doctor?"

"You may not like what I'm about to tell you. This childhood friend happened to be Chinese and also from Hong Kong."

"Alright, I can see that, but—"

"He also happens to be a prominent member of the Hong Kong social elite. In fact, he's also the heir to the leadership seat of their clan."

Jintao began to mutter. "Not… all… social elite…"

"Hm?"

"I… I'm saying… I don't hate all elite in Hong Kong… it's just that… it's because of the elite that forced me to end my practice there and move here."

"Oh… I see…"

"Well… um… if you don't mind me asking, Dr. Kinomoto, just which elite clan are we talking about here? I mean, what family clan does this young man belong to?"

Fujitaka promptly answered. "The Li Clan. The boy's name is Li Xiaolang—"

"The Li Clan…" Jintao suddenly muttered with fear in his eyes.

Sayaka immediately gasped in surprise. "Wait… Li Xiaolang, Doctor? As in that hot and handsome martial artist teen actor Li Xiaolang? The one who will be starring in that upcoming teen romance movie _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf _Li Xiaolang?" Fujitaka nodded. "Mou, I didn't know you're in to all that, Doctor!"

"I have a seventeen-year-old daughter, Sayaka-chan, remember?" Fujitaka gave a chuckle.

"Oh. Right… but… childhood friend? Him?" Fujitaka hushed her immediately and gave notice to the young Chinese neurosurgeon.

"What's wrong, Dr. Chen?"

"I… I can't…" He immediately dropped his head nervously.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I… I can't take Li Xiaolang under my care, Dr. Kinomoto."

"But why not? Was it the Li Clan that gave you all your current troubles?"

He shook his head. "It's not that… you see… my last client… I caused the death of a very important figure in the Hong Kong business world, you see. I made a very difficult decision at that time. I had to choose to perform a difficult operation between Chang Shulai, a very prominent business tycoon, and a little girl, age seven, from a low income family and the little girl's case was a whole lot worse than Mr. Chang's condition. In addition, the family even couldn't afford to pay for the entire procedure in the first place and they can't even afford insurance. The Changs, on the other hand, paid me several thousands of dollars just to prioritize him over all my other patients. I had to go with my own conscience by prioritizing the little girl over Mr. Chang. I even did it for free and returned the extra payment that the Changs paid once I made my decision. When I succeeded in saving that little girl's life, a day later, Mr. Chang committed suicide because he didn't want to suffer with his tumor any longer. Mr. Chang didn't have to do that as I had plenty of time to perform surgery on him. His time wasn't running out that fast compared to that little girl. Because of Mr. Chang's death, somehow, my reputation went downhill throughout the entire Hong Kong elite which also included the Li Clan. They did all they can to slander me for what I've done."

"What?" Sayaka gasped. "Just because you chose a dying little girl over some big shot who still has a lot more time to live? That's just cruel!"

"That is why I can't take that young man Li Xiaolang under my care, Dr. Kinomoto. The Chang Clan may be a prominent elite clan but they're nowhere on the same level as the domineering Li Clan. Among the elite, the Li Clan is the most fearful, intimidating, influential, and the most prestigious in all of Hong Kong. They pretty much own Hong Kong, literally. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong is a member of the Li Clan. If we're speaking in terms of influence among the elite, the Li Clan pretty much rules all." He took a breath and continued. "Majority of my clients in my former practice back in Hong Kong are from the elite, considering how much money they would be willing to pay me for my neurosurgery services on their family members. I personally don't care about money, but I really do need the money to keep my practice running, and of course, upgrade and use the latest technology I can for a much improved methodology… and of course, to support my family as well. Whatever surplus I earn from the patients I donate them to worthy charities." He gave another sigh and looked down again. "I actually have humble beginnings, Doctor. My father is a contractor and owns his own construction company, while my mother is a homemaker. I'm the fourth of seven children. I just worked hard just to get to where I am now."

"I can see where you are coming from," Fujitaka said. "Although that still doesn't explain to me why you can't take Xiaolang-kun under your care. You're a neurosurgeon and your task is to save people's lives, just like any other type of doctor, ne?"

"Let's just say… I fear the Li Clan. If we speak of the Hong Kong Elite, the one I'm the most afraid of are the Li Clan. I decided to end my practice in Hong Kong as punishment and of course, for the fear of spreading my… sins… towards the Li Clan. I've heard stories about how the Li Clan deals with things deemed unacceptable and… I'm pretty sure the Changs already reported my reputation about me towards them…"

"If that were true and that these other elites are taking their time to incite fear or discrimination against you on a clan much more powerful than them, Yelan wouldn't be calling me on the phone the other night and beg for my help in tears for the sake of her son…"

"Yelan… Li Yelan?" Jintao winced. "And… she mentioned me as being the only one who can cure her son?" Fujitaka nodded. He then dropped his head once more. "But… that's impossible… I was reminded by my former clients that the Li Clan are working on barring me from working anywhere in Hong Kong because of what happened…"

"Look… what's happening with the Li Clan is out of my hands," Fujitaka said. "I was informed that they have internal conflicts with one another, conflicts of interest on some things, but as long as Li Xiaojin and Li Yelan remain the heads of the Li Clan, whatever hearsay you're being told are simply just hearsay. We're talking about the one who will take over Li Xiaojin's place when his time is up, Dr. Chen. And…"

Quickly, the senior professor reached for his phone in his pocket, then began to dial the phone number indicated in Jintao's Mindspring Neuroscience Research Center business card. Few seconds later, Jintao's phone began to ring.

The Chinese doctor reached for his phone and spotted a small envelope icon. Fujitaka just sent him a text message with an attachment. Jintao opened it and the attachment revealed to be an adorable photo of Sakura and Syaoran smiling happily and doing peace signs on their hands which Tomoyo took a quick phone photo of sometime last week.

"Oh my!" Sayaka gasped, gazing at the rather lovely and lively photo of the two teenagers. "This is Sakura-chan at seventeen already, Dr. K? My, she looks the same, only a little older… and you weren't lying when you mentioned the ever-alluring Li Xiaolang as little Sakura-chan's childhood friend."

"In case you're not aware of Li Xiaolang's magazine profile, he spent majority of his childhood here in Japan. Tomoeda, in particular. The Lis were next-door neighbors to us even though they had a larger lot and a larger house than most of the houses in our neighborhood."

"And… they really do look happy together…" Jintao muttered in amazement.

"That's my one and only little girl, Sakura. Of course, the boy next to her is Li Xiaolang. I decided to hand you this photo and I want you to look at it when you can. Second of all, we're in Japan now. As far as I know the Li Clan only has a number of businesses throughout Japan and this prefecture just happens to be one of them. If it's true about what you said about these other elite giving bad rep about you to the Li Clan, then the wife of the current leader of the clan wouldn't be pleading for help."

"Doctor…"

"Dr. Chen, the Li Clan still believes in you and your skills. Remember, you've never done any malpractice. Some business clans are just greedy and impatient like that. It's that man's fault for killing himself in the first place due to impatience."

"Y-you're right, Doctor Kinomoto. I'll… I'll see what I can do."

"Good. You already have my contact info, so for now, it's best if I'm your primary contact. Maybe it's too early for you to face Hong Kong's most prominent family clan. Alright?"

Jintao closed his phone and placed it back in his pocket. "I'll think about it, Doctor."

Right then, the two men shook their hands.

#

"Syaoran… wakey wakey!"

Sakura woke up just fifteen minutes before Syaoran's set alarm on his phone goes off. She remained lying down on her side with her face turned towards her childhood love once she noticed that both his arms are around her, with one arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist. This must be the longest time she has ever been this close to him, and she couldn't help herself but to have her conscience do the screaming of excitement inside of her.

She gently tapped him on the nose with her finger to wake him up, but somehow that wasn't happening. Deep inside she had the urge to kiss him where she wanted to kiss him the most. He was so open and completely peaceful and serene in his sleep, not to mention his lips just looked rather soft, perfect, luscious, attractive, and utterly, sinfully kissable. She slapped herself for thinking of those rather intimate thoughts of kissing him to wake him up, however to compensate for not making that bold move, she decided to just watch him in his sleep.

It seemed as if this was the first time that he was able to sleep in pure bliss. Could it be because he finally got the time off he deserved from the movie shoot and away from the bustling urban noise? Or could it be that somewhere deep within, his lost memories were still trying to find their way to his own memory bank that the only way for them to emerge was for him to be in this particular super secret special spot for a longer period of time? Or maybe because…

_No… no way… is he… is he starting to remember me… that's why he's now sleeping next to me with his arms… around…_Sakura immediately blushed. _Okay, Sakura, let's not jump in to conclusions. Keep it cool now…_

But how can she keep it cool when the arms of the one holding her now can be so incredibly, dangerously hot? And this just happened to be her long-lost childhood love? Sure, she knew that she never found herself getting attracted to any random boy since Syaoran moved away at age ten, though she did wish for new friendships while keeping the old ones. Now that he's back in order to recover himself, his presence would definitely make things harder for her.

Rather than rushing things, she decided to use her only method of getting his attention: his most sensitive spot at the upper area above his left waist. Oh she just couldn't help herself. Without even making any second guesses, she aimed at that sensitive pressure point and attacked it with just a feather light touch of a finger.

"Aaah!" Immediately, Syaoran cried out in completely shock as he moved his arm away from her waist and began to gently wipe his sensitive spot. He then squirmed, finally waking up.

"Good! You're awake!" Sakura giggled. She finally freed herself by gently rolling away from him.

"Ugh… did you…" He opened one eye and gave a slight glare at the green-eyed girl next to him. "You didn't…"

"You wouldn't wake up… and it's getting a little dark…"

"My alarm hasn't gone off yet…"

"Even so. Better early than late, ne? Besides, I think everyone would be worrying about us right now."

Syaoran reluctantly rose up from the innovative beach blanket and gave a frown. "Man… this is what I really miss in my life right now… freedom to rest whenever the hell I want…"

"Ne, don't worry, you'll get plenty of freedom to rest when you get to college," Sakura grinned.

"Dammit, but it's not until next year. Way too long to wait!"

"No complaining, Syaoran… let's go! Up you go!" She stood up and then grabbed one of his hands and gently dragged him up. "Come on now, you lazy bum!"

"Okay, hold on… hold on…" He got himself up and the two began to fold back the beach blanket set. "Jeez, girl. You didn't have to touch me there…"

"You won't wake up, and… I don't know what to do…"

Syaoran suddenly snickered. "You could've kissed me… then I would've wake up…"

"Hoe!" Sakura frowned, slightly backing herself away from him. "I have so much respect for you, Syaoran! I would never do that!"

He gently placed his fingers on to his lips while smirking at the same time. "But you were thinking about it, ne?"

"I-I wasn't! I'm not that kind of girl!" She gave another frown, although she had to admit to herself that she was actually thinking about it before. Syaoran simply answered her with that cocky smirk on his face.

"We're in our super special secret spot, remember? No one's gonna find us here, so… you and I can do whatever we want… even with each other…"

"Aaah!" Sakura slowly backed away from him. "You can't be thinking… that…"

"Still… my left waist is off-limits, girl," Syaoran continued to warn her. "And I was having such a wonderful dream too…"

"Hoe? Oh no… I'm sorry I ended your dream…"

"But that's okay… 'cause I know it'll eventually become reality anyway…" He then winked at her, indicating to her that the dream may involve her somehow.

"Hoe! Don't tell me!" Sakura shrieked. "You… you were dreaming about me!"

"Hm… maybe…" Once Syaoran finally folded the beach blanket in its bag mode, Sakura chased right after him.

"Mou! You're hiding something! What's that dream about?"

He continued to laugh as he ran away from her. "Oh come on now, Sakura! If I tell you all about it, it won't come true!"

"Okay, okay, fair enough," Sakura giggled as she gave up chasing after him.

Syaoran finally placed the folded beach blanket in the compartment, then reached for his backpack. "We better head back. Let's stop by your house first."

"Hoe? My house?" Sakura blinked curiously.

"I forgot to bring my house keys to Yamazaki's house," Syaoran chuckled nervously. "I could call Eriol and Yamazaki for the keys and Wei is away for the time being, but since you're with me right now, I hope it'd be okay if I take a quick shower at your place."

"Ah," Sakura nodded. "No problem at all. But what about a change of clothes?"

"No worries, I brought extras in my backpack. I always bring extra clothes, just in case."

"Right!" She nodded. After things are fixed, they made their way through the secluded forest, making sure that there wasn't anyone else in the area.

Minutes later, once they arrived at the archway leading to the town entrance, both their phones began to blast various ringtones. They reached for their phones and read that the text messages they received were sent some hours ago. Of course, they just got their phone receptions back. They decided to read them later.

When they reached the area near the central fountain statue, Sakura quickly sent a text message to Syaoran, which he became startled once he heard the ringtone on his phone. He quickly opened the text.

"Oh? What's this, Sakura?"

"You'll see. Just open the attachment."

He followed her instructions and opened the attachment. The screen revealed a rather dull-looking but still full-color old photo of four young kids, two girls and two boys, at the open plains area just outside of Tomoeda. Three of them were wearing what may looked like soccer uniforms. The other girl wore a white sailor-style cap, white sailor-style top blouse, and black skirt with the emblem representing Tomoeda Elementary. He stopped walking right then and gazed at the photo.

"This is…"

Sakura approached him. "That's the Fab Four of the olden days!"

"Ah… so cute!" Syaoran chuckled. "This cute girl here with the green eyes… that's gotta be you."

"I'm not that cute," Sakura chuckled nervously.

"This one's obviously Tomoyo. She still has that long dark hair and still looking like a doll."

"Yup!"

"This kid over here who can't seem to keep his eyes open must be Yamazaki."

"Haha, you're good!"

"And this one…" Just as he pointed his finger at the second boy standing next to Sakura, he could feel some slight pain striking right in his head.

_No way… that's me!_ He heard his inner voice speak as he gulped nervously.

"That's him," Sakura whispered. "My little wolf… Syaoran…"

"So, this is how he looks like…" Syaoran gave a slight smirk. "I… see…" At this point, he didn't want to jump in to conclusions regarding the identity of the boy standing next to Sakura in the old photo and gave her a safer answer. "Thank you for sending me this pic."

"No problem. I can show some more childhood pics when we get to my place."

He placed his phone back in his pocket. "Are you sure? You won't get embarrassed or anything, right?"

Sakura shook her head. "And I just remembered too. I do have my old yearbooks from Tomoeda Elementary. I know I said we should go to the library tomorrow but since we're gonna be at my place to get ready for the night shoot later, we can hang out for a bit."

"Sounds good."

"Okay then. Let's go!"

Knowing that there were a lot of people present at the town square, Sakura lead Syaoran to the back roads where there was low presence of people around to reach her house. He followed her from behind in case he gets spotted and that no one would get the wrong idea.

#

When they arrived at the Kinomoto Residence, Sakura was rather surprised that neither her father, nor her brother, were at home. Looks like she gets to have the house to herself for the time being. When she and Syaoran entered the house, she promptly provided him with a fresh new towel. He didn't need to use their toiletries as he even brought his own bath toiletries. She was truly amazed that the amnesia-suffering Syaoran still retained his old and familiar habits, such as being nitpicky and keeping everything his way when it came to vanity and hygiene.

Bringing extra clothes and his own personal toiletries whenever he goes to other people's homes— that's the real Syaoran Li alright, Sakura thought to herself.

"I'll be in my room for the time being, Syaoran," Sakura said. "You can use the master bathroom since the bathtub and shower is a whole lot bigger than the one across from my room. And you can change in the master bedroom too. I don't want Oniichan freaking out when he suddenly comes home and finds you in his room."

Syaoran chuckled. "I'm not surprised. It's Touya-senpai after all."

"Well then, see you later!"

"Thanks for lending me the shower." He proceeded to the master bedroom, where the bathroom Sakura mentioned was located. Sakura proceeded to her bedroom and began to bring out all of her old photos, as well as her old Tomoeda Elementary yearbooks. Once she prepared herself, she dropped herself on to her bed to check the text messages on her phone.

First, she opened her father's text:

_Sakura, I've got an emergency meeting with the Anthropology Department faculty, so I'll be home late. You and your brother will have to take care of dinner yourselves. Love you! - Dad_

"Dad will be home late, huh. I wonder what that emergency meeting's about…" Next, she opened Touya's text.

_Yo, squirt. You better get home early and call me or text me when you get this text. Kaho invited me for lunch with her relatives who just arrived in town from Hokkaido and also wanted me to spend more time with them up to dinner, so I won't be coming home tonight. You just go ahead and make your own dinner and I'll just see you at the Daidouji House for the night shoot. Oh, and when you text me, take a photo of yourself in the house just to make sure that you really are at home._

"Jeez, Oniichan, overprotective much?" Sakura frowned. Then, she opened the next text message in her list:

_Sakura, why aren't you answering your phone? I'm really worried! Eriol and Meiling are also getting worried too. I hope you didn't get lost or something… hope you and Syaoran (aha! It's Syaoran now!) are okay. Call me when you do get this message. - Tomoyo._

"Oh Tomoyo," Sakura giggled. "Always the worrywart, ne?"

Next at her new messages list had Chiharu's name on it. She then quickly opened it.

_Okay, Sakura Kinomoto, spill! I'm being told by my fellow Wolfpup girls that your childhood sweetie Syaoran Li is actually back in town? Why am I always the last one to know these things? Even Tomoyo's messing around with my mind when she said that Li Xiaolang is forever off-limits to the Wolfpup girls— not that I want Li Xiaolang to be my boyfriend you know— and seriously, what does Li Xiaolang being off-limits from his fans got to do with your darling Syaoran Li being back in town? Please, Sakura, you gotta clarify this for me! Love you! - Chiharu_

"Chiharu, you should be worrying more about your relationship with Tak than with mine," Sakura chuckled softly. Finally she reached the last new message on her inbox. The name indicated was none other than the former's boyfriend:

_Oi, Sakura, how can I be so blind? He's just right in front of my nose and right underneath my roof! Our hot idol friend Li Xiaolang is actually our long-lost buddy Syaoran Li? No wonder he's got that familiar aura around him. So I guess it's true with what Chiharu said about Li Xiaolang suffering amnesia after all. Poor guy. We gotta help him recover his memories somehow. I'm sure Daidouji and I would be able to help, but I think that you should always be there for him. After all, he first got close to you before you introduced him to us, ne? Fight on! - T.Y._

"Thanks so much, Tak," Sakura grinned. She then began to reply to the texts, starting with her father and her brother. She even took a photo of herself using her phone and sent it along with her reply to her brother's text to show him that she was indeed at home. Just as she finished replying to all of them some ten minutes later, she could hear footsteps leading to her room.

She quickly got up from her bed in time that she heard knocking on the door. "Sakura?"

"It's open! Come on in!" The door opened and Syaoran entered, looking fresh, clean, yet still oh-so-hot, with his forest green collared cotton shirt and slightly baggy khaki pants. Once he took a seat at the side of the bed, Sakura proceeded by sitting on her desk chair. Just by that gesture, Syaoran gave a chuckle.

"Hoe? What?" Sakura blinked curiously.

"I understand that you don't trust me…" He said, still grinning.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, in case you haven't realized, Sakura, we're all alone in your house."

_Oh no! I can't believe I didn't even realize that! Ohh… what am I gonna do? I've never been alone in the house with a boy before… I mean, sure, Dad and Oniichan are obviously guys but they're… Dad and Oniichan. And then I've heard stories about what happens when a girl and a guy are all alone in the house and…_ Quickly she gave herself a soft slap on the face. "Um… yeah! You're right… we are alone in the house!"

"This isn't the first time I've been alone in the house with a girl before, so relax. Nothing's gonna happen…" He assured her, just as he stretched his arms upward with his sleeves slightly sliding upward, revealing his contoured biceps that drove this poor innocent girl wild inside.

_No no no Sakura, you can't think about that now… but how could I stay cool if he's so… so… gorgeously hot… with strong, firm muscles and…_

"Well then, are you gonna show me the yearbooks or not?" Immediately, Syaoran changed the subject, knowing the girl who just invited him over may struggle to keep her composure.

"Ah, right!" Sakura grinned. She turned to her desk and then carried a stack of five yearbooks and then placed them gently on the bed next to where Syaoran was sitting. "They're in order from the earliest to the latest. I didn't include my final yearbook there."

"That's fine," Syaoran nodded. "Thanks for showing them to me anyway."

Sakura moved her chair closer to her bed and began opening the first yearbook. "This one is in first grade. I already stuck old post-it notes on them so I don't have to flip the pages over just to find where my picture's located, hehe."

"First grade, huh…" Syaoran gave a grin.

"Yup. It's also the first time that you— well, Syaoran— started attending elementary school in Japan. He was mostly homeschooled since childbirth. I had to go to pre-school along with Tomoyo and everyone else."

"First time, huh. Just like me. I was also in first grade when I started going to school…" Syaoran muttered. He then flipped to where the post-it note was placed. He found the first grade class section and then began to gaze at the old childhood photos as well as the names underneath. "Wait… the names are in order by Japanese alphabet— _gojuuon_ or whatever you call it, right?"

Sakura nodded. "Yup. But then the rest of the yearbooks after that just simply went by standard English alphabet because they also included our names in _romaji_ too."

"Ah okay. Right."

She then gazed at the clock at her side table. "Oh, my dad and my brother sent me a text and they won't be home tonight. Dad has an emergency meeting with the faculty of his department and Oniichan will be spending some time with Kaho-neechan and her relatives who just came from out of town. I'll be home all night."

"Ah, sorry…" Syaoran gave a slight frown. "I'll be having dinner with Eriol and Meiling at the Daidoujis tonight. They just invited me."

Sakura gave a nod. "I understand. Well, feel free to look at the yearbooks and let me know if you remember something, ne? I'm gonna head downstairs and start making dinner."

"Sure thing. Thanks a lot, Sakura." Sakura waved at him, leaving him in her room as she headed downstairs in the kitchen.

When she got there, she gave a sad sigh. _I guess I'll be eating by myself tonight after all. Ah well. There's always the night shoot._

Meanwhile at Sakura's room, Syaoran continued to look through the first grade yearbook. Right then, he reached for his phone and replied another text towards Eriol and Meiling at the same time:

_I'll have to pass dinner tonight. Sakura will be alone in her house tonight. It's dangerous for a girl to be alone in her house, so I'll stay and have dinner with her instead. Sorry guys! - Xiaolang._

He sent the text and then turned back to the yearbook. He looked through the names. He noticed that the names were written in Kanji with Furigana reading on top of them so the young children would be able to read the names properly. He then gave a frown. _Dang Japanese writing system… using Hanzi with different readings. Thank goodness there's Hiragana reading on them or else I'd be sitting here frustrated for not being able to read them…_

Because the names and the photos were arranged by _gojuuon_ order, he knew that Sakura's photo would be at the first few pages. He found her photo successfully. _Boy, she never changed. She still has that chin-length hair even today. But she looked really cute and innocent then._ He found himself blushing and then turned the pages and skipped those he had no care for. He found Rika's photo, Tomoyo's photo, then Chiharu's photo. He finally got to the "ya" section of the Kana order and found both Yamazaki's and Naoko's photos. _Yamazaki sure doesn't know how to keep his eyes open, doesn't he? And in this one, Yanagisawa probably wasn't wearing specs back then._

Right at that moment, he realized that there was no "L" reading in _gojuuon_. That can only mean one thing. His name must be in the "ra" section, which, according to the order, is right after the "ya" section. He quickly flipped the pages there.

"Let's see… Raimon… Rakitsu, Rando… ah, here it is! Ri!" He then noticed that there were only five kids whose last name started with "ri," with him being first. "There it is… Ri Syao… ran…" He read the Hiragana reading first, and then at the bottom were the Kanji. _I was right before! This is how I write my name in Chinese!_

He then looked up at the photo. Immediately, another lightning of migraine struck at his head again, as he lowered his head and grasped it with both his hands, shutting his eyes. _Oh no, not again… I thought I'm well-rested…_

Moments later after the pain gradually eased a bit, he reached for his backpack again and then took out a published photobook written in Chinese. On the title stated "China's Top Ten Hottest Idols," this year's edition. He just happened to be first one on the list. But because this photobook was in countdown order, his section was at the last few pages.

"I can't believe I even have this copy. Dang Mom had to just order one… and this is the first time I'm actually going to look through it. So embarrassing…" He sighed and flipped through the pages until he found his name in big bold Chinese characters. With "#1" at the top left corner.

At the first few pages had the heading of "Childhood" with the bottom subheading stating "Where in Japan? Not Tokyo!" and at the bottom are a collage of old childhood photos of him. No doubt about it. The school photo he just saw on the first grade yearbook looked exactly the same as the one printed on the photobook. The only difference was that the one on the photobook was in color, while the one in the yearbook was in black and white. The caption underneath the photobook said "Little Xiaolang at Age 6 at a private elementary school in Japan." There were other photos of him wearing the same Tomoeda uniform along with his classmates and friends. Majority of his group photos had one familiar face in them.

"Yamazaki…" Syaoran muttered, recognizing the boy standing next to him in most of the group photos. _I remember you now._ With that, he reached for his progress journal notebook again and began to jot down a lost memory finally recovered:

_Sakura instead showed me her Tomoeda Elementary yearbooks instead of us going to the library tomorrow and to my inner shock, I saw myself in those sailor-style uniforms and that white cap. Right then, some of my lost memories were coming back to me._

_Takashi Yamazaki was a boy in my first class in first grade at Tomoeda Elementary. I was introduced to him and he became my first male friend ever since my family and I moved to Tomoeda. He was the biggest impulsive liar in the entire town, who likes to make up a lot of stuff when it came to the world around us. But even though I've homeschooled by Hong Kong's finest tutors during my earliest life, I was still a naive kid and believed everything that Yamazaki made up._

_Now I can see why Mihara always called her boyfriend the biggest liar anyone could ever meet. Even though he was a compulsive liar, he was the only close friend I had in Tomoeda who was Japanese. Of course, there was Sakura and then Daidouji, but they were girls, obviously. Even if the other guys think he was lame because of his constant lying, I found him the coolest guy I've ever met._

He closed his notebook and went back to gazing at the photobook. There was even a group photo of him and other boys dressed in winter school uniform with white caps on their heads, just like those in the yearbook, standing in front of a European-style scenery. Yamazaki was obviously one of the boys. Not too far from where he was standing were a small group of girls. There, he spotted Sakura, Tomoyo, Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko. The caption underneath said "Field trip to Europe? No, this is Hakodate in the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan."

There was a subheading in the same section where it said "Sporty Xiaolang!" on it. There, a collage of photos of himself involved in various sports from soccer to track and field to martial arts were spread out. What he did not expect to see in those photos was the soccer photo of himself, Sakura, and Yamazaki along with Tomoyo on the side. It was the same photo that he received from Sakura earlier today.

"No way!" Syaoran exclaimed. He opened his phone and viewed that same exact childhood photo and placed his phone next to the photo on the book. _So… I have a copy of this same photo too? Mom, you're pretty much giving away my entire life to the media…_ The caption underneath that photo brought him in to laughter.

"'Xiaolang the Striker with two fellow teammates and a young girl who may be the very first Wolfpup'— wait, were they referring to Daidouji? The media taught that Sakura is a boy in this picture? Hahahaha…" Another photo he noticed was a precise snapshot of him and Sakura crossing the finish line from the annual marathon race. The caption said "'Xiaolang and his teammate crossing the finish line at a marathon race. What strength and speed!'"

He decided to open the other yearbooks at random to see if he can find more group photos that had him in them. At the second grade yearbook, he discovered that he was also in two of the school's martial arts teams: Judo and Kendo. "Eh? I did Judo and Kendo too? I guess I focused so much on Kung Fu that I've even forgotten about all the other martial arts I got in to…"

He flipped to the next page of the photobook, now with the main headline of "Childhood 2." At the first section, there were more collage of photos of him at the later ages. For instance, there was a photo of him and Sakura, both wearing summer yukatas, at a nighttime summer festival that had the label at the background saying "Tomoeda Summer Festival: Welcome Everyone!" He almost chuckled when he saw how adorable Sakura looked in her white yukata with pink cherry blossom patterns all around, as well as her short little pigtails on both sides of her head. He stood next to her, wearing a dark forest green yukata with a variety of animals such as a wolf, dragon, and lion pattern all around. The caption underneath stated "Xiaolang, Age 6, at a local summer festival with his best friend."

_Best friend, huh._ Then he spotted another photo of him, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Yamazaki, along with their families, playing beach volleyball. The caption now stated "Fun in the summertime with Xiaolang, family, and friends playing beach volleyball."

And then, he spotted another photo, this time of himself, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Yamazaki wearing their white sailor-style short-sleeved summer uniforms and the familiar white caps on their heads. It looked like they were just walking down the sidewalk with a giant cherry blossom tree providing them shade while carrying their schoolbags, smiling right at the camera. The caption now read "Xiaolang, Age 7. First day of school in second grade, along with his best friends." With that, he flipped over the second grade yearbook and this time, in English alphabetical order, he found his name easily. His name in Chinese, Kanji in Japanese terms, was still printed the same way, and underneath is his name in romaji: "Syaoran Li." His second grade photo suddenly became more obvious to him than his first grade photo. The photos in the second grade yearbook looked a little larger in size and the faces were a lot more vivid and clear.

_My second grade photo… I'm becoming a whole lot more like me today… getting a lot more handsome too. How about that?_

Just as he was about to continue looking through the second grade yearbook, he heard his phone blasting a brief ringtone, indicating that he just received a text message. Once he gazed at his screen, Eriol's name appeared. He opened his message:

_Ah, you really have changed, haven't you, Xiao? No wait, let me take that back. You're reverting back to your old self. First you play a humble guest at work. Now you're playing a brave and honorable guardian to our little Tomoeda princess? Very smooth, my dear cousin. On the other hand, this is for your own good. I'll let the girls know you won't make it to dinner tonight. Have fun with the sweet cherry blossom! - Eriol_

"Thanks, Eriol," Syaoran grinned and placed his phone back in his pocket. He stretched his arms briefly and then gazed his eyes towards Sakura's window sill, where he spotted the dark Chiirou stuffed animal sitting. He noticed its eyes staring at him directly.

"What are you looking at, Chiirou?" Syaoran spoke to the stuffed animal. He stood up from the bed and approached the sill. He then picked up Chiirou and brought him back to the bed. This time, while looking through the second grade yearbook, Chiirou the stuffed animal was sitting right on his lap.

Moments later, he heard the door knocking, even if the door remained open. He looked up to see Sakura waving at him, carrying a tray of two tall glasses of chocolate smoothies with white straws. "Hi there! How's the research going?"

Syaoran simply smiled. "I'm recalling… a bit…"

"Really? That's great news!" Sakura gasped. She then placed the tray on top of her desk. "I made some mint chocolate smoothies. I know, even the open windows aren't helping with the cooling of the summer heat. Our air conditioning system is currently broken and Dad hasn't had the time to get it fixed."

"Wow, thanks!" Syaoran got up and reached for his glass. He slowly sipped on his smoothie. "Wow! This is really refreshing! It's not very sweet but I can sense the fresh mint flavor all over me. So chilly!"

"Thanks! Dad's recipe!"

"Man, you gotta pass on my thanks to your dad for this recipe."

"I will!" Right then, she noticed her Chiirou bear sitting on his lap. "Oh! Chiirou!"

"Oh, sorry for having little Chiirou sitting next to me right now."

Sakura giggled. "I'm sure Chiirou is really happy to have you here."

He began to sip again. "Of course. He still has yet to meet his long-lost sweetheart."

"Oh? Chiirou has a sweetheart?"

He then grinned. "Sure. Why not? If humans can have sweethearts, why can't stuffed animals?"

_Oh yeah,_ Sakura thought to herself. _He really is beginning to restore his lost memories, bit by bit…_

"Okay then. Sure thing!"

"By the way," Syaoran changed his subject. "What are you making for dinner?"

"Oh, I'm having a simple but really delicious _Omuraisu_. Dad's special recipe with special ingredients and a special secret sauce!"

"Your dad really is an expert with food, ne?"

"Oniichan said Mom can't cook real well so technically, Dad's playing both a husband and a wife at the same time. Weird, huh? But most of the time they make meals together in the kitchen. Best times of his life, he said."

He sighed as a response. "That's just unfortunate that you didn't get to experience seeing your parents lovingly making meals together for the family. I gotta say your brother's really lucky."

With a swift move, she stood up from her desk chair and then sat on the bed next to Syaoran, holding her glass of mint chocolate smoothie. "That's why sometimes I feel really bad for always being in Oniichan's shadow."

"Oh?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, you know how it is… I mean sometimes I get jealous of my brother for having… everything."

"You shouldn't be jealous like that. I mean for one thing, you're a girl, and it's different."

"What I mean is that… even when we were kids, he was always allowed to try out cool things and no one would complain. You know I wanted to study some martial arts too but both Mom and Oniichan wouldn't let me because it was too dangerous. Even Dad's encouragement didn't stop them from preventing me. That's why I begged that really nice rich Chinese family next door to teach me in secret."

Syaoran gave a soft gasp. "Oh I see! Is that why we… um…"

"Hm? What's that?"

"Er… um…" Suddenly he found himself blushing and then gently scratched his head. "Never mind, ignore that."

"Oh come on now, you can tell me. I mean, you're just beginning to recall a few of your lost memories now, ne?"

He gave a slight frown. "Not now… I mean it's embarrassing…"

"Hoe… come on now!" She gently nudged him on the side, grinning at the same time. "You can tell me!"

"Later! Later!" He scooted away from her.

"Just kidding!" The two broke in to laughter until they finally calmed themselves down.

"Anyway, I asked what you were gonna have for dinner. I decided to call off my dinner invitation. I'll eat dinner with you instead."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Oh, but why? Wouldn't Eriol and Meiling and even Tomoyo be mad?"

"They understand. We can't have a girl alone in the house at night, you know. It's not safe."

Deep inside she was happy that she will have company for dinner tonight. "Well, I'm still in the middle of making dinner. I just came up here for the smoothies. I always make more in case someone comes by and would like to have dinner with me."

"Ne, do you need help with dinner? If you want I can help."

"Aw, you're so sweet! But I'm alright. You can bring the yearbooks downstairs and do more research at the dining table while I make dinner in the kitchen. We can talk from there!"

"Good idea."

Sakura took his smoothie and placed it on the tray, while Syaoran stacked the yearbooks and placed his personal belongings in his backpack. With the tray and the glasses on her hand and everything else in his hands, the two teens headed downstairs. When they got there, Sakura proceeded to the kitchen to continue on with her cooking. In the meantime, Syaoran continued on with his yearbook and photobook research as well as jotting down his words on his notebook.

"Um, Sakura," Syaoran called, "I still gotta write on my journal, so don't freak out if I don't answer you."

"No problem," Sakura chuckled. "Take as much time as you need. I'm too concentrated on making my _Omuraisu_ perfect to talk anyway."

"Ha ha, alright then. Can't wait for dinner!" The two teens proceeded to their tasks as Syaoran clicked his pen open and begun to write again.

_I don't understand. I now know, or rather, I now have an idea who I really am now and my personal connections to Tomoeda. My mind is finally registering to some of these lost memories. I can finally be safe to write this below about myself._

_My name is Li Xiaolang. I was born in Hong Kong on July 13, the youngest of five children, current master of the Li Family Kung Fu and the future heir to the Li Clan and the global business power known as Li Enterprises. At age two, my family and I moved to Japan, right here in Tomoeda, to settle down. I began my schooling at home when my parents hired the best tutors they could ever find in Hong Kong to retain my Chinese identity while growing up in Japan. At the same time, it was my father and our long-time butler and servant, Wei Wang who started training me in Kung Fu in a very unique style developed by my ancestors. When we moved to Tomoeda, my parents purchased the huge empty lot right across from the Daidouji Mansion when the Daidoujis reserved the land for them. Next door to us is a smaller, more modest home currently owned by the Kinomoto Family._

_We met the Daidoujis first when we moved. I remember overhearing my older sisters, Shiefa and Fanren, talking about how the Kinomotos needed some time alone from everyone because they were coping through a lot of problems, more specifically Mrs. Kinomoto's illness. I was only two back then so I really couldn't remember all the details (sisters had been telling me all this before but I never really took them seriously). We waited for about six months until I turned four when I finally had my first experience meeting our next-door neighbors for the first time._

_The first time that I finally met the Kinomotos was at the hospital when I was 4-years-old. Mrs. Kinomoto was already dying from some rare disease I don't remember the name of. My parents invited the entire family including me to visit them. I never understood then when my mother couldn't stop crying on that day, but on that day, I shook hands with Dr. Kinomoto— now my personal counselor first and I even had the experience of Mrs. Kinomoto holding me for the first time. She looked really beautiful then but at the same time, also didn't understand why she was lying down looking very weak. And of course, I also met the Kinomoto Siblings, Touya-senpai and the younger one, Sakura. We didn't say much words when we first met (Touya-senpai and me), but somehow Sakura's curious green eyes really got my attention. I wanted to say hello, but I was unsuccessful because I said to her "Ni hao" instead of "Konnichiwa."_

_About three months later after Mrs. Kinomoto died, things became a whole lot brighter for me growing up as a foreign kid in an all-Japanese town. At the plains area just outside of Tomoeda, bordering the town from the ofrest, Dad and Wei were usually giving me more training in kung fu. But on that day, I caught seeing a curious kid at the top of the tree spying on me, watching me, or something. The meeting was rather awkward as I even threatened the kid in Chinese, telling her off to go away. Instead, Dad and Wei welcomed the kid with open arms. Turned out that the curious kid spying on me was none other than Sakura. The weirdest part on this meeting was when I said to her my name, she kept pronouncing it as "Syaoran" because she couldn't pronounce the "L" and the "ng" sound right. It was annoying at first but then I grew accustomed to her calling me "Syaoran."_

_That's all I can remember about how I met Sakura. It wasn't until two years later that the parents decided to enroll me in the local elementary school to be with the kids. When my parents enrolled me to Tomoeda Elementary, the principal stated that I need to have a Japanese name so that the classmates would easily remember my name. Mom decided not to change my name in to some native Japanese name, but instead decided to use the name Sakura kept calling me: "Syaoran." On my first day as a first grader in Tomoeda Elementary, I introduced myself to my class as "Syaoran Li." It was convenient anyway since Sakura couldn't pronounce my real name "Xiaolang" properly in the first place. _

_But before that, Sakura begged Dad to teach her a bit of Kung Fu and train with me in exchange for her teaching me how to speak, read, and write Japanese properly. It didn't take long that Mom decided to hire a Japanese tutor specializing in teaching the Japanese language and culture to Chinese kids like me. Even though I now had a tutor specializing in teaching me how to speak, read, and write Japanese, Sakura never gave up in making me "more Japanese" and in exchange, she gets to learn a few Kung Fu moves courtesy of Dad and Wei._

_Speaking of Kung Fu, I wonder if Sakura is still keeping up with the teachings Dad and Wei taught her back then?_

He then stopped writing after realizing what he just wrote. He then turned to Sakura, who was still chopping the vegetables to make the rice portion of the dish. "Sakura…" He called to her.

Sakura, who was facing towards the dining room behind the counter, gazed at him. "What's up?"

"I… I just want to say thank you."

"Hoe? For what?"

"For… everything."

Her eyes began to blink curiously. "Um… I don't know what I did but glad I'm able to help!"

"I mean… that is… if I didn't get thank you in the past, then… I'm thanking you now."

_Oh my! Does that mean he's beginning to remember now?_ Her voice spoke inside of her. "Always a pleasure. You know you can count on me whenever you need anything."

"I know," he nodded. "I want to be there for you too, Sakura, whenever you need help."

"I know." She grinned. The two headed back to what they're doing again as Syaoran continued to write more in his notebook.

_I don't know… why do I get the feeling that Sakura and I were more than just "best friends"? I mean, that Chinese Top Ten Teen photobook just had the caption of my photos with Sakura as just being "best friends," but somehow deep inside, I just have this feeling that we're a lot more special than just best friends. On the other hand… maybe Sakura just sees me as a best friend and she's simply confused on what a male "best friend" should be. Or maybe she's the only one who feels that way while I only see her as a "best friend"… Or am I just kidding myself?_

_I guess I'm not recovered from amnesia just yet._

Some minutes later, Sakura was already adding the finishing touches to the two omelette rice dishes. "Almost done!"

Syaoran stood up from his seat and closed his notebook. "Oh great! Let me clear the table up and set the table for you."

"Okay. The place mats are on that tray at the center of the table."

"Awesome." He cleared up the dining table and then placed the place mats across from each other. It was a personal habit of his that whenever he was alone with one other person that he would like to eat sitting across from that person so that he could face that other person when they talk. Once he was finished, Sakura arrived with the two plates and two forks, all neatly served, aromatic, piping hot, and ready to eat. "Wow, looks really scrumptious!"

"He he, made with love," Sakura winked. The Chinese idol gave a slight blush. She went back to the counter and picked up two glasses of ice cold water and placed them in each of the placemats.

After grabbing their piece of the napkin from the center of the table, the two teens were now ready to eat dinner.

"_Itadakimasu!_" The two expressed their readiness to eat and then began to feast on their dinner.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello all! Adri Mars here again! Got a few things to write about in yet another "lengthy" author's note section. First up, I lagged a bit with this chapter because I've had some technical issues with my laptop. I think my laptop got attacked by a virus that's slowing my down my entire system. I was working on a particular graphic design but my Photoshop simply lagged big time when it was trying to open. And then when I started restarting my laptop, the startup loading got a whole lot slower, as in 2-3 minutes slow! So I had to take it to the repair shop and fixed a bit of it. The laptop is still running slow, but not as slow as before. I'll have to do major maintenance with this laptop soon once I get the money.

For those who are wondering, I think I mentioned this before (through my earlier research), but archaeology is a sub-branch study of anthropology. In order for someone to become an archaeologist, that person must earn a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology to get in to the Archaeology field. I did discover that there are some universities who do offer a separate Bachelor of Science in Archaeology, but all of the courses directed to Archaeology are labeled as being Anthropology classes. Next step, as a BS/BA in Anthropology (or Archaeology if your university offers it), you attend grad school and earn your MS in Archaeology or Anthropology. Finally, you attend grad school again to earn your doctorate (Ph.D) in Archaeology. I also read somewhere that one can still be an archaeologist with just a Ph.D in Anthropology without taking specific Archaeology courses, but it's still highly recommended to study those courses. Some have two in both to broaden up their expertise. In the case of "Stuffed Animal," Fujitaka Kinomoto holds a Ph.D in Arcaheology and is also a doctorate student on his way to earning his second Ph.D in general Anthropology. I just have to mention this in case that some of you are wondering why Fujitaka's office is located in the Anthropology Department when he's an archaeologist and being able to work with other members of the Anthropology faculty even though their backgrounds are different from each other.

The next thing I learned from my research is the rather interesting history of the Li Family Clan. In case you're wondering, CLAMP must have done their research very well when they were working on Card Captor Sakura/CCS in developing Syaoran's character and family background. For those who don't like history much, here's a bit of a Chinese history lesson. The Li Clan is one of the most prominent families in centuries and centuries of Chinese ancient history (and that family clan still exists today). They were known for founding and developing the Li Family Kung Fu, considered as one of the five most prominent traditional Cantonese family styles of kung fu in Southern Chinese Martial Arts (Nanquan). The other four family clans mentioned are the Hong Clan, the Liu Clan, the Mo Clan, and the Cai Clan. The Li Clan originally came from Lanzhou, Northwest China, and eventually migrated down south to the Canton Region and eventually became a prominent family in that area. Hong Kong just happens to be part of the Canton Region, so if you look at it in CCS perspective, it just makes sense that Syaoran of the prominent Li Clan would be born and raised in Hong Kong (with Cantonese being his native language). The Li Family style used to be only taught and passed on amongst the Li Family Clan members from immediate family to distant relatives, but today the style is now being taught by non-Li Family Clan members. The style is still isn't mainstream around the world yet and still primarily practiced in Southern China (Hong Kong being one of them obviously), but the Li Family style happens to be one of the bases of today's contemporary Nanquan. The Li Family Clan is also known for their own styles of the following: Tai Chi (explains why I had Syaoran, Meiling, and Eriol do Tai Chi in the first few chapters (ch. 2 or ch. 3)- the Li Style Tai Chi is actually one of the most widely-used style of Tai Chi practiced among practitioners throughout China (Hong Kong included)), Qigong (special breathing and meditating exercises, similar to Yoga), Chinese Macrobiotics (dietary system eating only natural grains and avoiding refined or processed foods), traditional Chinese medicine (I plan on using this as well in the story, which is why I introduced our young and handsome Chinese neurosurgeon in this chapter), Taoist alchemy (body-spirit cultivation, which is probably where CLAMP got the idea of Syaoran and some of the Li Clan members (including Yelan) having magical powers passed on from their ancestors), and weapons practice (Syaoran wielding a sword in battle mode). The Li Family style still has yet to become more widespread throughout the world (I read that the Li Family style already exists in both Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and some parts of the Philippines, but not quite in the Western world yet), but if a tourist mentions "Li" anywhere in China, especially if you're in Southern China (Hong Kong included), any local would immediately recognize the name and the contributions that they made to the rich history and legacy of China and the Chinese people from the past until today.

I also just read that the Li Clan also had a tragic history in the mid-20th Century when they were also being hunted, along with the "traditionalists," by the Maoists during the Cultural Revolution and had to flee mainland China to other neighboring countries (many of them fled to Hong Kong, which is why the family surname is prominent until today, others to Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries). It's different today now, of course.

Oh, and here's another fact. The legendary kung fu martial artist and actor Bruce Lee was born with the Chinese name "Li Xiaolong." His first name (Xiaolong) means "little dragon." Sounds like Xiaolang ("little wolf"), don't you think? Something to think about. ^_^

Who would have thought that the Li Family Clan with those types of properties were actually factual in real life? I didn't. I thought CLAMP simply chose Li because it is a common Chinese surname. There's actually a major reason why CLAMP chose Li as the surname. I'm not an expert in Chinese history or anything, I just read what I find. If I made any mistakes there, please correct me. Thank you! ^_^;

Lastly, this has been in my mind for awhile now. I want to create a fantasy (sci-fi?)-based fanfic for CCS (which I also would include the usual rom-com elements there too). The Clow/Sakura Cards may play a part of it, but I wouldn't emphasize it too much, and because I'm a bit of a "purist," I'm not gonna have Sakura portraying the "damsel in distress" role (in Tsubasa Chronicle and xXHolic, CLAMP aimed those manga towards the male audience (shounen), so they made Sakura as the "damsel in distress" role in there. Good thing none of those two are related to CCS in any way except for the names (and looks) of the characters.). Well, let's just see what happens. I'm not very good at writing two different stories at the same time to be honest. We'll see, we'll see. ^_^

Whew, that's a really long A/N LOL. Now I would like to give out my usual shoutouts to the readers who decided to follow and/or fave "Stuffed Animal." Thank you for all your support!

Whoa, I'm quite surprised that I didn't get as many reviews as I had hoped for ch. 11, but still, they count. ^_^

**Aizawa LSV** – Doumo. Will do! ^_^

**James Birdsong** – Constructive criticism welcome! (actually I just wanted you to write longer reviews next time, what you like/don't like, etc.) ^_^

**DALUNA** – I wish I had a twin sister or a clone so I can update faster. XDDDD

**DualStarduster** – I don't wanna rush things but it's gonna be legendary. Maybe. LOL XD

**Rainbow Cherry Blossom** – I'm aware of my grammatical errors. After all, I did mention in my past author notes that I also struggle with the same issue as all the writers out there. The sad part though is that the only time that I catch errors is I end up reading the final product in FFnet. I'm one of those writers who write the first/rough draft first and then do all the proofreading at the later revisions. You can't always rely on your word processor's spelling/grammar check as they can't catch all the errors there, plus there's also the problem of doing auto-corrections on spellings too. =T I use Scrivener (a heavily-organized writing software specifically designed for creative writers, non-fiction writers, journalists, essayists, scholarly journal writers, and the like) and then use OpenOffice to add the horizontal rule lines and my author's notes (I don't have MS Office in this laptop, unfortunately). Thank you for reading though. ^_^

**SakuSyaoLvr** – I mean, I don't mind seeing grammatical/spelling errors on fics, but I wish they won't make them so obvious that it gets repetitive throughout the entire draft, such as the whole "your"/"you're" (you are) issue. Another pet peeve of mine with the same similar reason is the usage of "there," "their," and "they're" (they are). Well, you already know. LOL. XD

**Cat Downtreader** – Agreed. I've read fics where they mention a lot of Nadeshiko in their fics, how she made an impact on her children and sometimes would give her a huge role even though she's not physically present, but nothing on the husband and the father. I also don't like how some writers portray Fujitaka as being a workaholic wealthy businessman or being such a strict and stern father because that's just an obvious out of character right there. What's wrong with being an archaeologist/university professor anyway? I have plenty of relatives who are teachers and university professors and even though they're not exactly paid as millionaires, they've got the types of careers where they're able to perfectly balance their work and family life. And of course, the impact of Nadeshiko's death on Fujitaka most likely would make him a whole lot more responsible family man, portraying both a father and a mother at the same time. In a situation like that, you can't be some workaholic and strict adult in that kind of situation. I just can't see Fujitaka that way. No way at all LOL. In addition, the Kinomotos live a comfortable normal middle-class life and as you can see in CCS, they do live happily together with that kind of life and couldn't ask for anything more. You can tell how much of a purist I am LOL.


	14. 13: Code of Silence

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 13: CODE OF SILENCE**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

"_Gochisousama deshita!_"

The two teens face-to-face expressed their enjoyment of their _Omuraisu_ dinner when both finished the entire dish all the way until there were only a few traces of the special sauce Sakura's father made just for this dish alone. They stood up and began to clean up the dining table. Since the dishes used were not that many, Sakura knew it was best to wash them manually rather than using the dishwasher.

"Maybe you should get ready for the night shooting, Sakura," Syaoran said to her. "Just to repay for you making dinner, I'll wash the dishes."

"You sure?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Sure. Just show me where I need to put the wet dishes when I'm done."

"Well, if you insist!" She pointed to the plastic-built dish rack where he could place the wet dishes and let it drip until dry. The sponge, soap, and gloves were self-explanatory and there was no need to show him how to wash the dishes.

"I've washed dishes before, Sakura," Syaoran chuckled. "I'm not that of a spoiled brat."

Sakura returned the giggle. "I know. Okay, let me go take a shower and get changed."

"See you." The two waved at each other as Sakura proceeded upstairs. Syaoran went ahead and washed the dishes. Unlike most kids born from the wealthy and raised without doing a single chore, he, on the other hand, finished washing the dishes in less than three minutes. He went further by wiping off the excess water that splashed on to the counter, dry and clean as new.

At that time, he heard a click leading towards the main entrance of the house. He got closer to the living room to see who was trying to unlock the door. Someone may have noticed that a young girl is alone in the house and decided to take advantage of the situation, but as for Syaoran, knowing his privacy and reputation is at stake, decided to be the guardian and got himself prepared for the incoming invader.

Eventually, the door opened, and the man of the house entered, along with three more guests behind him. Syaoran gave a sigh of relief.

"Now, now, sorry if the house is a bit of a mess. I'm sure my daughter's already finished with her—" Just as Fujitaka was about to finish his statement, welcoming Wei and his three colleagues from the university, Sayaka Iwasaki, the young and handsome Chinese neurosurgeon and new professor, Chen Jintao, and another adult about Fujitaka's age, a bearded anthropologist and historian named Dr. Keiichi Mie. "Oh! Xiaolang-kun! You're here!"

"Master!" Wei gasped. "I didn't expect you to be here."

Syaoran bowed formally as a guest of the house. "I was with Sakura-chan when she received your text message, Dr. Kinomoto. I didn't want her to be staying alone in the house at night so I decided to stay with her for dinner."

"My!" Fujitaka grinned in delight. "I thank you for keeping my daughter company for dinner, Xiaolang-kun. I actually got worried when I also received a text message from Touya that he won't be home for dinner either."

"The dinner was delicious, Sir. Sakura really put a lot of effort in to it."

"Ah, good to hear. What did you have for dinner?"

"_Omuraisu_," Syaoran gave a soft snicker.

"I see she's finally mastered that dish," Fujitaka nodded. He then turned to his guests. "Well, don't be shy now, take a seat, all of you." Right then, he turned to Syaoran once more. "Oh, I'd like you to meet my three colleagues who will be traveling with me to Mongolia in the fall. This is one of my long-time junior assistants, Dr. Sayaka Iwasaki. This here is my former dorm mate from the early college days and still my fellow colleague, Dr. Keiichi Mie, and this one here is a brand-new addition to the CRU anthropology department family. I'm sure you've probably heard of his name before- Dr. Chen Jintao, professor of medical anthropology, also originally from Hong Kong. Sayaka-chan, Dr. Mie, Dr. Chen, this is, as you know, Li Xiaolang."

"Oh my!" Sayaka gasped in shock. "You really weren't lying when you said that your daughter and Li Xiaolang are good friends!" She then quickly turned to him, now starstruck. "I may be in my early thirties but I'm a devoted closet Wolfpup!" She then offered a handshake as Syaoran accepted it.

"Good to know a fan outside the my generation," Syaoran greeted her. Right then, he turned to Dr. Mie, who also shook hands. "Good to meet you, Dr. Mie."

"A pleasure is mine," Dr. Mie smiled. "I have teenage twin daughters who are huge fans of yours. I do hope I'd be able to get an autograph and a photo from you for my daughters sometime."

"Sure thing. No problem," Syaoran nodded. Finally, he turned to his fellow Hong Kong Cantonese. "Dr. Chen Jintao, I could've sworn I've heard your name before."

The rather shy doctor shook his hand once the young idol offered. "I used to have my own neurosurgery practice in Hong Kong. I'm currently a researcher now at the Mindspring Neuroscience Research Center, just a few blocks from CRU. I just got recently hired as a resident professor at the new medical anthropology concentration, so… I'm excited to… start a new life here."

"It's good to meet a fellow Cantonese here in this area," Syaoran said. "Welcome to Japan."

"I've been here for a year now, but thank you very much, Young Master Li."

"Well then, take a seat," Fujitaka instructed everyone to sit at the sofa. He then placed his messenger bag and another bag at the side of the loveseat he is currently sitting on. "Where's Sakura?"

"She's getting ready, upstairs," Syaoran answered. "I'm just waiting for her so we can go to the night shoot."

"Aww," Sayaka teased. "It's very rare for a sweet, innocent, and ordinary young girl like Sakura to have such a hot, healthy, and handsome young idol like Li Xiaolang as her guardian and protector. I hope one day you'll be more than that for Sakura-chan. It'll be like… like a Cinderella story!"

Immediately Jintao hushed his girlfriend. "Don't tease the Young Master Li like that. He's not like most good-looking idol boys you mostly see in the media today. He has a more important legacy to fulfill and to carry—"

"That won't be necessary, Dr. Chen," Syaoran answered in a stern voice. Then he turned to Sayaka. "It's not my place to make promises like that. Plus, I don't actually know how Sakura-chan feels about me."

"Well then!" Quickly, Fujitaka interrupted and changed the subject. "While the night is young, let's start working on what we need to work on before our trip in two months." He reached for the other bag and took out the contents. Meanwhile, he gazed up at Syaoran and Wei. "I'm sorry, but the coffee table is the largest table we've got so far for reviewing these new items just recently delivered to us."

Wei answered with a smile on his face. "Oh, no worries, Dr. Kinomoto. The young master has a hidden passion for history, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind being a part of your work for the time being while waiting for your daughter."

"Oh, is that so?" Fujitaka asked curiously. This was the opportunity for him to check up on the young man's progress on his amnesia, while Jintao the neurosurgeon also decided to keep silent and observe the future heir.

"I've always have, Dr. Kinomoto," Syaoran answered humbly. "I now do know that my family is very familiar of you. My father said that you also wrote a scholarly journal about a particular contribution that my ancestors have made towards centuries of Chinese society."

_He's beginning to remember. Good sign._ Fujitaka nodded and decided to play along. "Yes, I have. You're right about that."

"It was about the history of the Li Family style kung fu and its different branches. My father recommended me to read your version of the subject during my training when I was a kid. I was reluctant at first because I didn't like reading in general, but when I read your book about it, it really got me more interested in finding out my roots and why the Li Family is so prominent in our own country. And then as a Tomoeda kid I even got interested in learning more about Tomoeda after my parents told me and my sisters about The Book of Keroberos."

_The books aren't the only reasons why you got yourself so interested in history, young one, _Fujitaka's voice spoke in his mind. He continued to play along. "I'm honored to hear you say that. Thank you."

Syaoran continued on. "Sakura-chan became curious about what your emergency meeting was about over dinner earlier. I made a guess that maybe one of your faculty members must have discovered something brand-new with whatever artifact you may have… or maybe they have cracked the code on an ancient document… something like that…"

"Almost," Fujitaka chuckled. "But you're on the right track. In fact, this is why Dr. Mie has been assigned to work under me in this upcoming dig in Mongolia this fall. I'm a staunch skeptic but today, I'm a bit of a believer."

Dr. Mie took over from this point. "I specialize in Mongolian anthropology in all sorts of genres. This includes linguistics."

Fujitaka picked up from where Dr. Mie left off. "The reason why the department assigned me and assemble a team to go to this Mongolian dig because some months ago, a group of farmers somewhere at the border of Mongolia and Inner Mongolia discovered a very old, very ancient scroll case made out of bronze that contained a very old scroll written in ancient Mongolian script that just washed off ashore by the streams at random when they were planting rice seedlings in their fields. I've never been to Mongolia before and I've never learned the Mongolian language, let alone the writing, that's why Dr. Mie is here with us. The department assigned me because of my thorough expertise and knowledge with Chinese, Korean, and Japanese history intertwining towards Mongolia."

"I just happened to be on vacation at the grasslands to visit some old colleagues from the universities in Mongolia when those farmers reported the scroll case to us. Unfortunately none of my Mongolian colleagues can speak Chinese or English, let alone writing in both languages, and for the fear of some international conflict, they gave the scroll to me to translate it in Chinese and Japanese. I took the scroll home with me, showed it to my colleagues back at CRU including Dr. Kinomoto here, and that I opted to translate this entire scroll in Chinese and Japanese. I finally finished the translation, and just as I was about to present the translation to the department chair earlier today, I received a package directly from my colleagues in Mongolia and received more scroll cases similar to this one. That's why we decided to have a last-minute emergency meeting regarding these scrolls."

"And," Fujitaka continued from where Dr. Mie left off, "during that meeting, I just had to assemble a team who would come with me to Mongolia in September. Lucky for Dr. Chen, he gets to travel with us."

"I don't understand though," Syaoran spoke curiously. "But isn't Dr. Chen specializing in… medical anthropology, you say?"

"Yes, Young Master Li," Jintao answered, "but my main expertise is traditional Chinese medicine— partially that also includes the traditional medicine of the Inner Mongolia region in Northern China."

"Ah I see. I forgot that the Northwest area of China used to be part of ancient Mongolia. Darn that Great Wall!" Syaoran exclaimed.

"The translation from the first scroll that Dr. Mie just did turned out to be a few recipes of various natural medical remedies. Apparently the other four professors in medical anthropology weren't present in the meeting and I was the only one there, the department had no choice but to bring me along. Maybe the rest of these scrolls may also have these similar recipes such as the first one."

"What's Dr. Iwasaki's role in your team then?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"Mou, don't be rude asking that question!" Sayaka pouted. "I've been working alongside my mentor, Dr. Kinomoto, since I was a grad student. I'm a reliable assistant."

"Yes, you are, Sayaka-chan," Fujitaka acknowledged with a soft chuckle. "Well then, let's take a look at these." With the proper tools and other kits needed for scroll examination, the team turned the living room coffee table in to an examination table with lights and magnifying glasses and all other sorts of equipment. They also begun surgical masks on their faces as well as latex gloves on their hands. Fujitaka even handed the masks to both Syaoran and Wei to protect themselves and to protect the scrolls from any form of natural harm.

Then slowly, Fujitaka opened the thick brown envelope, and while wearing latex gloves, carefully removed the bronze scroll cases. The rest of the team flipped the case top open and carefully removed the rolled up parchments. "Let's open the first scroll."

With his delicate hands, Fujitaka was able to open the parchment carefully without accidentally destroying it. What they uncovered truly gave them a reason to be amazed. The scroll revealed a rather detailed colored brush painting with captions and inscriptions on the side, much like the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean brush paintings that many are familiar with. The only thing is that the inscriptions on the side were in Mongolian calligraphy. The painting was that of pure grassland along with rivers, but at the same time there were flying leaves and petals of flowers of pink and white surrounding the scenery and there was a young warrior in green and a young maiden wearing pink clinging behind him while they were on a mighty steed horseback.

"Wow…" Syaoran muttered in amazement. "The scroll painting looks really detailed and the colors are still intact… it looks like Chinese or Japanese brush painting style!"

"Yeah," Sayaka gasped. "Except it's Mongolian."

Fujitaka turned to Dr. Mie. "Alright, Keiichi my man, you're the expert here. Can you read the inscription on the side?"

Dr. Mie switched places with Fujitaka, and with a magnifying glass, leaned over. "Hold on, it'll take me awhile to make up the script."

"Take your time," Fujitaka said.

"Although I'm a little curious about the depiction of this scroll painting though."

"What's that, Keiichi?"

"The attire of this couple here isn't Mongolian at all." Everyone fell silent as eyes are now turned towards Dr. Mie.

"Not Mongolian? But obviously the scroll painting itself is Mongolian. How can these characters depicted in this scroll painting not be Mongolian?" Sayaka asked curiously, then pointed towards the inscription. "And even the writing here is also ancient Mongolian."

"Sayaka-chan," Dr. Mie answered, "it's no doubt that this entire scroll painting is purely Mongolian. I was referring to the attire that these two characters are wearing. I know ancient Mongolian attire from the back of my hand and I'm telling you, these two characters, judging by the attire they're wearing, are not Mongolian."

Jintao took a closer look at the painting. "I think you're right, Dr. Mie. The young warrior in green here… his dress style looks very Chinese. I would say Southern Chinese attire."

Wei also joined in. "And not just Southern Chinese attire. This outfit— I've seen this style before— is designed for royalty."

"Royalty?" Syaoran gasped. "So this warrior guy in the painting could be a king?"

"A prince is more like it, Master," Wei corrected.

"The young maiden holding on to him is wearing a dress that resembles Heian era kimono… Japanese," Dr. Mie pointed towards the girl. "She also had no hairpiece except for a hair ribbon worn in a low ponytail, and the style of this kimono is quite ordinary. This signifies that the girl is an ordinary peasant girl, not of royalty or nobility."

"They look so happy together… the way the warrior prince's eyes gaze at the young lady holding on to him… and how the young lady smiles back at her," Sayaka interpreted with a smile on her face. "And so the scenery looks more grasslands, plenty of mountains, and very few trees, so I'm guessing…"

"No doubt," Jintao said. "It's the Mongolian grasslands."

"This doesn't make any sense at all…" Fujitaka leaned back and rested against the couch. "A Chinese warrior prince and an ordinary Heian era Japanese girl together… in Mongolia? That's impossible…"

"How can it be impossible, Dr. K?" Sayaka asked curiously. "I mean it only makes sense since we're all neighbors, right?"

"The Mongols back then were power-hungry savages," Fujitaka stated. "They invaded China several times and they also made two attempts to invade Japan as well in the early 13th Century. They would never allow a Chinese prince and a Japanese maiden loose and free in Mongolian territory. Those two would've been captives by the Mongols should they ever be spotted crossing their borders."

Dr. Mie shook his head. "You're right about that, Fujitaka, but, assuming that this lady lived during the Heian Era, this has to be way before the era of the Khans took power in Mongolia. We only have a few records indicating the various nomadic kingdoms that ruled that landlocked area and other parts of China and Russia, so not all of modern Mongolia is ruled by one single empire. Not yet anyway. The Heian Era already ended before the start of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan. Because there were so many nomads spread across the land then, that area was pretty much an open season for anyone who wants a piece of it."

The entire team fell silent while Dr. Mie continued to translate the Mongolian text on the scroll painting. This time, with his notebook, he began to write what he translated so far in Japanese. "I'm writing in Japanese right now, but I can give a quick translation in Chinese also if you like," he said towards Jintao.

"My Japanese reading and writing is pretty fluent, Dr. Mie, but thank you," Jintao smiled. "I'll translate everything in Chinese later on, just in case."

"Alright, good idea." He continued on jotting down what he translated so far when he stopped. "Wait a minute…"

"What is it?" Fujitaka asked.

"It's my miscalculation. The Mongolian script was not invented until a few years before the rise of the Mongol Empire. So, I'm estimating that this painting was dated sometime before Genghis Khan's rule or during the early years of the Mongol Empire. It's also the time period where Mongolia and China were already at war and years later, the time period that the Mongols attempted to invade Japan through Korea. So far the inscription sounds like this was more of folklore."

"Folklore? What did it say so far, Keiichi?"

"Well, Fuji, what I got so far is that these are a pair of star-crossed lovers— a strong and honorable prince of a secret but powerful, magical kingdom in the Song Dynasty escaped along with an item simply known as the Water of Immortality. Their kingdom was invaded by the Song Dynasty army, as the emperor was seeking this Water of Immortality. It was also said that a holy deity appeared to the prince in his dream and instructed him to escape, carrying the final bottle of the Water of Immortality in to a land more peaceful and filled with bliss in which he would only need to follow this deity's instructions on how to get there. He ended up traveling through Northern China, posing in different roles and characters to hide his identity, and eventually he ended up in the Korean Peninsula, crossed the Sea of Japan and was welcomed by a group of poor fishermen at the coast of Northwest Japan. I know because I was able to read 'Cipangu' there, the ancient Mandarin name for Japan back then. Anyway, continuing. There, he met the village chief's daughter. The villagers had no idea of the young prince's status as he simply came there as a peasant traveler seeking for a new life. Eventually, the two found love and the village chief permitted him to take his daughter as his wife. On the day of their marriage, their village was invaded by a rogue early samurai clan and that the prince and the maiden, now with the aid of that deity, were able to escape. They crossed back to Korea and ended up in this brand-new land that neither of them has ever seen before. A sky so blue and the sun so bright, with flat yet scenic rivers and valleys and pure grasslands everywhere, simply known as Chunliao… I think that's how it read. There, they were able to gain supporters from fellow nomadic tribes around the grasslands and they settled a similar magical kingdom as the one abandoned in southern China, in which the Water of Immortality became the source of that new kingdom's power, peace, and happiness."

The others gazed at each other in disbelief. "Wow," Syaoran made a statement. "That does sound like pure folklore. That can't be real. Maybe it was painted by a Mongol traveler who heard a local but now extinct folklore from other travelers or something. That just can't be real."

"What can't be real?" From behind, they hear Sakura's voice sneaking in their conversation. Everyone turned to the stairway to see Sakura, now wearing a pink lacy cotton top and denim capri pants, who just arrived downstairs.

"Ah, good evening, Sakura!" Fujitaka greeted his daughter.

"Welcome home, Dad!" The father and daughter embraced each other. In turn, the head of the Mongolian archaeological team introduced his daughter to his colleagues and made quick introductions with one another.

"So Dad, what do we have here?" Sakura curiously asked until she found herself looking amazed at the scroll painting being laid out. "Wow! What a beautiful ancient painting! But the writing on the side is all in smeared scribbles…"

Fujitaka chuckled. "No dear, that's Mongolian script."

"Hoe? But the painting looks Japanese… or Chinese… are you sure that's Mongolian?"

"Your Uncle Keiichi is here with us and you know how he's an expert in Mongolia, right?" Sakura turned to Dr. Mie and chuckled.

"Okay, I believe you. It's Mongolian."

Right then, Wei took a look at his watch. "Well, we must get going to the night shoot now. Good luck with the Mongolian scrolls."

"Aww," Syaoran gave a slight moan. "And things were just getting interesting too."

"If you want, I'll update you, Xiaolang-kun," Fujitaka said.

"Will you?" Syaoran's eyes lit in excitement. "You always teaches us the most interesting stories about world history, you know?"

_Of course I do,_ Fujitaka's voice spoke inside of him. "I'll do my best. Take care at the movie shoot."

"Thanks, Dad!" Sakura embraced her father. "Nice meeting you all. Good luck with the scrolls!" After they exchanged their goodbyes to each other, Sakura, Syaoran, and Wei made their way across the street.

Meantime, Fujitaka turned to his colleagues. "Looks like we've got a lot of work to do. Sorry we didn't bring this directly to the basement. I didn't expect Li Xiaolang-kun to be here. Originally Wei-san came along with me to pick up Sakura. I didn't want to be rude to our unexpected guest by just leaving him alone waiting for my daughter."

"That's so you, Dr. K!" Sayaka cheered. "Always the best host!"

"Just trying to be a hospitable local, that's all." Fujitaka smiled. "Well then, let's bring all our stuff downstairs and continue our work there." Carefully, they placed all the scrolls back in their cases and then followed their team leader to the kitchen area and at the back door, where there are stairs leading to another door to the basement.

The entire basement was originally built as another unit, so the Kinomoto house would look like there were two units in one building. The basement had a living room, a kitchen, a family room, and even three bedrooms. Even if it was designed that way, Fujitaka used the entire basement as his home research center. Countless volumes of reference books, unfinished artifacts and other items he brought in from his past digs, were all over the place. The three bedrooms served as bedrooms for the archaeological team members whenever the entire team needed to sleep over during their isolated research.

"This is my home base, everyone. Welcome!"

#

Tonight's night shoot would be a whole lot different. The Daidouji mansion has its own ballroom, where their lavish parties would usually take place, will be the scene of the talked about PJ party scene. Apparently, the Daidouji mansion ballroom was supposed to represent Meiling's character's home, a wealthy girl and the best friend of Mai Hirashiki's character in the movie, and the PJ party wasn't just a PJ party at random, but rather this was also Tomoko Domyouji's birthday.

In Tomoyo's bedroom, the girls get dressed in their pajamas, and just like majority of the costumes used for the movie, the pajamas that Sakura, Chiharu, and Rika were provided just happened to be personally designed by Tomoyo herself. Chiharu wanted to wear a lacy pink nightie that is a spaghetti strap top and lacy shorts that only stretched down just a few inches above her knee. Rika wore a navy blue nightgown that stretches down just right a few inches above her knees but is also wearing shorts underneath. Sakura received a white and pink vertical striped short-sleeved eyelet matching top and shorts. Tomoyo wore the same style as Sakura, but with traces of lavender and purple.

"Seriously Sakura," Tomoyo began to joke around, "you should keep your distance from Li Xiaolang. Plenty of Wolfpup girls are gonna be so jealous and stark raving mad if they find out that you and he have been having a secret rendezvous behind their backs, ne?"

"You know," Sakura went along with the joking, "I told Li-kun about that earlier but he refused. He said that if I start ignoring him, he's gonna force himself to be my stalker. Can you believe that?"

Chiharu chuckled along. "Wow, I guess the rumors among the 'insider' Wolfpups are true. Li Xiaolang really lightened up a bit with his work ethic."

"Yeah, seriously," Tomoyo smiled. "He still is rather difficult to work with, by observation of course, but other than that, he's been a lot nicer to his fellow cast and crew. He still finds Mai Hirashiki annoying though even though she's his leading lady in the movie."

Right then, Chiharu crossed her arms right after she buttoned up her top. "You know what's weird earlier? Takashi started referring Li Xiaolang as 'Syao-chan' as of late. He's acting like he's his forever BFF or something. He's being rude."

"Rude?" Rika asked curiously. "I don't think he's being rude. I just think that your boyfriend admires your idol as a person, that's all."

"Well I get that, but why call him 'Syao-chan'?"

"I do have to admit one thing," Sakura joined in. "I did notice Li-kun becoming a bit more open to everyone around the scene, even with the locals. He seems to be enjoying Tak's company a lot even though he knows he's a complete liar."

"Ugh," Chiharu frowned. "I can't believe my own boyfriend is way closer to my idol than I am, the president of the Tomoeda Wolfpups. How embarrassing is that?"

"I'm glad I don't have anyone to compete with," Rika snickered. "Eriol Hiiragizawa is still dreamier to me than Li Xiaolang even though the two of them are cousins. The Moonies were lucky enough that they were being acknowledged by him whenever they see him around. I think he and Meiling-chan would make a cute pair in the movie, but it's a known fact that the two of them don't have any romantic feelings with each other in real life of course."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Sakura snickered. "No one to compete with? You better observe your idol, Rika. You may be a bit shocked if you learn the truth about… Hiiragizawa-kun's tastes."

"Ahem," Tomoyo quickly coughed to interrupt. "So, now that we look really cute and pretty in our new night wear, any one here want to have their hair fixed?"

"Oh, me!" Chiharu gasped. "I want my pigtails to be curlier than my natural curls. I like the way you use the iron curler so I'll let you do my hair, Tomoyo!"

"No problem, Chiharu!"

"I'm just gonna wear a ponytail," Rika chuckled. "What about you, Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head to check the bounce factor of her chin-length brown hair. "Nah. I'm good. I'll just leave it as is."

"Speaking of that, Sakura," Tomoyo changed the subject once more. "Earlier I was looking out the window of my room and I spotted your dad arriving in his car with three other adults. I'm guessing they're his fellow faculty members in the anthropology department, am I right?"

"Yeah. They're gonna start preparing for their excavation trip to Mongolia in September," Sakura said. "I know my dad's expertise is East Asia and because of his influence, I earned vast knowledge about Japanese history, Chinese history, and even Korean history and some bits of Southeast Asia and Indochina history… but I don't know anything about Mongolia."

Rika suddenly broke in to laughter. "Vast knowledge of Chinese history? How can you not know about Mongolian history if you say you have vast knowledge of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean history? Mongolian history is very much intertwined with most of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean history. I mean the Mongol Empire pretty much owned a huge part of China and the entire Korean Peninsula. Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan's grandson, even attempted to invade and conquer Japan twice."

"Hoe? How do you know all this stuff, Rika?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Did you forget?" Chiharu laughed. "Last year's World History group project, remember? Me, Rika, and Naoko were grouped together and we randomly picked Mongolia as our project to present. Within Mongolian history we decided to choose the Mongol Empire. That's how Rika knows all of that."

"Anyway," Sakura stuck her tongue at the girls. "They had these scrolls stored in these really intricately-designed metal scroll cases. When me, Li-kun, and Wei-san left to come here, they were looking at this scroll painting. I overheard that there's actually a Mongolian folklore about a pair of star-crossed lovers, a Chinese prince and a Japanese peasant maiden, who are also guardians of this thing called the Water of Immortality or something, and they escaped their home kingdoms to Mongolia and lived happily ever after! Um, I think that's how it went."

"What?" Tomoyo chuckled. "Does Mongolia actually have that kind of story in their history? That really does sound like folklore."

"Maybe one day when you guys visit my house," Sakura said, "I'll ask Dad if we can take a look at that scroll painting. It's so beautiful, that's why. It looks like those ancient Chinese and Japanese brush paintings… except the inscriptions at the right side are in Mongolian scribbles."

"Scribbles?" Tomoyo laughed. "You must be talking about the Mongolian script. I've seen my mom do Asian-themed styles on some of her fashions before. She actually got this design catalog imported from Hong Kong and it had all the ancient Asian styles there. I saw a few of the Mongolian design styles with the Mongolian script on them. They do a bit like smeared scribbles compared to Chinese calligraphy and Japanese calligraphy, but that's how the Mongolian script looks like."

"That's all I know so far," Sakura shrugged. "And Li-kun's really interested in their project that Dad even offered to update him with their findings, just for the heck of it."

"You know," Chiharu smiled, "that's just like Li Xiaolang. You know, it's a fact since he started becoming popular in Japan that his favorite subjects are P.E., math, science, and history, and that he said that he may plan on double majoring in actuarial science and anthropology or something. And he reads a lot of non-fiction books too. That's history."

Minutes later, they hear door knocking in Tomoyo's door. Tomoyo ran to the door and opened it slightly. "Hi, Mom. We're almost done. I'm just fixing Chiharu's and Rika's hair really quick."

"Good, because the director will be having important announcements before the night shooting starts," Sonomi said to her. "You only got ten minutes left, so better hurry."

"Thanks, Mom." Slowly she closed her door and turned to the girls. "Well, we better hurry, my mom said that the director has some important news and announcements in ten minutes."

Quickly the girls hurried themselves to get ready.

#

When the cast, crew, and extras finally found themselves at the ballroom chamber of the Daidouji Home, Director Terada took the stand and hushed everyone to be silent. This must be the news and announcements meetings that Sonomi reminded Tomoyo about earlier that made the girls hurry and get dressed to their appropriate nighttime clothes for this particular night scene. Once everyone fell silent and all eyes were now towards him. In this meeting, the main cast and the supporting cast were on one side and the extras and cameo appearances are at the other side.

"Welcome to yet another night shooting session, everyone. I really do wish that we can all be perfect and shoot these series of scenes in just one shot so we can all go home and sleep. We've got plenty to cover tonight because our following shoots will be very tight. Tomoeda, the town itself, will be very busy with their traditional events and celebrations in August, and now that we're in the middle of July, we've got plenty of progresses, as well as plenty of more changes. The producers, the Kashiis, and myself have been working really hard to make this movie a very memorable one that people can enjoy over and over and over again, and for all of this, I would like to thank you all for bearing with us and thank you all for your hard work." Right then, everyone applauded for the opening statement, as the director continued on.

"First and foremost, we have laid out the upcoming scenes that we will be shooting starting next week. Apparently, next week will be the last week of the summer remedial period for the students who didn't do so well during the first spring trimester of school, meaning that we would be able to start shooting the school scenes in daytime. The Daidoujis, both the mother and daughter Sonomi-san and Tomoyo-chan, have collaborated together to design the perfect signature school uniforms for the movie. Tomorrow, we will be taking the day off from shooting and will be having a series of photo shoots and a few interviews here and there. Major entertainment and fashion magazines will be arriving tomorrow early morning, so all you main cast and supporting cast, be sure to arrive at the lobby of Tomoeda Inn first. We have created schedules for each and every one of you. Some of you will remain at the conference room at the inn for the interviews and some of you will be heading to Tomoeda High School for the photo shoots. Yes, that's right, you will be posing in your new school uniforms courtesy of Daidouji Couture."

Words and reactions began to exchange with one another, while Tomoyo remained silent with her usual grin on her face. "Wow, photo shoot!" Sakura nudged. "And they get to model your creations too!"

"Yup! I really look forward to seeing my creations get exposure to the public!" Tomoyo grinned. "Too bad it's not you who will be modeling the girls' uniform."

"If I were the main star of the show, for sure I'm gonna model all your designs!" Sakura grinned humbly in return.

"That would be so awesome. You can be my personal muse when it comes to designing clothes," Tomoyo giggled. "I really love the school uniform that Mom and I designed for the movie too. Too bad the ones who's actually going to model for the top fashion magazines would be Syaoran and… her."

Sakura turned her head to the other group, where all the main and supporting cast are sitting, and spotted Syaoran looking rather annoyed with his co-star Mai Hirashiki making flirty gestures at him while she blabbed on and on about something the male star didn't seem to be interested with. She then turned back to her best friend.

"Well, she is Syaoran's co-star in the movie after all," Sakura said.

"She's so… she's so difficult to work with!" Tomoyo frowned. "I mean imagine this. Mom decided to add her in her list of models for her collection. She's been sucking up to my mother for the longest time to become one of her models, just bceause Syaoran, Meiling, and Eriol are already are in her pool of models. She sucks up to Mom but she bitches at me whenever Mom's back is turned. Seriously if I were the president of Daidouji Couture right now I wouldn't even consider her as one of my models. I'd choose you over any girl any day!"

"Well, you'll just have to hang in there, Tomoyo. They won't stay that long anyway."

"Three to four months is way too long if you ask me," Tomoyo chuckled.

"Alright, everyone quiet down now," Director Terada called out as everyone fell silent again. "Next item on the agenda will be our movie shooting schedules in August. The producers were able to find unnamed sponsors who can help fund our movie project, so we're very grateful to hear the news. In this case, we will be a little bit lenient with the work schedules in August because there's a lot of happenings going on in Tomoeda on that month. I'm sure all the locals know what I'm talking about, right?" The extras quickly nodded with smiles on their faces. "Good. Well, then, I'll go ahead and proceed. First Sunday of August is the Tomoeda Summer Festival. A lot of things going on there, so we, the cast and crew, will be having a day off from the shoot so we can enjoy the festivities. There's the Tomoeda food contests, karaoke contests, and all the other booths that you would normally see in your typical summer festival. There's also going to be a fireworks show at the beach—" Once again, he was interrupted with enthusiastic cheers coming from the cast at the other side. "Yes, kids, you will be able to visit the local beach, finally!" He then cleared his throat to signify to everyone that he needs to continue.

"The week after the summer festival will also be the first time that we will be doing day and night shootings outside: the open grassland plains that border between the town and the forest, the forest area, and of course, the beach. These settings are very crucial in the movie because this is where all the romantic scenes are going to be."

At that time, Sakura smiled happily, knowing that she will be witnessing a real-life kiss scene for the first time in her life (and yes, in her life) while she plays one of the extras in one of those scenes. That would mean she would get to see all her favorite stars in the cast get their kiss scenes. She would get to see Eriol and Meiling do their kiss scenes. She would even get to see Syaoran do his kiss scenes…

_Oh no…_ Sakura's eyes suddenly expressed concern and fear. _That means… Syaoran's going to __have a kiss scene… with… Mai Hirashiki?_ Immediately, she gave a worried look, which, unknowingly, Syaoran took notice of. He responded by also giving the same worried look, but not for the same reason.

_I know that face, Sakura… and whenever I see that face, I start to get worried._

Terada continued on. "The week after that will be the annual Tomoeda Summer Camp. All of the Tomoeda youth from ages five to seventeen are required to participate. The summer camp is actually a fitness camp, where all the youth have the chance to get in shape through exercise routines and playing sports. The kids are separated in to different troops lead by volunteer older teens and young adults from ages eighteen until thirty. The ones who are excused from not participating would be the ones injured or too sick to participate in strenuous activities. Everyone else, strong and weak, athletic or meek, are required to participate. The producers care about our young stars here and that also means getting in shape and being responsible with their health. Just because you're in the movie shoot, that doesn't give you the excuse to slack off and lazy around when it's not your turn to do your scenes."

Majority of the teen stars moaned in displeasure, however Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling looked rather enthusiastic by giving humble grins at the director.

"The summer camp will take place outside town, starting at the plains, and the sports activities will cover the grasslands, the forest, and of course, the beach. The producers will give all the teenage cast members the week off during summer camp week so they will be able to participate in the summer camp along with the rest of the Tomoeda youth—"

"Yes!" Yamazaki suddenly exclaimed while others gave mixed reactions. He sneaked at the front and sat on Tomoyo's other side. "We can finally have a power beach soccer team, Sakura! You, me, Syao-chan, Eriol, and Yun Hwa-kun. It'll be like… the reunion of The IllTrix crew— except we'd be playing soccer."

"Silly," Sakura giggled. "Eriol's not a part of IllTrix."

"Oh… oh right…" Yamazaki frowned. "Still, it works!"

"Hehe, sure thing!" Sakura nodded. "If only it'd be just us… and no distractions…" Once again she gazed her eyes right at Mai Hirashiki again, who still continued to chat and blab some more with Syaoran. Even though it bothered her a bit, Syaoran, on the other hand, continued to be indifferent.

"After summer camp, we will resume all the school scene shootings, more photo shoots and interviews with the media, for the rest of the month. The last three days of the month, the producers had us make sure that all of the graduating high school seniors will have a one-on-one counseling with their teachers at the schools they currently attend to discuss their future plans. Most of you will resume your ongoing careers in showbiz, some of you will go on hiatus to attend college and some of you… may consider this movie project as your final in your young career and decide to move on and take on a different path. This also applies to the graduating high school seniors of Tomoeda as well. For three days, some of you may head back to the city to be able to attend these one-on-one counseling appointments with your teachers. For all the other youth here, I'm sure many of you still have your summer homework to finish, so use these three days to finish all of them. From there, we'll see where we're at and then decide when we can finally wrap up the shooting. Before I move on, any questions?"

Syaoran raised his hand immediately. "That doesn't apply to me, Director."

"That doesn't apply to me as well," Eriol also joined in, raising his hand.

"Same with me!" Meiling raised her hand, answeirng the same.

"Oh? Really?" Terada raised an eyebrow of suspicion. "And why do you kids say that?"

"I don't attend high school. I home school, remember? My entire family and highly-qualified tutors are the ones who have been providing me education. I stopped attending school after my family and I moved back to Hong Kong seven years ago."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. _My gosh… he never enrolled in to any school in Hong Kong? He went back to home schooling? Even today, he's still home schooling?_

Terada gave a chuckle. "Of course, Xiaolang, you're always an exception."

"My college career counseling isn't until November, Director," Eriol said. "After all, schools in Britan start their school years in the fall, and by then I would have to fly back to London to have an appointment with my counselor."

"Of course, I forgot. You attend a British school, Eriol. And you, Meiling?"

"I homeschool too, same as Xiaolang… except we have different tutors." Director Terada sighed.

"I already know what I want to do after I receive my high school diploma, which possibly may be earlier than the rest of the graduating seniors around," Syaoran added.

Touya, who was sitting next to Sakura, gritted his teeth. His sister could even hear the soft noise coming from her brother's mouth. "Stop grinding your teeth like that, Oniichan!"

"That snot-nosed punk… who the hell cares if he does home school, he doesn't need to brag about it!"

"Please, be quiet, Oniichan! This doesn't apply to you!"

"And you still haven't decided what you want to do after you graduate, Sakura. I'm worried."

Sakura remained silent as they turned back to the director again. "Any other questions before I moved on?" No one raised their hands, meaning they were ready to move on. "Alright then. Last item on the meeting, I'm turning the floor over to Xiaolang here. Alright, the floor's yours."

Everyone applauded and cheered as Syaoran stood up, donning a dark forest green pajamas and a white fitting t-shirt that perfectly fits his slightly rippled muscled body. As he stood, he began stretching his arms. "Well then, as you know by now, it's my eighteenth birthday in two days. The day after that will be the grand birthday celebration to commemorate my birthday. The invitations were sent to you guys a few days ago and invitation is also open to all the Tomoeda kids who would like to come and join the party. There are a few changes in regards to the party theme. Just to be fair, I decided to change the theme from having a semi-formal party in to a pajama party, just like the movie shoot we'll be doing tonight. In that way, those who can't afford to show up in a nice semi-formal outfit wouldn't have to worry about money issues and stuff anymore. The party still starts at 7:30 pm, so I do hope all of you would come, whether you arrive early or late. The venue is still going to be at the CRU Spinel Sun Auditorium. It's going to be a sleepover pajama party too, so not only that you need to show up in PJs, but you're also going to bring a sleeping bag and whatever stuff you want to bring when you head to bed. There won't be any alcoholic drinks in this party because it's illegal to have alcoholic drinks at a minor's birthday party here, plus I'm not the type of a birthday boy who would get drunk on his own birthday. If you can make it to the party, that would be awesome. Don't worry about the gifts. Just bring yourselves and your sleeping bags and other toiletries because you'll be sleeping overnight with me and the rest of the stars." He then turned to Chiharu. "And Mihara-san, please make sure you inform the Wolfpups of this new change." He turned back to the crowd again right after Chiharu acknowledged him. "And that would be it. I hope to see you then." Once again everyone applauded and cheered as he sat back down on his spot.

"Well then, that's it for our quick meeting. Let's get started with the shooting," Terada concluded the meeting. "Now, for tonight, we will be shooting the second musical number scene for The Cool Rascals, with Tomoyo and Sakura singing lead for this song, 'The Love of a Boy and a Girl'. If we're able to complete this scene with just a few takes, we may even squeeze in two more song numbers with Tomoyo and Sakura again in lead vocals. We hope that we'd be able to bring in 'It Only Hurts When I Cry' and 'Dream World' or even 'Dream Alone' should we get to finish the first one. I'd like to finish this before one in the morning so we can all have a good night's sleep. Okay, let's get the equipment set up and have everyone get their touch ups by the makeup artists so we can get going." He clapped his hands as a signal that everyone should get back to what they need to do.

The extras will be doing their quick makeup first before the main cast do. After all, the cast will be the ones who would take the most time, making sure that they have the proper make up for the cameras to capture their shots completely, efficiently, and with no facial flaws. The assistant director Aiba directed the Cool Rascals to sit at an area right next to the main cast while they wait for the extras to have their makeup done.

"We didn't even get to rehearse that song," Sakura sighed.

"No worries, Sakura, we already know the song with our eyes closed, ne? And besides, the guys will be playing the instruments. It's so cool that it only needed a bass guitar, keyboard, and drumsticks for the instrumental. And we've sung it several times these past week, ne? Don't worry," Tomoyo patted her on the shoulder.

"Thanks for calming me down, Tomoyo. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"That's what BFFs are for, hun!" She embraced her worried friend, with Sakura returning the embrace. "Ne, Sakura. You've been having that face for quite awhile now. What's wrong?"

"Well…" Sakura swallowed nervously. "You see… something… hit me… during our quick meeting earlier. It's about the shooting schedules in August."

"Yeah? What about? I look forward to August, you know? I can't wait for the summer festival and the summer camp!"

"Well… I worry about two things during August, Tomoyo," Sakura sighed. "I'm worried about my math summer homework and Syaoran."

Tomoyo's eyes blinked. "Eh? Why Syaoran? I mean okay, I understand your worry over your math homework because you suck at that subject, but why worry about Syaoran? I mean, based on my own personal observation, even if he couldn't recover his memories of you, he was beginning to fall in love with you at the same time. Why worry about him, Sakura?"

"Well… okay, this is embarrassing to talk about but I'll tell you anyway." Sakura took a deep breath and continued. "I know it's only for the movie but… I've heard from other girls back in school and even from the Wolfpups that Syaoran is a bit weak-hearted when it comes to girls."

"What?" Tomoyo chuckled. "What on earth do you mean by that?"

"Well… they said that if a really cute girl gets near him and then they kiss, he'll just instantly fall in love with her…" Quickly she turned towards the group near them and right at Syaoran and Mai. Mai was still chatting away while Syaoran concentrated in silence on his script. "And Mai Hirashiki is a really cute girl…"

From out of the blue, Yamazaki joined in the conversation. "Oh I don't know about that, Sakura. Syao-chan don't look like he's even interested in that Hirashiki girl."

"Still… I worry…"

"What? Syaoran? Remembering him since we were kids, he was one of the strongest ones out there. Sure, girls go crazy about him but most of the guys are scared of him. I mean, remember how he singlehandedly took your brother down when he was bullying one of his family's servant's kids then?"

"He didn't beat Oniichan up, Tak, he just took him down… like Aikido-style… that's all…" Sakura crossed her arms. "Sure he's a master in kung fu but he's not the type to pick fights on unless someone tries to pick a fight on him."

"And the fact that Syao-chan was only seven and Touya-senpai was only fourteen?" Immediately, Yamazaki felt pain on his head after Touya slapped him on the back. "Ow!"

"You gotta blab all that out loud, Yamazaki?" Touya gritted his teeth while glaring at his band mate. "You say one more word about that and your ass is mine, got that?"

"Oh drop the threats, Oniichan," Sakura warned her brother. "You maybe admirable in my books but you're an idiot when it comes to people skills."

"Ha!" Touya smirked. "People skills my ass. I can get along fine with people. I wouldn't be having all these part-time jobs for nothing, squirt. You need to get schooled on getting along with people more on a business level."

"I don't wanna get along with people on a business level. I'm not really that business-oriented," Sakura glared.

"Yeah seriously," Tomoyo said. "Sakura wouldn't want to be friends with Syaoran for business reasons after all."

"Eh? What are you talking about, Tomoyo?" Yamazaki asked curiously. "How's Syao-chan involved in all this?"

Immediately, Touya's eyes widened and turned to the other band members. "What's this I heard about that Chinese brat? Why do you keep on bringing him up?" He then patted Sakura on the shoulder. "Sorry to break it to you, squirt, but maybe the reason why your so-called 'one true love' isn't coming back to you until now probably because he's hiding from me! Well he better be afraid dammit!"

"Are you serious, Touya?" Yukito joined in the conversation and patted his best friend. "That Li kid isn't afraid of you."

"Hah!" Touya boasted. "We're talking about the next-door neighbor kid here, Yukito. I don't care about that damn teen idol."

"Both of them aren't afraid of you either way, Oniichan," Sakura continued to argue.

"And besides, Touya, since you're too busy focusing on your upcoming wedding and hating on the poor kid at the same time," Yukito continued, "that Chinese brat you so loathe so much just happens to be sitting near us over there."

Immediately, Touya snapped his head to the area of the main cast, where he still spotted Syaoran continuously reviewing his script in silence while his co-star Mai Hirashiki still continued to blag and blab and blab. "Damn… my nightmares have come true. I knew ever since that Chinese idol brat showed up in our lives for the first time that a bad omen was gonna come."

"Get over it, Touya," Yukito sighed. "I'm beginning to worry about you. That was more than ten years ago. Of course once you get older, new generation will be taking over our legacies, to speak."

"The first time I've seen that kid trying to beat up my sister on that day, I already knew he was trouble!" Touya continued on. "I mean seriously… learning kung fu at age five? You gotta be kidding me!"

"You idiot Oniichan!" Sakura exclaimed. "He was teaching me how to do the Li Family Style Tai Chi back then. He wasn't beating me up." She snapped her head away from her brother in disappointment. "You really are an idiot, you know that Oniichan?"

Touya rebutted. "Tai Chi? Girls shouldn't even be learning dangerous moves like that. Mom didn't exactly intend to raise you to be good at all the guy stuff!"

"What on earth are you talking about? Japanese girls and Chinese girls knew how to fight and defend themselves during the ancient times, you know. You should know that considering you and I have the same father, who happens to be a very respected archaeologist and historian. I mean what on earth is wrong with you? You were against me learning basic kung fu from Syaoran's dad and even from their butler Wei-san just because you say they're Chinese. Heck you were even against me joining the Judo Club and the Kendo Club and they're even Japanese martial arts. You wouldn't even let me join the Kyudo Club for crying out loud and all we're doing there is just stand in one spot and shoot arrows with a bow. You know, traditional Japanese archery?"

"Then again, even if I disallow you to join any of those martial arts you'd join them anyway. Girls shouldn't be disobedient to their elders!"

"That's because Dad gave me permission to join them. I know you mean well but you've got no right to decide how I should live my life. After kung fu, kendo, and kyudo, look how I turned out. I'm still a responsible good girl like I should be and you still act more of a delinquent than I am."

"Seriously, Asian ancient history is just screwed up. Why couldn't it be like European history where all the women did was staying at home and be good wives, do household chores, and bear and take care of their children."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Now you're just being sexist, Oniichan! If Mom would still be alive, she would be happy that I'm learning self-defense and all of these gentle exercises so I can be strong. After all, didn't you and Dad say that Mom wanted me to grow up being strong? Well?" She glared. Before things could get worse between the siblings, Yukito broke the argument.

"You're just being silly, Touya. That's what happens when the ego starts talking."

"What ego? I'm perfectly fine, Yukito!"

"And for one thing, Touya. The kid was teaching Sakura Tai Chi. Since when did Tai Chi became a dangerous move? Well, of course, it could be when used properly in self-defense, but come on."

"Ugh," Touya rolled his eyes. "You're my best friend, Yukito, and yet when it comes to me and my sister, you always take her side."

"I still love you like a brother, Touya, but your ego gets inflated big time when it comes to other guys," Yukito sighed. "It's a good thing Kaho isn't around right now but if you keep this up you may not even have a wedding to look forward to next year. You really need to get over that sister complex problem of yours."

Touya gave an unpleasant grunt as his response when one of the makeup artists arrived at their area. "Alright. Guys of The Cool Rascals band— it's your turn to have your touch-up!"

"Well, that's us," Yamazaki nodded. "Let's go, sempais!"

When the three boys stood from their seats, Yamazaki spotted Syaoran at the corner of his eye with a rather unpleasant expression on his face, facing their direction. Knowing his childhood best friend, that expression on his face meant that he was obviously displeased or angry. Judging by the way he glared at them, he knew it had to be something within the Cool Rascals band.

He caught up with the two twenty-four-year-old buddies. "Um, let's not talk about Sakura-chan right now, guys. Syao-chan has that face staring at us for who knows how long. When he's got that face, that usually means bad news."

"Ha! Maybe he's pissed off because I talked smack about him to you guys including my sister," Touya snickered. "Well he better be pissed because what I say is the truth!"

"Um," Yukito cleared his throat. "I think he's displeased with the way you talk to Sakura earlier, treating her like a helpless little girl when everyone else knows she isn't that helpless. Innocent and sweet, sure, but helpless? No way."

"Now, I respect both of you guys," Yamazaki started. "You and Syao-chan, I mean. The only difference is that you've got a higher ego than he does. And just to set things straight, he's from one of Hong Kong's most prominent families throughout history, I mean he's got royal blood running through him."

Touya rolled his eyes. "You know, Yamazaki, your storytelling has got to be enjoyable to listen but making up stories about a real person isn't very convincing."

"I'm not lying this time, Touya-sempai. Remember our last year's history project with Sakura and Tomoyo, how we were working real hard hogging the internet and checking out books from the library about China and even bugging your dad for help? We did ours on the Tang Dynasty period in ancient China. The Li Family Clan founded the Tang Dynasty, probably the most culturally, economically, socially, politically, and even in militarily flourished era in the entire Chinese history. When Buddhism is brought to Japan from China, the Lis were the ones responsible for the rise of Buddhism in their kingdom back then. His ancestors did so much for their people back then— and even though those were the ancient times, the Li family still lives. Did you know that the Lis are one of the wealthiest, most influential in all of Hong Kong? If I were you, Sempai, I wouldn't mess with him."

"Whatever…"

"I've read about the Lis' global reputation on the internet a few times too," Yukito said. "I'm not just talking about Li-kun, but his entire family— his father, his uncles and aunts, his distant relatives… Yamazaki's telling the truth on this one, I'm afraid."

"If you don't believe me, go ask your dad," Yamazaki added.

"Okay, seriously, just shut up— both of you." Touya knew he was defeated again and decided to keep silent.

Meanwhile, Tomoyo comforted Sakura with her arm around her shoulders. Sakura's head was lowered, but not because she was about to cry. She needed to cool down and relax before their night shoot begins, and of course, not let the words Touya blasted at her get in to her. At this point, both girls did not notice of Syaoran approaching them. He then sat next to Sakura's other side.

"You okay, Sakura?" Syaoran whispered, which startled the green-eyed girl slightly.

"Oh! Syaoran… I didn't see you there…" Sakura gulped nervously.

"Ne ne!" Tomoyo joined in with a huge grin on her face. "Can I call you Syaoran too?"

Syaoran slightly scooted back while facing Tomoyo. "Why?"

"Well… um… because somehow 'Syaoran' really suits you! Yeah!" Tomoyo made up an excuse, not jumping in to conclusions that he may have probably recovered some of his lost memories including the name he used while living his early childhood years in Japan.

_So I really am Syaoran Li?_ His inner voice wondered. Still, he couldn't help but stare suspiciously at the Daidouji girl. "Right…"

"You must probably hate me by now…" Sakura muttered softly.

"Huh? What?" Syaoran blinked his eyes in shock. "Why would you think that?"

She lifted her head and turned to him. "I know you don't like my brother very much… because my brother doesn't like you… and… well… I love my brother and all but… I feel like I'm cursed to never be able to be happy with the one I really like because he happened to be such a pigheaded… moron."

Syaoran slightly turned his head away. "You and your brother are two different people. Sure, same family, but different people. And I have to admit that your brother has got to be one of the smartest, most responsible people I've ever known, so give him some credit for trying to be an overprotective brother, and I admire him for that."

"Huh," Tomoyo blinked. "But Syaoran-kun, how is it that you and him never got along? I mean… civil yeah but you guys are always hostile to each other? It's really disturbing poor Sakura because of that fact, you know?"

"His ego pisses me off, plain and simple." Immediately he turned towards the seats where the boys were having their quick touch-ups by the makeup artists and then his amber eyes immediately targeted the older Kinomoto. _And even though he's an adult and I'm nearing adulthood myself, his ego still pisses me off._

"But he's not really a bad guy, Syaoran," Sakura reminded him. "He's just annoying sometimes with his ego, like you said."

"Even my older sisters don't talk down on me like that," Syaoran frowned. "If he really cares for you that much then he should support you with the things you want to do. Your father does. I'm sure your mother would've also if she were still alive. In my family, regardless of gender, anyone is welcome to do whatever they want to do. Joining in the family business, learning our family's kung fu, whatever. Of course, the only difference between you and my sisters is that my sisters aren't really that interested in our family traditions if you know what I mean. If I had plenty of brothers, then I wouldn't have to carry so much weight in stabilizing our family if you know what I mean."

Sakura nodded. "I know what you mean."

"I'm not trying to be offensive or anything but the first time I first laid my eyes on your brother, Sakura, I knew immediately that he was trouble."

_That's funny,_ Tomoyo gave a slight snicker. _Touya-niichan also said the same thing about you, Syaoran-kun._

"But very soon," Sakura said, "you and Oniichan will eventually get along as brothers. I mean, you don't have any brothers, he doesn't have any brothers, so eventually one day, you'll become like… blood brothers!"

"Blood brothers, huh?" Syaoran snickered.

"But, if you become brothers, wouldn't that mean that you'll have to marry Sakura? Ne, Syaoran-kun?"

"Hoe?" Immediately, she and Syaoran gave heavy blushes on their cheeks.

"Ohohohohoho! You two look so cute blushing together! Awwww!"

"Can it, Daidouji," Syaoran glared immediately at the raven-haired doll. "I thought he already has Yukito-senpai as his brother?"

"But the more brothers you have, the more you'll have less weight on your shoulders, ne Syaoran?" Sakura repeated what he just stated earlier.

"Er… well, your logic never ceases to amaze me, Sakura." He simply gave a humble smile at her.

"Well, you wouldn't have a problem about clan leadership inheritance if you have sons, ne?" Tomoyo grinned.

"Well, yes, since females aren't exactly at the front of the line regarding inheritance. If I was never born, none of my sisters will be the next clan leader after my father. It'd have to be my uncle, Li Taisung, my father's younger brother, and then his sons will be the next in line to the leadership."

"Wow, it's a good thing you were born, Syaoran," Tomoyo smiled happily.

"Uncle Taisung is one of my closest mentors and confidants. He's almost like a second father to me. It's his bitchy wife who I should be considering my aunt and my cousins, their two sons, who are the problem."

"Uh-oh… that's not good…" Tomoyo blinked.

"But I'm not gonna worry about them. As long as my father is the current leader and as long as I'm still alive, those bastards got no say on what goes on within the clan and all of that."

"Could they be the reason why you guys had to move back to Hong Kong from Japan seven years ago?" Sakura asked curiously.

He swallowed nervously. "Partially. I actually don't know the entire story since I was only a kid when all the mess began. You see, my father and Uncle Taisung were married around at the same time. My parents got married first, then some months later, Uncle Taisung and that golddigging tramp got married. My grandparents never really liked Uncle Taisung's choice to be his wife, but considering they had more hopes that my parents would bear a son, they didn't worry as much. When my parents had my four quadruplet sisters, Uncle Taisung and his wife had sons a year apart from each other, so technically, those two sons are older than me. Everyone thought that all hope was lost when my parents never bore a son as their first born, but Mom never gave up. She vowed to herself that fate would truly give them a son. And then seven years later, here I am."

"Right on!" Sakura cheered. "If I really knew what's going on in your family right now, you know Tomoyo and me will always support you all the way and we'll root for you when you finally become the new head of the Li Clan!"

"Hahahaha, thanks for the encouragement. I really appreciate it." Just as the conversation was about to continue, Eriol and Meiling joined in their chat party.

"Leaving Meiling and I out at your little chat, I see!" Eriol interrupted them. Sakura and Tomoyo greeted the two as they scooted over so the two can have space to sit. "Now what would our tough as nails cousin be talking to you lovely ladies about now?"

"Nothing of your concern, Eriol," Syaoran flatly answered.

"Well excuse me for asking," Eriol rolled his eyes.

"Oh, he's talking to us about his Uncle Taisung and his problem family," Sakura answered with a shy grin on her face.

"Ew," Meiling rolled her eyes. "I seriously hate Aunt Leiyi like hell! She was a really horrible actress too!"

"Eh? She was an actress?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Wanna know how I'm related to Syaoran and Eriol? My father, Li Mingdao, is a second cousin to Syaoran's father and Eriol's mother. He married Wu Honglan, my mother, an accomplished Taiwanese actress. She also happens to be that woman An Leiyi's rival in showbiz as well. I became an actress because of my mother's influence. That's why I consider myself a distant relative… a third cousin. But anyway, even though my mother was more popular she was, she treated my mother as if she was second class just because she married a somewhat distant relative of the current head of the clan. She even made their own maids cry whenever they mess things up with their tasks. And what I hate the most is that whenever there's a family gathering, she and those loser sons of hers love to suck up to Uncle Xiaojin and Aunt Yelan just so they would approve of her. The former head of the clan, we just simply call him Grandpa, never really liked her personally, but if she really does make Uncle Taisung happy, then no one can really stop them, you know?"

"There were seven of them siblings, with my father being the eldest," Syaoran continued from where Meiling off. "Then Eriol's mother, Auntie Ling, was the second-born. And then Uncle Taisung, Uncle Ming, Uncle…" He listed off his father's siblings, totaling to his father the eldest, Eriol's mother the second born, the third in line to the leadership, Uncle Taisung, three more males and the youngest, a female.

"What a huge family!" Sakura exclaimed. "Mom's family, who lives in Momijimachi, the town north of here, is pretty huge. Dad's family, not so much."

"You know last year, we did our history project on the Tang Dynasty, Syaoran-kun!" Tomoyo cheered. "It was actually Yamazaki's idea and my idea to choose that subject to make Sakura happy."

Syaoran gave a slight grin. "Did you, Daidouji?"

"Wow," Sakura sighed. "I never realized that the Li Clan was once a royal family back in the ancient times!"

"Well, royalty no longer exists in China," Syaoran chuckled, "and no one really cares about a family clan's ancestry anyway, but you know, thanks for choosing the subject."

"Yeah," Eriol and Meiling shrugged their shoulders as if the discovery of their family line was not much of a big deal.

"Plus there's so many Lis all around the world that any of them would claim they're descendants of ancient royalty, knowing that all of the royal blood may have been diluted by now as time went by," Eriol made a statement. "On the other hand, Chinese history and traditions of the ruling family clans back then are an absolute mess. Remember, there was the man, and then the wife… and then there were the concubines… and then there were the children born from the first wife and the concubines, carrying the family surname of 'Li,' and since many of them pretty much have little to no chance of reaching the throne, they continue to multiply and… multiply… and multiply… carrying on the name but the royal blood gets diluted. For all we know, neither Xiao nor Meiling even have any traces of that ancient royal blood."

Syaoran nodded in agreement to Eriol's statement. "That's why the modern generation of the Li Family Clan don't really make a big deal about ancient royalty at all. Hell, I don't. Even though the elders do say that we are direct descendants of the founder of the Tang Dynasty and the first wife, it's really hard for us modern Lis to believe that we really are of royal blood. There's hardly any old records to prove that. Maybe they were but they were probably long destroyed."

"And that is why," Tomoyo smiled, "we have highly-regarded archaeologists such as Sakura's dad to solve the unsolved mysteries of the past and finally reveal the truth to the world. It's what they do."

"Archaeologists and anthropologists, Tomoyo," Sakura corrected. "Archaeologists can't do their jobs properly without various types of anthropologists with special expertise on cases such as this. Just like what happened earlier at my house when Dad brought in his team of experts to crack the code of the mysterious ancient scrolls being found somewhere in Mongolia!"

Syaoran softly chuckled. "They're not in code, Sakura. They're in Mongolian script."

"But they look like chicken scribbles," Sakura stared curiously at Syaoran.

He began to scratch his head, trying to figure out why he finds Sakura's rather strange logic hilarious yet adorable at the same time. "A lot of people say that Chinese calligraphy, Japanese calligraphy, and to some extent, Korean calligraphy, look like scribbles. That's not any different from Mongolian script."

"Hoe…" Sakura began to contemplate to herself regarding Syaoran's answer to her curious confusion.

Right then, one of the makeup artists called out to their direction: "Tomoyo-chan, Sakura-chan, your turn!"

The two girls stood up. "Well, that's us. See you guys later!" They exchanged their waves and the two girls approached the makeup dresser area. The three guys of The Cool Rascals arrived in place of the two girls.

"And there he sits— the would-have-been Prince Xiaolang should the ever-mighty Tang Dynasty still continue until today!" Yamazaki sat next to Syaoran, patting him on the shoulder.

"Ugh," Syaoran moaned. "Enough with the whole Tang Dynasty royalty bit, Taka-chan. Just shut up already!"

_Taka-chan huh?_ Yamazaki simply grinned to himself. _That's Syaoran Li, alright!_

#

After the makeup touches and the preparation of the equipment, the shoot was about to begin. The director had everyone on the scene sit in a circle on the floor, as the pajama party guests would be listening to a quick song performance by The Cool Rascals. By the time that the band and the five main couples were about to find their place around in the circle, Director Terada halted them first.

"Alright, now that we've got the extras around the circle, the sitting spots of the main cast and the band are actually assigned. First, let's seat the band first," Terada said. "At the left of the circle facing the white chimney will be Yamazaki-kun, Touya-kun, and Tsukishiro-kun in that order. Across from the three will be Tomoyo-chan and Sakura-chan. Alright, get to your positions."

The band followed the director's instructions and sat at their spots. "With this, the band will be able to face each other as they play and perform. The others surrounding them would just be relaxing on the floor, gazing at the band and listening to their music and their singing voices. Next will be the five main couples. In order going to the left…" He listed out the other three minor couples, with one sitting next to Yamazaki and two sitting at Yukito's other side. "Finally, going to the right counter-clockwise: Mai-chan and Xiaolang-kun, you'll be sitting next to Sakura-chan. Eriol-kun and Meiling-chan, next to Tomoyo-chan. Let's go, everyone!"

The main cast began moving to their spots, with Syaoran sitting next to Sakura again. "So, here we are again, sitting next to each other."

Sakura gave a humble grin. "Here we are again. Indeed." She then turned to her beloved's co-star, Mai Hirasahiki, who, despite her alluring beauty after the makeup session, had a rather sour face instead. "Good evening to you, Hirashiki-san!" The female teen idol instead greeted her with a glare, which made Sakura turn her head away from her. _Okay… never mind I greeted you…_

"So," Director Terada began, "here's how this scene's going to work. Eriol and Meiling will be leading Xiaolang, Mai-chan, and the rest of the five main couples to the circle, where the rest of the party were already in a circle. Eriol calls out to the guys of The Cool Rascals asking if they're going to perform something for them to liven up the party a little bit. The Cool Rascals boys answer and then the couples then sit down at their assigned spots. From there, the band starts to perform the song 'The Love of a Boy and a Girl.' During the instrumental of the song, Eriol and Meiling and two other couples share their first kiss as they were getting in the mood of the song. Once the song ends and the band is finished, everyone applauds and then we end the scene. Do I make myself clear or do you want me to go through it again?" Everyone acknowledged him by stating that they understood his instructions. "Okay, good. I really do hope we can finish this at one take so we can be able to shoot more scenes before one past midnight so we can move on forward and hopefully would be able to finish the movie shoot earlier than scheduled.

"Now, before we get started, are there any questions?" Quickly, Tomoyo raised her hand. "Can you give the band and myself ten minutes to warm up? I mean we already know the song by heart but just performing out cold isn't gonna sound good." Sakura and the three boys nodded in agreement.

"Alright. We could have a short screen test while you kids warm up," Terada said. "Your ten minutes begins… right now!"

While everyone remained at their spot, the boys, with Yukito and his bass, Touya and the portable keyboard, and Yamazaki with just the two drumsticks began practicing the song's simple melody. While practicing, Mai suddenly asked the band a question.

"I thought Touya Kinomoto is your drummer and Takashi Yamazaki plays lead guitar?"

"I don't know how to play the piano," Yamazaki said. "The drums are my secondary instruments. Touya-senpai actually started learning how to play the piano first along with Sakura before he started playing drums. Plus, in this scene, the girls will be singing so they won't be playing any instruments. I thought that's all written in the script?"

"They are written in the script," Syaoran immediately answered. "It's just that Hirashiki's too damn lazy to read about other people's roles, that's why she has no clue."

"Why do you have to say that so bluntly, Li-kun?" Mai pouted. "Okay, so I don't really read other people's roles in the script…"

"I have no tolerance for slackers who call themselves professionals. Get your act together and start actually acting like a showbiz professional, Hirashiki."

"What?" Mai whined. "You know how my work ethic is. I only concentrate on what my role is. I have no time to help out anyone else on the same scene as me. Professionals should already know what they have to do in their role in the first place!"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "If you think that way, Hirashiki, then stop clinging on to me like you're some helpless damsel who has no clue what the hell she's doing in the first place!"

"Ouch," Eriol chuckled jokingly. "That's just way too painful, Xiao. So cruel…"

"Although, that's how Li Xiaolang really works on the set," Meiling snickered. "He was harsh like that to me also in the past but he meant well."

"And to think," Eriol coughed, "after you have passed the test and training on becoming the best lover among all the men of the entire clan you would be a lot more sincere and charming and kind to all the lovely ladies. Ne, Meiling?"

"Hoe? What test?" From out of the blue, Sakura asked curiously. In addition, Touya, who had been playing the keyboards at their warmup, stopped with a shocked expression on his face. Syaoran, in turn, growled at his cousin.

"You _do _know that there are a lot of things happening within the clan that shouldn't be exposed to the public, Eriol. Lucky for you I am not clan leader yet or else you will be severely punished."

From out of the blue, Touya called out: "What the hell is this about 'training and test to become a good lover'? I knew there was something fishy about your family. I've read that there's plenty of evidence that your family is highly connected to the Triads! In fact, many of the leaders of the Triads are from your horde! Heck, there's even rumors that your family are one of the principal heads of the notorious Triads! First I read this, then you screw around with some random chick just because of some traditional training and test? I don't even know how my sweet Sakura would be like after she ends up going out—"

"Just please be quiet, Oniichan!" Sakura bit her bottom lip, attempting to keep his overprotective brother silent, but at the same time, she could feel her heart shattering thinking that he had already given himself to someone else just for the sake of family tradition.

"You're talking about a different Li Clan, Touya-senpai!" Meiling exclaimed. "Our family has a lot of extended families outside the principal family who may not even associated with us. It's really complicated to explain— but no way that Xiaolang and his parents and those who are immediate relatives of them would be heading the Triads! That's the only major problem that our family has right now— internal conflicts of interest amongst the family members as to where they want to move the clan's legacy towards at." She then gazed right at Syaoran. "I've known Xiaolang since we were little and no offense to him or my family, but I believe that Xiaolang can become a much more capable leader than Uncle Xiaojin would be. Besides, he already knows how he's going to restore law and order at the clan's hierarchy." Right then, she turned away from him. "In case you're still wondering… nothing really happened."

"Huh?!" Touya exclaimed. "What the hell do you mean by 'nothing happened'? You heard what your co-star just said… that brat _passed_ the test!"

Meiling gave a slight grin. "You don't know exactly what that test was about in full detail. I can guarantee you. Nothing happened." Touya remained silent, but still remained his glaring towards Syaoran.

"How come you won't say anything about it then? Moreover, why isn't _he _saying anything about it?"

Eriol sighed. "I know why Xiao's not talking. It's because of the Li Family Clan Code of Silence. Xiao is not allowed to speak to anyone, whether they're in the clan or outside of the clan, about his training and tests in detail. He can only speak of the results. We only know the fact that he passed the test, but the details on how he passed it still remains unknown in the open. Right, Xiao?" Instead, Syaoran remained silent while being calm at the same time.

"Code of Silence… what?" Touya gave a perplexed expression. "What the hell, that only shows that he's guilty!"

"Um," Yukito interrupted, "I don't think that would be the reason why they have the code of silence. For someone who's an archaeologist's son, you sure don't know much about world history."

"Whatever, Yukito." Touya rolled his eyes.

Immediately, the director stepped in. "Alright, ten minutes is up. Let's get the shooting started. Places, everyone, places!"

Before heading out from another scene, Syaoran leaned over to Sakura. He had a feeling that the matter Eriol just mentioned may have given a bit of a grief on the girl he found most precious to him at this point. "Can we talk later?"

Sakura nodded, trying to keep cool as always. "Of course. When we're done with the shoot. Don't worry about Oniichan. He's just being paranoid."

"I know," Syaoran gave a faint smile. He then was dragged by Mai as they head to their starting spot to begin their scene.

#

_You hold me close and say sweet things_

_You kissed me and my heart gets to sing_

_Ooh, it's the love of a boy and a girl_

_Whenever we are far apart_

_I know we're with each other at start_

_Ooh, it's the love of a boy and a girl_

_As days pass on our love grows on_

_And we know that nothing that can go wrong_

_Ooh, it's the love of a boy and a girl_

_It's the love of a boy and a girl_

Much to the director's slight disappointment, it took about seventy takes for this scene to get it right. There was nothing wrong with the performance of the band at all, however, with all the other minor screw ups that came along with the scene, most of them coming from even the main cast, the repetition of the singing also gave a bit of a fatigue for Sakura and Tomoyo that they even had to take ten-minute breaks in between just for the two girls to rest their vocal cords. For one thing, the two girls even had to lie down during breaks and even drink warm remedies, such as warm lemon tea with honey.

For instance, Mai's constant cuddling on Syaoran, which gave him a disgusted expression on his face whenever she tried to lean her head on his shoulder. Apparently, Syaoran forgot that he was supposed to look like he was happy and in love with the girl next to him per the instructions from the script. This was no time to be stubborn and act like he was the second master of all the masters throughout the Li Clan. There was also an instance where Eriol could not even bring himself to kiss Meiling at their kiss scene with an excuse stating that he was used to kissing something man-made, such as a particular picture frame. There were also minor mistakes as well from the band as well. The mistakes were not even from their performance, but rather from the facial expressions of the band members themselves. In particular, Touya and his suspicious glaring face directly towards Syaoran, who was sitting right across from him on the circle, Yamazaki and his inability to keep himself from laughing, and of course, Tomoyo and Sakura looking rather fatigued than enthusiastic with their singing.

The musical scenes for the other songs the director mentioned earlier will have to be done tomorrow night. When they finally ended the night shoot, it was already past 1:00 a.m. Syaoran initially planned to talk to Sakura about the so-called traditional training and test for a future leader of the Li Clan to be the best lover among all the Li men that Eriol blurted out earlier. He would definitely not forgive Eriol for blurting that out in public, knowing that it is within the clan's jurisdiction that the training and testing of a candidate to become the next clan leader should always remain a secret within the Li family members only. Sadly, that did not happen because of the uptight big brother who now believed that Syaoran grew up to be a player who did more than just flirting with whatever pretty girl he may see. In addition to that, it was evident in Sakura's rather faint and scratchy voice that her vocal cords were extremely exhausted from all the repetitive singing of the song "The Love of a Boy and a Girl."

When the siblings arrived home, they found the door to the basement still lighted. This meant that Fujitaka and his Mongolian expedition team were still at work with those ancient Mongolian scrolls. The siblings stopped by the basement to see the CLU anthropology department faculty members doing their work. Fujitaka, Sayaka, and Jintao were already in their sleep clothes, while Dr. Keiichi Mie still remained in his work clothes.

"Hey there," Fujitaka waved at his children. "Just got home, eh? Must have been a long scene."

"Eh, not really," Touya shrugged. "We just screw up several times here and there, but we finally got it. But Sakura here's really beat."

"Hm? Something wrong?" Fujitaka placed the scroll he was reviewing on the table and then approached his daughter.

"She can't talk right now. Her vocal cords are totally screwed. Hers and Tomoyo-chan's even from all the repetitive singing."

"Oh my… I better make you some warm tea!" Fujitaka gasped when Sakura stopped him by tugging on his sleeve. "Hm? No?" Sakura shook her head. She makes a sleeping gesture where she reminded him that she would be heading upstairs to her room so she can rest. "That's probably a better idea. We've discovered a lot from the scrolls that we reviewed earlier. It can wait until tomorrow morning, alright?" She nodded with an enthusiastic grin on her face. "Alright. Have a good rest, dear. Goodnight."

Sakura embraced her father as her reply of goodnight and waved at the rest of his team, who also said goodnight to her. She exited the basement until she was completely out of the area. Touya then turned to his father.

"Did you know that the Li Clan are one of the prominent families that run the Triads?" Touya immediately asked that question.

"A different branch of the Li Clan, yes." From out of the blue, Dr. Chen Jintao answered after hearing the question.

"Oh? How would you know that?"

Jintao cleared his throat. "One of the heads of the Triads, a Li to be exact, just happened to be one of my former patients back in the day and he confessed to me that the Li Clan of the Triads may be distantly related to the Li Clan headed by Li Xiaojin, but they absolutely have no relations with each other, so to speak."

"Oh, and did you know that they have a traditional training or testing or whatever that involves sex with some random girl?" Touya continued on with his beliefs.

"Touya, there is a woman in this room. Please tone down your mouth," Fujitaka warned him. Touya shifted his body to see that Fujitaka's assistant, Sayaka, was already facing him.

"Oh… um… sorry…"

"You better head to bed now, Touya. You've got another busy day tomorrow."

Touya sighed. "Yes, Father." He then turned to the rest of the team. "It's good to meet you, but I'm too tired. Formal introductions tomorrow."

"Not a problem, Touya-kun," Keiichi Mie waved. "You have a goodnight now."

Once Touya exited, Sayaka suddenly ran to Fujitaka. "What on earth was your son talking about? Is he saying that the beloved tough as nails hot teen idol actor Li Xiaolang is no longer a virgin?"

"Oi!" Jintao gasped. "I don't think that's an appropriate subject to talk about, Sayaka…"

Fujitaka hushed them. "Please do not spread this towards anyone else, alright? My rule of the basement of what is said in the basement will remain in the basement still applies here."

"So, what happened, Dr. Kinomoto?" Jintao asked curiously. "Even I as a fellow Chinese would also like to know the secrets of the powerful Li Family Clan myself."

"For one thing, it was his manager and butler, Wei Wang, who told me this story earlier…"

#

The clock stroke at 3:00 a.m. and Sakura still couldn't get herself a restful sleep. Not even her Chiirou bear was giving her sweet dreams that would keep her asleep until sunrise. What was it that was keeping her up this time, she wondered. Was it the major fatigue she and Tomoyo received from all the repetitive singing of the same song because of numerous takes? Was it because of her brother's overprotective annoyance and his desperation to put Syaoran down? Or was it the fact that Syaoran was no longer pure, so to speak?

_No, because tonight was so darn hot and I forgot to open the window a little bit._

She slowly got up from her bed, unconsciously carrying Chiirou with her. She tied her chin-length hair in to two small pigtails just to make it look like she was slightly primped and walked over to her window. When she slowly slid her huge window open, she spotted the window across from her with the lights open. Not just that, she also spotted Syaoran sitting at his own window sill, staring out in the open with a familiar pink stuffed animal in his arms. With his facial expression, she knew he too was bothered with something other than not being able to sleep tonight.

At her desk, she reached for her phone, which was currently being charged on the surge protector next to her computer. She decided to send him a text.

_Hi Syaoran! I can't sleep and my vocal cords are still exhausted, so texting is the only way I can talk to you. I can see you from my window too. Are you alright?_

She led out a hopeful sigh and waited. Now resting on the window sill herself, with Chiirou in her arm this time. She closed her eyes so she can feel herself sleepy. Few seconds later, she heard her phone vibrate. An envelope icon with Syaoran's name on it appeared on her screen and she quickly opened it.

_Come out and climb over the cherry blossom tree. I'll meet you there._

Quickly she ran to her clothes hanger where she grabbed her pair of shorts so she can have a pocket to put her phone in. She quickly changed from her PJs to her shorts and placed her phone in her pocket. Leaving Chiirou at the window sill, she climbed over her window and on to the sturdy branches of the tree until she got to the center. When she got there, Syaoran was already there, waiting.

"Syaoran…" Sakura called out his name in a soft whisper knowing how strained her vocal cords were.

"Shh… don't speak," Syaoran answered. "You need to rest your vocal cords for a few days." She answered with a thumb up and a smile on her face. "Do you want anything to drink? Something warm, like tea?"

Sakura wanted to convey her words in to signals, but she didn't want to complicate her non-speaking communication with him that she reached for her phone and began to text him. _"Warm tea with lemon and honey?"_

"I'll have Wei prepare it for you. Don't worry, he's used to waking up in the middle of the night just to serve the masters." He reached for his phone in the pocket of his sweatpants and began to text him to make warm tea with lemon and honey for Sakura. After he was done, he placed his phone back in his pocket and then faced her.

"I was afraid that one of these days… _that_… will come out in the open anyway…" Syaoran sighed deeply. Sakura simply stared at him with a curious look. He couldn't explain to himself how, but just by gazing at her curious innocent face and the way those emerald eyes stare at him, he could read what was in her mind. "You're curious about what types of tests and training that I have to go through in order to take my place as the new leader of the Li Clan?"

She nodded quickly, but her expression still remained unchanged. "Are you willing to listen? You won't argue or anything like that?" She shook her head, then she tapped her ear with a finger. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

She began to text him again through her phone: _"Dad has taught me a lot of things. People who jump in to conclusions are one of his pet peeves and he gets easily annoyed by them, so he taught me and Oniichan how to listen to people before we jump in to conclusions. Unfortunately my brother still has yet to learn how to really listen to people properly."_

He immediately received her message and responded to her. "I don't care about your brother— not in a harsh way I mean— I care more about you, Sakura." She gazed at him with a worried look, and once again, somehow with no explanation, he read what was in her mind again. "If you're wondering… yes… I am worried."

She sent another text: _"I'm ready to listen, Syaoran. You said that you trust me with your life, ne? And I also said to you that I trust you with my life too. That trust is still there, Syaoran."_

"Thank you, Sakura." He bowed his head to her to show his gratitude after he read her message. "I stayed silent when others talk about it because it was against the family code. Just blabbing about it to a huge group of people only shows weakness and desperation. I have to admit that my time in showbiz really helped me overcome these types of obstacles. The tabloids have already talked too much about me, much of it are all fabricated lies. This is absolutely nothing. If it was the only means to keep the reputation and dignity of the Li Family Clan intact, silence is the only solution."

She began to type her text on her phone: _"You don't have to tell me all the details about your training and testing to become the future leader of your clan, but I really want to know what happened with the one Eriol blurted out earlier at the night shoot. This whole 'training and testing' to become a true lover or something like that?_

He read the text after he received it on his screen. "This particular training is also a test at the same time. I have to go through training on… how to seduce a woman so I can easily find myself a wife when the time comes. There was also a double-meaning to this portion as well, but I didn't figure that one out until the night of my sixteenth birthday party. People around the clan talk too much that even Eriol got himself influenced with these empty and meaningless lies. But he's right on some of the things he said— Chinese culture, especially those of the elite, are really screwed up."

She sighed and lowered her head. Once again she sent another text: _"I got the general idea of how the Chinese elite society is really like for centuries and centuries. Dad loves to talk about history a lot. It's his passion, as you know it, but I also have fun listening and knowing more about them. I get excited whenever he talks about Chinese history because… well… you always come in to my mind whenever someone mentions China."_

He gave a slight snicker. "So you do, Ying Fa. Anyway, moving on. You're familiar with concubinage in China, right?" She nodded promptly. "Well, it still exists today, especially with the high society elite. My family clan is no exception." She began to show another worried look, already thinking ahead. "Not all males in the clan have concubines, silly. It's not required. It's all up to their choice after all. My father even considered getting a concubine before when my parents had my quadruplet sisters because he thought that with four girls being born at the same time that there was simply no hope for them to have a son. My mother, according to the clan elders, was a rare type of woman to be married in to the Li Clan. She wasn't just all beauty, but according to them, she had more brains and guts than my father has as an individual. She was more of a modernist even if she herself was of the high class as well and refused to go along with the whole traditional concubinage system. My father also fears her a little bit, plus he was way too smitten by her for him to even consider having a concubine anyway. Dating amongst the Li women is pretty strict too, of course this applying to my older sisters and Meiling. The elders have to make sure that the Li girl they plan to be with isn't a concubine. My familiy has high-class pride with their girls that they would always be chosen as the first wife and not as a second wife or a concubine."

"_I see. I thought the whole concubines thing only existed during ancient times. I guess it still exists today."_

"That was another purpose as to why I had to go through this training... and testing. My mother was adamant to raise all of us five children to have modern Japanese values so we didn't have to go through all of the whole concubinage system and simply stick to staying with the first and the only spouse you marry for the rest of your life. Sadly, this training and testing was still required by the elders, much to my mother's chagrin."

"_So, can you tell me what happened to that training and testing…?"_

He nodded at her. "I'm about to get in to that part."

#

_**Plum Blossom Palace, Anjiao Island, Hong Kong, China (2 years ago…)**_

_Syaoran Li just turned sixteen-years-old yesterday, but tonight was the official birthday celebration hosted by his parents and the elders of the entire Li Family Clan, not simply limited to the ones stationed in Hong Kong. Anjiao Island is a private vacation island currently owned by the Li Clan for centuries located about some 2,000 miles south of Hong Kong Island. The island is so secluded and secretive that it was not even labeled in the official maps of Hong Kong, let alone China., and that the island itself is difficult to determine whether it would be considered as part of the Hong Kong vicinity or a separate vicinity within China Plum Blossom Palace is the fabled palace estate that houses the ruling immediate family of the clan. The head elders including Syaoran's grandfather, Li Zheng, and their families, domestic help, and staff reside. Since the car accident, Syaoran and his family moved from their city manor in mainland Hong Kong to this island. His father and current head of the clan, Li Xiaojin, continued on with his business with Li Enterprises secluded at home with only a few of his most trusted executives and colleagues to enter the island for business._

_Plum Blossom Palace was not just a fancy-looking majestic building. The entire Anjiao Island just happened to be occupied by the Plum Blossom Palace grounds with no other residents surrounding the outside except for those exclusively of the Li Clan or any staff members who closely served the elders and their immediate families. The grounds was intricately-designed to look more like the ancients old structures that stood majestically just like those built and existed during their royal ancestors' reign, the culturally rich Tang Dynasty. There was the main residential palace and smaller mansions surrounding the palace. There was also a Taoist temple, a Buddhist temple, and a few Christian chapels of different sects for those of the religious ones. The Tang Dynasty was so open to welcoming a vast variety of ethnic cultures from around the world who cross through the legendary Silk Road, which included religion, and the Li Clan of the modern time emulated their ancestors' openness and influence to the world today._

_The high elders of the clan already informed the future heir to the clan leadership the type of test that he was going to endure on the night of his birthday party. It may seem rather unorthodox to the modern society, but as part of the Li Clan's traditions, things like these must be done. Not only that they needed to be done, they needed to be done wisely. The day before his birthday yesterday, he, his father, his grandfather, and all the elders of the clan had a meeting regarding the upcoming test that he will be going through once he reached sixteen. The week prior to his birthday was that particular training on how to charm and seduce women in order to get himself a bride once he came of a legal marriageable age. All that the elders assigned him to do was more of a survey-type of training. He had to read books, watched educational movies, and even interviewed the women residing within his family's island including his older sisters, his female cousins close and distant, which also included Meiling. He even put his newly-learned skills (by reading, watching, and interviewing) in to his acting roles in both Hong Kong-produced and Japan-produced movies and TV shows. So far, by fan standards and even his female co-stars, he had done a rather good job._

_On the night of his birthday party, his father met amongst his trusted colleagues if they had any daughters who had an interest in his son. Much to Xiaojin's surprise, there were plenty of them, but according to the elders, he only had to choose one. He made his choice on the lucky girl who would be spending the night with his son by writing an essay about what they like and dislike about Syaoran, as well as how would they handle the Li Clan once they become Syaoran's future wife and eventually become the head mistress. This all took place during Syaoran's week-long training of reading books about females, dating, romance, and sex, watching educational films of the same subjects, and his general interviewing of the women within the island about their husbands, current boyfriends and fiances, or any of their first loves in the past._

_One such refined high-class lady by the name of Liu Bailing became the lucky girl. She too just turned sixteen, gracefully beautiful and refined, and most of all, definitely elite class, belonging to a family that's a few stages behind the Li Clan's wealth. Most importantly, she was one of the "closet" fangirls of the future Li Clan leader as a showbiz idol, and of course, as a future tycoon in the real world. Xiaojin was charmed and truly pleased when he interviewed this young lady. She wasn't just all beauty, but she was also as culturally well-versed as his son. She was a classical ballet dancer of both the European and of traditional Chinese ballet, as well as a violin and the seven-stringed traditional Chinese instrument known as the Guqin. Xiaojin knew that if he were in Syaoran's shoes right now, he would be the happiest teenager at this point._

_Despite of this young lady's high-class refinement, there was one little secret that neither Xiaojin or the elders of the Li Clan knew. In fact, not even the Liu Family even knew about their princess-like daughter. Liu Bailing was a rather promiscuous young lady who only has an appetite for young, strong, handsome, smart, accomplished, and very masculine boys. Rumors have spread that she have had at least fifteen boyfriends at this point as a result of her unending promiscuity, while others believe that she prefers one-night stands and then move on to the next. Much to Xiaojin's and the Li elders' unawareness, a covert report investigated by his most trusted butler, manager, and personal right-hand man, Wei Wang, Syaoran received this small piece of news just two days before his birthday party. By that time, he already knew what to do before he goes through this test._

_During the birthday dinner, Syaoran, who was sitting at the head table along with his family and the rest of the elders, made his own personal surveying of the people who attended his party. His most trusted cousin Eriol was there. So was Meiling, who at that time was not his girlfriend just yet, as well as a countless number of cousins and many more other cousins from distant branches of the clan were present. When he spotted and counted his male cousins aside from Eriol, he was immediately pleased at the turnout._

_After a series of entertainment performances from some of Hong Kong's most prominent dance troupes performing ancient dances and songs that were traced back during the Tang Dynasty. The gift-giving came and as always, Syaoran was completely spoiled with plenty of gifts from his family and closest friends and colleagues of his family. Among the Li males at his age, many thought that Syaoran was completely different from all the other Li boys including his own father. Most of them would open the gifts in front of the guests. Syaoran, on the other hand, would rather open them at his private time because he wanted to make sure that he received every gift from every guest. Also in his private time, he would also be able to decide which one of the gifts he will keep and which one of the gifts will be donated to his favorite charities. He was one of those few elites who prioritized the needs of the common people more than his own needs._

_Finally, the Lius presented their daughter Bailing to the Li Family. Immediately, the elders knew that this girl was the chosen one who will be part of their future leader's test. Syaoran also knew that this was the rumored high-maintenance promiscuous girl that Wei reported to him about a few days ago. Xiaojin encouraged Syaoran to dance with Bailing, leaving majority of the teenage girls including Meiling give rather sour looks at them. Meiling even noticed Bailing's smirk on her face, which even got her a whole lot more angry than before. After the dance, the party was to end and Syaoran and Bailing were about to go through the testing together in one of the arranged rooms where they will be spending the night together._

_Meiling, appearing in a white and red elegant silk cheongsam dress, approached Eriol, who was currently talking with his mother, the second-born Li child and Syaoran's aunt. She bowed down towards Eriol's mother, introducing herself in Cantonese._

"_My name is Meiling Li. My father is actually a second cousin to Xiaolang's father, so I am a distant relative, but Xiaolang and I have known each other since childhood, so to speak."_

"_No need for introductions, Dear. I know who you are," Eriol's mother, Ling Hiiragizawa, answered. "This is my son, Eriol. I'm sorry he's not very good at Cantonese."_

_Eriol began speaking to his mother in his native British English. "Mother, your family is just way too huge. I can't believe that you're the second eldest to the ruling immediate family." He then turned towards Meiling and bowed down to greet her. "So, you're the cutie Xiao's been talking about. Good to meet you!" He then offered a handshake to his new distant cousin. He still continued to speak to her in English. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at Cantonese."_

_Meiling then answered to him in Japanese this time. "I was told your father's half-Japanese so I'll assume that you can speak Japanese too? My English is way too Chinese-accented for you to even understand."_

_Eriol grinned. "I do, actually," he answered in Japanese._

"_Well then," Ling smiled. "I'll leave you two alone for the time being. I need to talk to my older brother— your Uncle Xiaojin, I mean." She then turned to Eriol and spoke to him in English. "I'll call you when it's time to go, Eriol. You better do answer when you see my name on your screen, please."_

"_I will, Mother, don't worry." The Hiiragizawa mother and son split, leaving him with Meiling at his table._

"_I personally don't like her, Hiiragizawa," Meiling rolled her eyes. "Of all the girls that Uncle Xiaojin had to choose, it had to be that slut?"_

"_Eriol is fine, Meiling. We are family after all."_

"_Thanks," Meiling gave a small grin. "Xiaolang is just way too good for her. Ugh, I really do hope that when Xiaolang becomes leader of our family clan that he would just abolish this stupid test. It's just… it's just not right!"_

"_But it's tradition, Meiling. We can't really go against tradition within this family. Good thing I don't have to go through that."_

_The two waited for everyone else to clear out until it was only Syaoran and Bailing left on the scene. Once it was just the couple, the two distant cousins immediately approached them. Meiling decided to distract Bailing while Eriol placed his arm around Syaoran, taking him away and at the corner of the room where no one was around._

"_What on earth is going on, Eriol?" Syaoran asked in Japanese._

"_I know this is a test but… are you really serious? Are you really going to… give your innocence… to her? Although I gotta admit she's really pretty…"_

"_Heh," Syaoran gave a snicker. "If you think she's hot then you can have her—"_

"_Oi, what makes you think I'm interested in her?" Eriol chuckled nervously. "But seriously… I know you really give high regard to your purity but… are you really going through this?"_

"_You are against it because…?"_

"_Well… um… you know majority of us are already aware of your amnesia. What if you actually had someone special in your life before?"_

_Syaoran simply shifted his eyes. "This should also be a test for you also, Eriol, being a part of the Li Clan yourself." And with that, he stepped up, heading towards Meiling and Bailing. Eriol caught up to him._

"_At least… you have a plan… for this test… do you?" Eriol asked with worry._

"_Very soon, Eriol, I'm going to be your clan leader. As a half-Li, you should see this situation as a test for yourself as well."_

"_I'm not getting you, dude. Yeah, I know one day I'm gonna be answering to you, but the last part, I'm not getting it."_

_He turned to Eriol. "Give yourself some time to think about it. Right now, I have a test to fulfill." He patted his favorite male cousin on the shoulders. "We'll talk tomorrow." He then left him standing as he picked up Bailing by the hand and taking him away from the ballroom and then upstairs._

_Meiling approached Eriol with a worried look. "Oh god… he's really gonna do it…"_

"_I really do know he knows what he's doing…" Eriol muttered in return._

"_How could you say that, Eriol?"_

"_Just by the tone of his voice, it sounds like he's got a plan of his own."_

_Meanwhile upstairs, Syaoran remained that confident smile on his face while the very lovestruck Bailing couldn't help but to cling on to his arm. When they arrived, they found Wei waiting by the door of the room they were going to spend the night with._

"_Everything is ready as you requested, Master Xiaolang," Wei said, bowing his head._

"_Thank you, Wei. I see even the rest of the doors in this hallway are closed as well."_

_Wei opened the door as Syaoran released Bailing. "Why don't you enter the room first? I need to speak with my butler for a bit."_

"_I'll be waiting, dear Xiaolang!" She winked at him as she proceeded inside the room. He then turned towards Wei._

"_Who are occupying the two rooms next to this one?"_

"_Your cousins, Master Shulai and Master Danglong," Wei said._

"_Thank you. That's all I need to know."_

_Wei bowed his head again. "I really do wish you will overcome this test, Master Xiaolang. I have been dreaming of finally seeing you at the leadership sit of the Li Clan one day with flying colors."_

"_Thank you, Wei. Please, keep the door closed."_

"_Yes, Master."_

_Syaoran entered the room and Wei immediately closed the door. When he got there, Bailing already stripped herself off of her clothes, now lying down, completely exposed and naked, and her body ready for him to touch, explore, and to make love to._

"_Oh Xiaolang… I… I just couldn't stop feeling so ready thinking about you…" Bailing moaned and suddenly began to touch herself in ways that a man should be completely aroused._

_Definitely promiscuous, Syaoran thought. He couldn't deny the beauty and the perfection of this girl, but her behavior was a whole different story._

"_Why don't you… enjoy yourself first, Bailing," Syaoran said with a grin on his face. "Let me get ready."_

"_Aww… why don't I just unwrap you?" The completely aroused girl moaned._

"_I did not give you permission to touch me in any way, girl. Just because you're in my bed, doesn't mean that you are in control." The future heir suddenly responded to her charms with a direct and blunt reply._

"_Aww… so mean…" Bailing pouted._

"_You call yourself worthy of becoming a Li? Worthy of becoming my wife? Find a way to get used to me first. As of tonight, you are under my family's roof and I am your master. Whatever I say in this room becomes law and you will obey. I have no tolerance for women who only want me for pleasure. Now, if you will excuse me, let me get ready."_

_Bailing sighed sadly as Syaoran headed around the corner of the room and entered the rather spacious closet area. He then chose a green sleep robe on the hangers and then began to undress himself. With only a green silk robe and pajamas underneath, he was ready to undergo the test._

_Immediately, just as he was about to exit to his room, he could hear voices of pleasure through the doors of the hall-sized closet. What many did not know about the Plum Blossom Palace was that the palace itself has many different secret passageways that the members of the household may able to travel quickly from one place to the next. The closet in his room, on the other hand, just happened to be a maze of its own. Further down the closet hallway was another section of the closet that belonged to the room next to his. He followed the random voices of pleasure from here he was standing. As the louder the voices came, he knew he was close to his destination._

_Once he found the spot, he immediately slid open the closet doors and found himself in another room. Right there, he found two teenagers, a boy and a girl halfway naked. The arrival of Syaoran immediately made the girl scream in a startle and quickly hid behind the boy who was about to do the nasty._

"_Xi-Xiaolang!" The boy who looked like a complete replica of himself, immediately recognized him. "You must have gotten the wrong room dude" He then grinned the same way he would grin._

"_Oh, I'm not mistaken, Shulai," Syaoran snickered. _

"_Ir's Shawn, remember?" Shulai corrected his cousin with his English name._

"_Whatever!" Syaoran shouted. He then turned to the girl behind him. "You! Grab your clothes and get changed— and leave!"_

"_Huh? What did I do?" The girl pouted._

"_Don't you know who I am, girl? Do I have to get the palace guards to get in here and drag you out?"_

"_Fine! I'm going!" The girl quickly grabbed her clothes on the floor and made her way inside the closet. But before she did, she turned to the other Syaoran-look-alike cousin. "Master Shulai, don't forget my fee!"_

"_He doesn't need to pay you. He hasn't done anything just yet!" Syaoran immediately blasted his authority. "Now hurry up and leave!"_

"_You really are one cold and ruthless bastard, you know that, Xiaolang?" his cousin muttered towards him. "You'll definitely make the elders angry with screwing up with your test this way!"_

"_You've already made the elders angry yourself for being such a promiscuous Don Juan player!" Syaoran reminded him. "It's a damn shame that you have to look exactly like me— same face, same eyes, same hair, same body, same voice. You're just a whole lot more perverted."_

_The girl who was with Shulai was already dressed. Syaoran headed for the door and invited her to leave. "Don't just stand there. The party's over. Go!"_

"_Hmph!" The girl glared at him as she made her way at the exit. He turned his head to find Wei guarding the door to his room. He immediately gave his butler a thumbs up as he closed the door._

_Right then, he approached Shulai and examined him. "You are even nowhere to the point where the two of you are ready for bed and you are already aroused."_

_Quickly, Shulai reached for his clothes on the floor and was ready to dress back on. "This is all your fault, Xiaolang! You're really insane! I was so in to it too!"_

"_And you paid a prostitute just so you can satisfy your needs?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "It's really sad that you're such a good-looking, handsome, healthy, and ambitious young man but your promiscuity disappoints me. You and I can make a deal though."_

"_A deal? What the hell's that?" Shulai stared at his twin with curiosity._

"_I have a very equally promiscuous yet beautiful young lady waiting at the room next door. While you're still… hard… now is the time for you to satisfy her…"_

_Shulai's eyes widened in shock. "Wait… you mean… that Liu Bailing cutie?"_

"_The fool's head over heels on me, Shulai, and since she's so blinded by my… perfection… she wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two of us. She's all yours."_

_Shulai remained in shock with no words coming from his mouth. Syaoran immediately took the clothes from his cousin's hands. "What the— what are you doing?"_

"_Strip, Shulai. Hurry up!" Syaoran immediately removed the green robe and began to wear Shulai's clothes._

"_You really are out of your mind, Xiaolang!" He went ahead and removed his clothes as he took Syaoran's robe and pajamas and Syaoran beginning to wear Shulai's clothes._

"_Now. Just enter through the closet. You already know the maze around the palace. Have fun and thank you for attending my party."_

_Shulai suddenly grinned. "I really hate your guts, Xiaolang, but if you're this generous as the leader of the Li Family Clan, I would utterly follow you for the rest of your life!"_

_Syaoran returned the smirk. "I will keep that in mind by the time I take my place as the new leader. Now hurry up and go! You don't want the lovely lady waiting!"_

"_Heh. Seriously, Xiaolang, I will follow you to the ends of the earth, but you still are the most arrogant bastard among us young generation of Lis. I would've preferred Eriol being the candidate but too bad he's only half-Li."_

"_Whatever. Go already!" Syaoran quickly pushed Shulai to the closet, as his cousin, now posing as Syaoran, made his way to the other room where the naked Bailing was already ready._

_Syaoran turned to the mirror and fixed his hair to make himself look like his casanova cousin Li Shulai. Once he was done with the touch-ups, he exited the room and then spotted Wei._

"_Ah, Master Shulai— no… Master Xiaolang?" Wei gasped._

"_Let's go, Wei."_

"_Yes, Master." Wei lead Syaoran to a room much further from where they were earlier. The room at the end became available as Wei opened the door for his young master._

"_On your way out, be sure to write a $1,000 Hong Kong dollars check to Shulai using the checkbook that has my signature in it."_

"_Eh? Master Xiaolang- a $1,000 check to your cousin?"_

"_Just do it, Wei."_

"_As you wish, Master."_

_Syaoran entered the room and found the elders lounging and relaxing at the rather cool summer starry night outside. The elders took notice of the young man who just appeared before them. Syaoran stood still and placed his fist against his palm as his way of wordless greeting._

"_Well well, good to see you too, Xiaolang," the head of elders, also known as the former clan leader and grandfather to Syaoran, smiled at his appearance._

"_H-how did you know that I was Xiaolang?" Syaoran asked curiously. "I could be Shulai or Feng or Kangliao."_

"_I know my direct future heir," his grandfather said. "You and Eriol are the ones who would greet the elders as if you would be greeting your Kung Fu master."_

"_Ah, I see."_

_The elders stood up, with one of them inviting him to take a seat at the table, where his grandfather and another elder were currently playing Chinese Checkers when he entered. "Come join us now. Would you like some refreshments?"_

"_Just fruit juice, thanks." Syaoran took the seat at the side of the table, where he then begins to watch the two elders' checkers game._

"_Now," his grandfather begun as he and his opponent continued to play. "What brings you here so early, Xiaolang?"_

_Syaoran swallowed deeply and then bowed his body towards the table. "I'm sorry, Grandfather. I have failed the test."_

_The rest of the elders immediately turned to Syaoran but showed no emotion. "You failed? Why do you say that? What makes you think that you failed?"_

"_I refuse to make love to a girl I've never met before, that is all."_

"_Xiaolang, please lift your head up and face us," his grandfather commanded him. The boy did so. "Could you repeat that?"_

"_Grandfather, Great Elders… I can never make love to a girl I have never met before or have no feelings with. She was fast and truly ready to seduce me from head to toe, however I was not very aroused."_

_The elders then make their reactions to each other, as his grandfather hushed them. "Now now, Xiaolang. Please tell us from the beginning. What happened during your test?"_

_Syaoran gave them in detail of the events before his arrival at their room. The elders gave rather amazed expressions on their faces. "It's quite the contrary, Xiaolang," his grandfather smiled at him._

"_Eh? Contrary?"_

"_Female seduction skills is important in order for you to find the perfect wife as clan leader, however, you did not let some random stranger girl tempt you in to having intercourse with her. Rather than you rejecting her, you had your cousin Shulai dress up as you and have him do the deed for you? Clever."_

_Syaoran still gave a confused expression. "The true clan leader must not give in to temptations, Xiaolang. Yes, you have been trained on how to woo a woman for your search for your wife. That was required. This test that you just took had a double purpose to it. One was to test your seduction skills— and surprisingly, you've done that already without you realizing it."_

"_Huh? But how?"_

"_Well, just by you looking at her, she was completely smitten by you and couldn't even let go of your arm throughout the party. That was already seduction, you know."_

"_Huh…" Syaoran became more puzzled than ever._

"_The second was to test your stability against any form of temptation. There are a lot of corrupt leaders and tycoons out there in the world who only cared about money and power. This also includes many of the members of our family, Xiaolang. Temptations towards money, power, and sex are sinful distractions in keeping the clan in order. If the leader gives in to those temptations, so will the rest of the clan. In turn, those will make the clan unstable."_

"_I understand that part, Grandfather."_

"_And on top it all, you set aside your pride in to telling us your true feelings about the test you went through. Of course, we didn't expect that you would start off by saying that you failed without even telling us what happened first. Remember, you are not the only one who determines whether you passed or fail at a particular task— and I'm talking about any task in your everyday life, not just the tests that you were given. Overall, the elders and I agree that you passed this test. Congratulations, Xiaolang."_

"_Ah! I passed?" Syaoran's eyes blinked in surprise. The elders applauded with laughs and cheers as his grandfather approached him and embraced him._

"_I'm very proud of you, my beloved grandson. You have been raised very well… even way better than that of your father."_

"_But… I thought Father passed this test by actually… sleeping with whoever that girl was before he met Mother?"_

"_Actually he failed that test," one of the elders said. "He was tempted, therefore, failure. As a punishment and to make up for that, he had to go through three additional physical tests for him to continue to grow his chances in to becoming clan leader. You, on the other hand, Xiaolang, do not need to go through those additional physical tests that we just described to you, so congratulations. Besides, remember the family code of silence— never reveal what you have done during those tests, but you can reveal whether you passed or failed. Future candidates must learn how to have a mind of their own in order to figure out how they are going to pass this test. Will he go by the books or will he use his own personal instincts? That's part of the test too."_

"_I understand, Grandfather. Thank you." He bowed his head to show his gratitude._

_Rather than cheering in a celebratory mood, Syaoran simply smirked. "I thank you for this, Great Elders, Grandfather. Thank you."_

"_He he he he," his grandfather chuckled. "Well then, to celebrate your victory over this difficult test, once your granduncle and I are finished with this game, would you like to play checkers with us?"_

"_Sure! I'd like that."_

_Syaoran rested himself on the side of the table as he watched the two elders continue to play. After they were finished, Syaoran took over his granduncle's place to play checkers with his grandfather._

"_Your next test will be something of a lifelong journey, Xiaolang. Please listen carefully."_

"_My ears are open, Grandfather."_

"_Your mother has informed us regarding the results of your last doctor's appointment and the elders and I believed that we will assign you your final mental challenge before we can consider you for the clan leadership." Xiaolang gave a nod. "We were also informed that you have been given a three-year contract to be a talent under Sunbow Production's talent agency in Japan but you haven't decided yet, is that correct?"_

"_Yes, Grandfather. My parents and even my sisters wanted me to accept the offer, however I wasn't sure how my training will turn out from this point whether it would become a whole lot more strenuous than before. After all, I don't plan to be in showbiz that long anyway."_

"_Take the offer, Xiaolang."_

_Syaoran's eyes opened wide in surprise. "A-are you sure, Grandfather? But it's a three-year contract. This means that I will be spending most of my time working in Japan. I won't be seeing you for a very long time."_

_The elders chuckled softly. "Xiaolang. Most of the elders including myself know how life is like in Japan. We didn't live there for ten years for nothing, you know."_

"_Ten years? You've lived in Japan before for ten years?" Syaoran stared in curiosity. "Then that means that I'll enjoy my time working in Japanese showbiz?"_

"_It will only be enjoyable if you learn how to enjoy it, Xiaolang," hi grandfather answered. "Now, for your final mental challenge, Xiaolang. This is the reason why we gave you our consent to take the contract offer— it's all a part of your challenge."_

"_So it is. Alright."_

"_While you work in Japan, we want you to find your own way to rediscover yourself."_

_Syaoran stared at them perplexed. "What? Rediscover myself? I don't understand…"_

"_You'll understand when you get there. You can start off this challenge by speaking to your family about Japan."_

"_Why would I want to ask them about Japan when I can just look up the internet for information?"_

"_Oh, dear boy, you need to listen carefully. There is a reason why we suggested you to speak to your parents first. We did mention that we have lived in Japan for ten years now."_

_Syaoran slowly gulped. "So… that also meant that my parents… no… even my sisters… also lived in Japan with you for ten years?"_

"_You also lived in Japan for ten years yourself, Xiaolang."_

"_I have? But… why can't I remember?"_

"_Well then, now you know what were your lost memories after your car accident."_

"_So… Japan is the only lost memory left to recover? Now I see what you mean by… 'rediscovering yourself.'"_

"_Do you understand now, dear boy?" Syaoran slowly nodded. "Good. You may start your test tomorrow."_

"_Is there a deadline for this test, Grandfather?"_

"_Not as of today. While you do your work for three years in the entertainment industry, Xiaolang, make sure you update your parents regarding your progress. In return, they will be the ones to inform us about your progress. Do you understand?"_

"_Yes, Grandfather."_

"_Good. Now that we're clear on that, let's start to play a good game of checkers."_

#

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise after hearing Syaoran's story. She knew immediately that he already broke his family code of silence regarding the tests and training, most especially this particular one just for her sake, but on the other hand, she felt happy that he really did trust her even at the expense of breaking his family code. She began to text him her message while Syaoran held on on an empty mug that Sakura drank her warm tea she requested earlier.

"_Even if you actually… well… spent the night with that girl I knew it wouldn't be your fault. You had amnesia then… but thank you for telling me. I promise I won't tell anyone, not even Tomoyo, for sure."_

"Thank you, Sakura," he answered. "I never told my grandfather and the rest of the elders that there was another reason why I didn't want to spend the night with that gold-digging girl. My heart and my mind somehow was trying to block me from attempting to do the deed. Aside from holding her hand and her clinging on to my arm, I never touched her anywhere else and she with me."

"_So, you actually have a cousin who looked exactly like you? I can't believe you bribed your own cousin $1,000 HK dollars just for him to... spend the night with that girl?"_

Syaoran nodded. "Shulai wasn't the only one. There were a few more of my distant cousins who can also pass on as me, but as for the elders and all the other members of the family, it was easy for them to tell us apart."

"_What happened to your cousin Shulai after spending the night with that girl in your place?"_

"Nothing really, and I thanked him for taking my place that night. He learned that the girl moved on to find another hot guy and even bragged it in public that we actually slept. That's the reason why plenty had the idea that I actually went through that test, so to speak. That's why even my entire family including my parents thought that I lost my purity that night. Again, rather than blurting everything to defend myself, I kept the family code of silence— until tonight with you, of course."

"_I'm sorry you had to break your silence just for me, Syaoran. But since I have strained vocal cords right now, I think it'll be easy for me to keep that family code of silence to make up for you breaking them. I can't even talk right now you know?"_

Syaoran chuckled. "Thanks a lot, Ying Fa." Sakura also broke in to laughter.

"_Now I can sleep easy now. How about you, Syaoran?"_

"Yeah," he nodded. "I can finally go to sleep, now that I finally got that out of my chest."

"_I'll see you tomorrow then. Hopefully we may probably not have any more musical scene shooting since Tomoyo and me got exhausted vocal cords right now."_

"You'll be okay on my birthday, that is, this Saturday, Sakura. If not, Sunday before my party."

Sakura nodded happily. _"Well, we better head back in our rooms now. Goodnight, Syaoran."_

"Goodnight, Sakura." Without even thinking twice, they leaned forward to embrace each other. They crawled back inside their rooms and finally tucked themselves in bed.

* * *

**A/N: **Yes, I know, it's a bit late. I'm a devout Roman Catholic and the last week of March was also Holy Week (leading to Easter obviously). I'm an active member of our church choir so the entire week was primarily overtaken by choir practice for the masses for the four masses (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday), plus I was attending mass for the last four days, thus the delay of this chapter.

I wanted to go back to the whole fascinating ages-long history of the Li Family Clan (I'm talking about the _real deal_ Li Family Clan, not the fictional magical Li Family Clan in CCS although in this case, they might as well be real LOL.). I actually misunderstood my first research of the previous chapter before because I was only able to find about the clan's history through Wikipedia and various kung fu and tai chi history sites. The Li Clan wasn't just known for one of the rarest forms of kung fu, tai chi, traditional Chinese medicine, and the such, but they were actually a whole lot more that would make them the most revered, most respected, most honored, and one of the most intimidating, domineering family clans throughout the history of China. Hong Kong is just a small part, but this particular family clan _is _(I'm saying _is_ since they still exist up to now) indeed all-out high-class elite. In fact, they're actually higher than elite. In Ancient China, they were also a reigning royal family of one of China's most revered ancient dynasties throughout their 2,000+ years of history- the culturally, politically, economically, and militarily-rich **Tang Dynasty** (618-907 AD).

I've read your reviews and some of you were asking where I got my research about the Li Clan came from. I started with Wikipedia and then found more history sites, Chinese history sites in particular, by searching through Google. Here's a brief history of the family in a nutshell: According to ancient records, the ancestry of the Li Clan traced back to a very prominent Chinese figure, Laozi (real/birth name: Li Er), a royal philosopher during the Zhou Dynasty (1045-256 BC) known for founding one of China's major religions, Taoism, and the author of _Tao Te Ching _(Chinese classical text filled with philosophical passages that influenced Taoism and future religions and schools, such as Confucianism, Chinese Buddhism, and more). Laozi's descendant, a powerful military general of the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) named Li Guang, became one of Chinese History's most recognized heroes that eventually ended in tragedy. The next descendant, an aristocratic duke named Li Gao, founded the Western Liang state during the Sixteen Kingdoms Era (304-439 AD), although the state did not last very long. Eventually, the Li Clan found themselves as military officials and other court officials under future ruling families until near the end of the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD), where they rebelled against Emperor Yang of Sui and eventually a corrupt warlord named Wang Shichong who declared himself emperor after deposing Emperor Yang Tong (Emperor Yang's son) and his supporters. The rebellion, lead by a Northern governor named Li Yuan and his son, a young general named Li Shimin, was formed mainly because of the Sui Dynasty's loss in attempting to conquer Goguryeo (ancient kingdom in Northern Korea) and the emperor resenting and blaming the military for the loss. The Lis gained plenty of support from the common people, other aristocratic families, tribes of other lands that the Sui Dynasty rulers conquered before, and even the mysterious Shaolin Monks enough for them to create their own army and form the rebellion. The rebellion won and the Sui Dynasty collapsed. For their successes, the supporters of the rebellion declared their leader Li Yuan as the new emperor, leading in to founding the Tang Dynasty. After Li Yuan's death (earned the name Emperor Gaozu after his death), his son, Li Shimin, became the second emperor of Tang Dynasty who will go down in history as one of China's most highly-revered emperors of all time. The Li Clan and the Tang Dynasty ruled majority of China, parts of North Korea, parts of North Vietnam, and even a few parts of Russia for almost 300 years. The Lis expanded and opened the legendary Silk Road trade route that invited many foreigners from all around Asia (which includes Japan, Korea, Mongolia, India, and even the Turks) to make themselves feel at home in their empire. Many religions from Buddhism to Hinduism to early Christianity, Islam, and Judaism made their first marks in China for the first time. Shaolin Kung Fu and other types of martial arts was also on the rise during this period. The Tang Dynasty became immensely cultured through the rise of the fine arts from painting to literature to classical poetry. The Tang Dynasty is also well-recognized in Japanese history as they consider this period as the ancestor of classical ancient Japanese culture. For instance, Zen Buddishm was brought to Japan by Japanese scholars who visited China under Tang Dynasty rule. Literature, poetry, and various texts also became influential in early Japanese literature and poetry. The Kana alphabet system was developed by Japanese scholars who discovered different types of writing systems from other foreign lands (India in particular) that was first introduced in China during that period. The samurai class was first established after gaining influence from the Lis Clan's immense and strategically organized royal military system. The katana and other Japanese swords were also derived from the Tang Dynasty blacksmiths and weapons designed by another branch of the Li Clan. The Lis also formed their royal court officials from any potential individual who wants to serve the empire through tests and knowledge, rather than recruiting them based on their status. For instance, another famous warrior general named Xue Rengui, who was born from a poor farming family and through ambition and hard work, became one of Emperor Li Shimin's most trusted generals in the Tang Dynasty army. Xue Rengui's family and future descendants also served in the military as trusted generals and eventually became aristocrats in their right. In fact, many officials who deserved such credit for their hard work and dedication were also granted to have their family surname changed to Li (which is probably how the last name of Li became so common among the Chinese today- they may not be direct descendants from the Li Royal Family Clan but may probably just had their name changed as granted by the Lis in the ancient times).

What finally ended the flourishing Tang Dynasty wasn't because of foreign invaders or those who simply dislike the Lis (these invaders tried to overthrow them, but all failed). The constant internal power struggles between the members of the Li Clan was what brought the clan's royal reign to its downfall. Today, obviously, there is no more royalty in China (due to the bloody turmoil of the Cultural Revolution period in the mid-20th Century), but the Li Clan is very much alive. There are even rumors that the Li Clan are also highly associated with the Chinese criminal organization, the Triads (they're the Chinese equivalent to the Japanese Yakuza), which was why I mentioned a bit of it in this chapter. The family of future Communist China's ruler, Mao Zedong, have a fondness for the Li surname, in fact, Mao's former name was Li Desheng for a certain period of time. His daughters are named Li Min and Li Na. His last wife, Jiang Quing, changed her name to Li Runqing during her final years.

The character for Li (李) means "plum." There are many Koreans and Vietnamese who also have the surname of Li (Korean spelling - "Lee," Vietnamese spelling - "Ly") because northern areas of their country were part of the Tang Dynasty empire. The "plum" character also became the royal symbol of the Tang Dynasty and remained the character for the family name. There are plenty of Chinese/Hong Kong films (mainly kung fu films) that take place during the Tang Dynasty. I recommend watching "The Shaolin Temple" (1982 film), which coincidentally stars a very young and innocent-looking Jet Li (no pun intended!) as the main character and a newbie Shaolin Monk. The story is about a group of Shaolin Monks who helped harbored a young general on the run from the renegade Sui Dynasty emperor Wang Shichong who turned out to be Li Shimin and also the first time that the Shaolin Monks (Buddhist monks who highly believed in the philosophy of non-violence) participated in open battle on the side of the rebellion lead by Li Shimin and the entire Li Clan. There's plenty more but this story is actually based on real-life events. According to Shaolin Temple records, thirteen monks broke their belief of non-violence to join the Li Clan and the rebellion to topple down the Sui Dynasty and eventually aided the Lis in to founding the Tang Dynasty.

Whew, that was long. The chapter was already long enough. I apologize if I've bored you with so much history that most of you don't care about LOL, but it's just interesting to point out and even have speculations of the reasons of CLAMP's research while developing the Syaoran Li character (and eventually Meiling Li on the TV series) and why they made him (and Meiling) as part of a very powerful and intimidating Li Clan of magicians and warriors. I'm not saying this is the real reason, but the Li Clan's legacy in Chinese history has got to be one of the main reasons why.

Awrighty, proceeding to the reviewers. Again, thank you for those who just started following and making "Stuffed Animal," really appreciate it! Sorry if I write long, but I just have this habit of writing long. :)

To the reviewers now!

**Rinail** – Almost! ^_^;

**Nicolette – **This chapter should answer your question.

**DualStarduster - **"Maybe" because I know most, if not all, are impatient when it comes to fanfics. You see other reviewers actually telling me to hurry it up? LOL (=_=;)

**DALUNA** – same reply as the last chapter's reply.

**SakuSyaoLvr – **Close but not cigar. ^_^;

**Tomoyo10798 – **Welcome aboard! :D

**aly-chan – **As I stated to the other reviewer who mentioned the grammatical errors, yes, I am aware of them. It's just that it'd be easier for me to finish the entire draft first before I can start crackin' on the copyediting and proofreading. ^_^;

**Fatty – **Welcome aboard! I already explained it at my above author's note. Start with Wikipedia first and I recommend you search for the following to give you an overall general info and brief history of the Li Clan: Tang Dynasty, Li (family surname), Li Family Style Kung Fu, Li Family Style Tai Chi.

**Aizawa LSW – **The elite are as screwed as everyone else in terms of traditions and all of that. China being one of them. I actually forgot to mention that concubinage (when a man gets to have a series of concubines while still being married to the first wife) in China (and most likely Hong Kong and Taiwan) still exist today, but only common among the wealthy, elite social class. The Li Clan (the real-life one) is no exception to this. Hopefully this chapter should make you happy, somewhat. :D

**shadow74196 – **If I had the time in the world and if there's two of me, I would be able to update faster. For one thing, I have an active offline life so of course I gotta deal with real life also. If you're asking me to update faster, then that would mean shorter chapters, chapters with no "meat" in them, and drop everything important (ie. family, church choir, volunteer work, job search, etc.) and prioritize more on the writing. Besides, if I make shorter chapters just for the sake for fast updates, then current readers who have gotten used to reading longer chapters would not be very happy. =X

**aurora0914 –** Welcome aboard! Glad you're enjoying the fic so far! I hope this chapter would make you smile, hopefully LOL. :D

This is Adri Mars babbling. See you next time!


	15. 14: Pei-Pei Nai-Nai

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 14: PEI-PEI NAI-NAI**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

_**July 13th (2 days later)…**_

Two days and home remedies later, Sakura can feel the slow and gradual healing of her vocal cords, right after she woke up and washed herself. Syaoran was right, she thought. She would be able to speak properly again without any strain from her vocal cords at his eighteenth birthday, however, her father, her Auntie Sonomi and Tomoyo, and even Syaoran himself advised her to only speak when necessary. She agreed to the suggestion and decided to keep silent as much as she can so she can heal her vocal cords faster.

She still insisted that she would give him a present for his birthday even though he said numerous times not to worry about gifts. Yesterday, while she followed instructions on how to take care of her vocal cords, she had her father escort her to the main square of town to search for the perfect gift for the all-star birthday boy. They even asked for advice from fellow townsfolk who have sons who were eighteen or older. Fujitaka gave Touya a rather expensive Swiss watch engraved with his initials on sale during one of his trips to Europe for one of his guest lectures at a series of well-known European universities some six years ago, but at the age of high-tech and of the elite, buying a present for Syaoran that would last a lifetime was definitely going to be difficult.

_Simple but long-lasting, Dad says,_ Sakura began thinking to herself while she wrapped the small rectangular box with a mint green and white striped gift wrap with cute icons of wolf pups. _He always loved green no matter what shade it may be. And this is the only color I can find that has wolf pups in them._

After she finished wrapping the gift, she was ready to write her message in a small yet cute green birthday card when she heard her phone ringing. She grabbed it and found the message icon coming from Yamazaki. Aware of her condition, everyone who knew her would send her text messages rather than just speaking to her directly.

"_Starting today, seriously, my house— no, the Li Home— will be seriously occupied again. I'm really happy that the Lis decided to let me stay after taking care of the house while living in it for the last 7 years. But seriously, it's gonna be really crazy here."_

Sakura found herself giggling and replied. _"You should be grateful. Your parents have been __working under the Lis for your entire life right now. They still have a job and you guys are doing well in it. It's a good thing that the Lis even trusted your family to take care of their house until they return. I guess today was the day."_

She turned to the card and began to write her message:

_Happy 18th Birthday, Syaoran! I guess in Hong Kong, you're already considered an adult. In Japan, you have to wait two more years. I do hope you like this gift, even though you said that I shouldn't have to give you anything. Still though, I'm really happy that you've returned to Tomoeda even though you haven't recovered all of your memories just yet. But you're almost there. I think._

_I hope this gift will surely make you remember, and when you do remember, this gift will also make sure that you don't forget._

_Syaoran, I will always love_

Immediately, she heard her phone ringing again. Yamazaki's reply just arrived.

"_Yesterday, I actually got a phone call from my dad saying that he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Finance Analysis Department of the Sendai Branch of Li Enterprises. He'll be closely working with the executives now and of course, with Syao-chan's dad. Isn't that cool? Anyway, Syao-chan, Eriol, and Wei aren't home right now because they were having early morning breakfast with Syao-chan's family somewhere. I think Meiling went with them too. Pretty soon they'll be arriving here."_

Sakura giggled again and began to think. _The Li House had been always noisy even though it's gated and very secluded compared to all the houses in this neighborhood. Syaoran's sisters always loved to peek over the fence just to see Oniichan. They were so cute and adorable! I can't wait to see them again!_

She continued on with finishing her birthday message when she heard her phone ringing again. Another text from Yamazaki had just arrived.

"_Ack! They're here! Gotta go! Don't forget to greet Syao-chan a happy birthday!"_

She gasped and then gazed at her message so far. Immediately she gulped nervously when she read the last few words:

_Syaoran, I will always love_

She slapped her forehead and gritted her teeth. _Uh-oh… why did I write that? Ugh, too late to scratch it off… lemme go get a white-out. _She reached for her pencil case and took out correctional tape. _Whew, that was close!_ Immediately, she began to white out that last sentence and over it, began to write something else:

_Syaoran, may you have many more birthdays to come and you will make more memories as you remember the ones you lost. I will always, always, always be with you… always!_

She sighed in relief and finally signed her name:

_From your Sakura with love_

She re-read again and then shook her head. _No, that sounds cheesy!_ She used her white out over the words and replaced it:

_Always, Ying Fa_

She wrote "Ying Fa" in Katakana right above the cherry blossom Kanji character (櫻) she wrote to show him the reading. She chose the old cherry blossom Kanji rather than the usual simplified Kanji (桜) that most Japanese use, just in case Syaoran may not know how to read it. Next to it, she drew a little cherry blossom next to her name and a smiley face at the same time. She closed her card, placed it in a mint green envelope and taped it over the wrapped gift. She wrote Syaoran's name the way he would normally write it.

_All done!_ Sakura grinned to herself. She looked up to see her Chiirou stuffed animal on her desk, looking directly right at her. _That's right, Chiirou! Today is Syaoran's eighteenth birthday! I'm really excited for tomorrow's birthday party, but I really can't wait that long just to give him my gift._

"Sakura! Are you busy?" Right then she heard her father calling her from her door. She quickly dashed to the door and opened it.

"Hi Dad. I just finished wrapping Syaoran's gift," she said in a low tone, being careful not to overuse her vocal cords while still healing.

"Good to hear," Fujitaka smiled. "Breakfast is ready for you and Touya— Belgian waffles today."

"Yummy! Thanks, Dad!" Sakura gave him a thumb up.

"Oh, when I went out to pick up today's newspaper, I had a chance to talk to Wei-san. He and Syaoran and Hiiragizawa-kun were heading out to meet with the Lis at that time. He asked me if I can help out the Lis in bringing in their stuff next door, but as you know, I got the excavation team staying over at the house and still working on translating those crazy Mongolian scrolls, so I'm sending you and Touya to help you out. Tomoyo-chan also volunteered, according to your Auntie Sonomi as well."

"Okay!" Sakura exited her room and skipped her way downstairs, with her father following her from behind. When she got to the dining room, she already spotted Touya and the two younger associates in her father's team, Sayaka and Jintao, already feasting on the freshly-served Belgian Waffles.

"Good morning Sakura-chan!" Sayaka cheerfully greeted her. "You look really perky and happy today! I hope you're feeling better now!" Sakura simply replied to her with a thumbs up.

"It's the eighteenth birthday of the young master Li Xiaolang," Jintao reminded his girlfriend. "An obvious reason why the boss's daughter is happy today."

Sakura took her seat right next to Touya, who had been remaining silent while concentrating on his waffles. Fujitaka wenta head and took a seat at the end of the table and began serving himself. She added a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar, butter, and a topping of fresh summer fruits and began to eat. "Would it be better if I give the gift to him now or tomorrow?"

Right then, Touya broke his silence and shook his head. "You actually wasted money just to buy the kid a birthday present? He already said to you lots of times that you don't need to give him a gift!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and glared at her brother. "You really are a thoughtless moron, you know that, Oniichan? Keep it up and eventually I will lose my utmost respect for you."

"Now now, you two," Sayaka decided to break the argument. "It's very early in the morning and you don't want to ruin people's happy mood by fighting, ne? Your dad and the rest of his team have been staying up late working non-stop translating and trying to make up the scrolls. We still got a lot more scrolls to deal with and you don't want to leave your father completely stressed out on small matters like this, ne?"

Sakura sighed. "You're right, Sayaka-neechan. I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Touya shrugged and went back to eating his waffle.

Jintao cleared his throat. "Why don't we talk about something else to lighten up the mood? It seems the mention of the young master Li Xiaolang's name bothers Touya-kun a lot."

"You'll have to excuse him, Dr. Chen," Fujitaka chuckled nervously. "My son is really well-bred if I say so myself and an overall natural good guy. He just has this 'sister complex' problem that he just can't seem to get over with."

"Dad!" Touya exclaimed from out of the blue. "Even at age seventeen Sakura still looks like she's age seven— with a young and fresh-faced girl like that, I can't help but to keep her innocence safe from all the perverts out there!"

"And you're saying that Li-kun is a pervert?" Fujitaka raised an eyebrow towards his son.

"Well… no… but his ego pisses me off! That's all!"

"That's got to be the worst excuse I've ever heard coming from you, Touya. Your behavior is beginning to disappoint me— and to think you are about to get married and settle down and eventually raise your own family…" Fujitaka sighed deeply. "Next time I hear any more ranting about Li-kun from you I'll have to force you to get in to some serious counseling and therapy."

"Ugh. Fine, Dad. I'm sorry." Touya decided not to continue with the argument and continued on with his waffles.

"So," Sakura began, "Dr. Chen's right. Let's talk about something else. How about what you guys discovered so far from those Mongolian scrolls?"

"Well," Sayaka answered, "we still have to wait until Dr. Mie arrives so we can have the entire story of what we discovered. It seems that those scrolls are all related to that scroll painting that we were checking out two nights ago— about a Chinese prince and a Japanese maiden who lived in Mongolia?"

"Ah, yeah!" Sakura nodded happily. "Syaoran was also interested in the scrolls too! So, what'd you find so far?"

Jintao picked up from where Sayaka left off. "The scroll painting that we saw was actually a legend— or maybe just folklore— of two guardians who were chosen by the gods to protect this Water of Immortality from the wrong hands. The scroll painting was created during the early years of Genghis Khan's reign, thus the usage of the Mongolian script. However, the depiction of these events were dated back at around late 600 AD to 700 AD. At that time, the Tang Dynasty was ruling much of modern China with some parts of the Korean peninsula and Northern Vietnam."

"Oh my!" Sakura gasped in shock. "Isn't that interesting? The Tang Dynasty was ruled by the Li Clan, ne?"

"Yes," Jintao nodded. "The ancestors of the young master Li Xiaolang." He then turned to Fujitaka. "Dr. Kinomoto, I really do suggest you share this discovery with the Lis when you do get to meet them again, would you?"

"Eventually," Fujitaka smiled, sipping on his cup of coffee. "But I want to have all those scrolls translated before we share anything with anyone else outside the excavation team."

Sayaka continued from where Jintao left. "We still don't know the names of that couple on the painting, but it's already given that the prince on that painting had to be a member of the Li Clan. Maybe a son of a concubine or even a nephew of the emperor or something like that. We still don't know just yet."

"Oh great," Touya rolled his eyes. "So the brat's ancestors also ruled Mongolia."

"Er, not exactly, Touya-kun," Sayaka corrected him. "The Lis never ruled Mongolia, however the descendants did serve in the royal court during the Yuan Dynasty, founded by the grandson of Genghis Khan himself, Kublai Khan."

"Eventually we'll find our answers once we have all those scrolls translated," Fujitaka said. "I'm already excited just thinking about the discovery that we are about to make! Now I want to get back to work already—"

"Dad, finish your waffles first," Sakura reminded him.

Fujitaka chuckled. "Of course, Sakura, not after I finish breakfast!"

#

"We're here, Masters," Wei reminded them as he parked the family limousine right at the front of the gates of the Yamazaki Home. Actually, it's the Li Home that we speak now. Once he gave the reminder to the immediate family, the quadruplet Li sisters squealed with excitement and enthusiasm as if they had never been to this part of Japan before. Well, that is, if you count the fact that they haven't been to Tomoeda for so long since they moved back to Hong Kong. Nevertheless, the four sisters are currently attending Japanese universities in Tokyo for their graduate-level studies with their own ambitions. Two of them, Shiefa and Feimei are already engaged to their college boyfriend. Fanren just recently got in to a relationship with a fellow son of one of Hong Kong's most elite families not too long ago who is currently an exchange student at, surprise, Clow Reed University. Fuutie had a few dates with boys here and there but despite of all that, she still remained single, innocent, beautiful, ambitious, and independent. As for the fiances, Feimei's fiance is a Japanese-born Chinese with hopes of becoming a journalist and a fiction novel writer, while Shiefa's fiance is a Japanese-born half-Korean, half-Chinese former young actor who is now currently attending law school in the university Shiefa is currently attending.

Even though they have their own ambitions and plans on being independent women of the Li Clan, they still could not forget their childhood in Tomoeda, most especially their first major crushes from elementary to high school.

"Wow," Fuutie giggled. "I can't believe our neighborhood barely changed! I mean everything looks the same! Even the Kinomoto Home and the Tsukishiro Home next door still looks the same from how I remember it!"

Shiefa gave a soft chuckle. "The only new thing that I see in this neighborhood are the Daidoujis' new gate design. Totally swanky and chic like a fashion design should be, don't you think?"

Fanren then gazed at her younger brother sitting across from her. "Ne Xiaolang, were you able to see and hang out with Tou-chan and Yuki-chan then since you and Eriol are currently staying with Taka-kun in our old house?"

Syaoran gazed curiously towards his sister. "'Tou-chan and Yuki-chan'? Who are they?"

Eriol cleared his throat. "Let me guess— Touya-senpai and Yukito-senpai?"

"Hm," Fanren pouted. "Looks like our sweet little Xiaolang still isn't completely cured yet."

"The hell is that supposed to mean, Fanren?" Syaoran demanded.

"Don't be rude, Xiaolang," Feimei warned him. "We just got here and you're losing your cool again for no apparent reason!"

Right then, they were immediately hushed by their mother, who was sitting all the way at the back. "Stop your bickering, children. It's time for us to unload. I can see the gates opening and Takashi-kun waving at us."

"Yes, Mother," the Li children responded. Right then, Wei opened the door to let the passengers exit one by one. Across the street, Tomoyo exits the house with the chic and swanky gate as Shiefa stated. Once everyone got out of the car, the sisters greeted Tomoyo first.

"Welcome back, everyone!" Tomoyo greeted in a voice softer than the usual. Like Sakura, she too was resting her vocal cords. "I made some snickerdoodle cookies for you as my way of welcoming you back!"

Fanren embraced their neighbor across the street tightly. "Aww, you're so sweet Tomoyo-chan! My gosh, you're looking a lot more like a doll than you used to be!"

"Hehe, I've been told many times," Tomoyo grinned.

"What's up with the design of your gate, girl?" Shiefa pointed towards the Daidouji gate.

"I don't know. Mom's design. She said it should be a bit more stylish to represent Daidouji Couture. I don't know, I think it's horrible," Tomoyo giggled. "But don't tell my mother that."

After the sisters exited, Yelan and Meiling followed them from behind. "Here we are again, Tomoyo-chan!" Yelan greeted.

Tomoyo answered with a bow. "Welcome back to Tomoeda, Auntie Yelan!"

"My my, your mother wasn't lying when she said that you grew up to be a doll-like princess! You look really gorgeous, Tomoyo-chan!"

"Thank you very much, Auntie Yelan!"

"I'm back, Tomoyo!" Meiling cheered.

"Welcome back, Meiling!"

Meiling faced her good friend. "Listen, first up, I just want to thank you for providing me free room and board during my stay here at Tomoeda. I really do appreciate it. I wish I could stay longer at your place though."

Tomoyo grinned and patted Meiling on the shoulder. "I understand. Now that your relatives are also here, you have to stay with them also, ne?"

Meiling nodded, but returned the patting. "No worries, girl, it's only across the street!"

"True that! That would only mean that you're closer to Sakura now. And the awesome part is that the Li Home will be loud again just like the usual!" Tomoyo chuckled.

"Oh my," Yelan gave a soft chuckle. "Were we that loud before?"

"But it's a good-type of loud," Tomoyo winked.

At the moment, Wei and Eriol brought in the first luggages inside the house while Yamazaki ran to the limo to carry some more from the trunk. Syaoran, on the other hand, slowly helped his father out of the car by carrying him and then sitting him down on to his wheelchair.

"My my, you have gotten a lot stronger, my son!" Xiaojin grinned with pride. "Have you been working out?"

"You've gotten a lot heavier, Father," Syaoran made a different reply instead. "Have you been eating oily foods again?"

Xiaojin glared at his son. "Is that how you answer your beloved father after not being able to see each other for about a year now?"

Syaoran shrugged his shoulders just as he began to push him across the street. "Hey, just asking, you know. You did get heavier."

"But you did get a lot stronger. Surely in your final test to take my seat eventually you won't have any problems if you keep yourself up with your daily workout routine."

"I don't really care about that. I just want to make sure that there aren't any other idiots among the family who dare try to challenge me for the leadership seat without even laying a finger on them."

"Oh my, such pride. You're not even there yet and you're already showing your authority. That's a good sign."

"Yeah, yeah."

Once they reached the gates, they heard a familiar cheerful voice calling out to them to their side. They turned to see a happy Sakura and a reluctant Touya heading their direction. Like Tomoyo, Sakura has a plate of a variety of homemade butter cookies.

"Well well, the Kinomoto Kids are here!" Xiaojin exclaimed. "Ah, kids no more!"

"Welcome back home, Uncle Xiaojin!" Sakura bowed, with Touya bowing right after her. "We're really happy to see you back and right next door to us again!"

"We'll still be flying back and forth between Hong Kong and Japan, but before the end of the year, we shall see," Xiaojin nodded with his familiar grin.

Sakura turned to Syaoran and greeted him. "Happy Birthday, Syaoran! I bet seeing your family flying all the way from Hong Kong must be the best present you received today!"

"Thank you," Syaoran gave a nod. "You could say that, yeah."

Sakura immediately nudged Touya on the side. "Yeah. Happy Birthday, kid."

"Heh, thanks, Touya-senpai."

"Eh?" Xiaojin gave a confused look. "Xiaolang, you used to call Touya-kun 'Tou-nii' even though you two don't get along well."

"What the—" Touya raised an eyebrow of suspicion at the father and son while Syaoran slowly backed away as his reaction. "So you really _are_ that very same brat who used to live next door to us?"

Once again, Sakura nudged him, this time right on his stomach. "You really are slow, Oniichan. I think everybody knows that by now— except you."

"Well now," Xiaojin smiled. "Let's all come inside now, shall we?"

As they all entered the house, the father still insisted his son. "So, it'll be more helpful for your amnesia problem if you start calling Sakura-chan's big brother 'Tou-nii,' alright?"

"No thanks," Syaoran frowned, turning his head away from the Kinomotos.

Once everyone settled down, with everyone bringing up the luggages to the designated rooms, Yelan called for Sakura and Tomoyo to the living room, where her and her wheelchair-bound husband remained. Not being able to help the rest of the Lis to unpack, this only meant that they were to talk to them about something important. Wei took the time to serve them freshly-boiled Oolong tea and once that the others not involved in this talk were no longer present, Yelan began.

"Would you like me to start or would you like to start yourself?" She asked her husband.

"I'm only a witness here, since this is a female thing. You should talk to them about this."

"Fine," Yelan's voice lowered, then turned to Sakura and Tomoyo. "You two are looking really beautiful today! Sakura, you became a mix of your mother and father! You have your father's hair color and your mother's green eyes. You truly are a solid Kinomoto."

"Thank you, Auntie Yelan," Sakura thanked her humbly.

"Now, we would like to talk to you girls about what's going to happen later today. The candidate for the leadership seat isn't really aware of this next process according to the clan law, which is why Xiaolang isn't present here today. I had his sisters, Eriol, and Meiling keep him company upstairs until we are finished talking about this." The two girls nodded to acknowledge. "Alright. Later this afternoon, a few of the more prominent elders including Xiaolang's grandfather will be arriving here in Tomoeda as well. Eventually they will be staying in this house as well until their homes up the hill would be cleaned up and they can move in again, however, the elders are here for the next step."

"Oh?" Tomoyo asked curiously. "What would that be?"

"One of the elders, a certain… grandmama… whom we simply call Pei-Pei Nai-Nai… will be having a one-on-one consultation and examination with a chosen few girls around your ages to see how well you are suited for Xiaolang to be his future wife. I personally think it's a stupid idea knowing who my son really wants to marry in the first place, but all wives of future clan leaders have to go through this process. Believe me, I had to go through this as well even though the parents actually arranged us to marry in the first place. It's not bad, all you have to do is answer the Nai-Nai's questions and she will also examine you as well."

"Well, what can I do," Xiaojin sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Even though I am the current leader of the Li Clan, there's no way I can disobey the elders. They're the ones who keep order through the clan traditions while I simply just make decisions and lead the clan to progress and success while still staying true to traditions. I also do not like this idea either for Xiaolang's sake. In fact, I personally also don't get along with Pei-Pei Nai-Nai as well."

"Hoe?" Sakura asked curiously. "So this Pei-Pei Nai-Nai old lady is one of Xiaolang's grandaunts?"

"Not even," Xiaojin frowned. "She's one of my father's concubines. She's actually the first concubine that my father took in. He started taking in concubines regardless of age right after my mother died several years ago."

"Oh, so she's not even related to the Li Clan except through concubinage,"Tomoyo clarified. "Why her though?"

"The elders, even the father-in-law," Yelan answered, "were amazed by Pei-Pei Nai-Nai's… fortune-telling powers. So far her predictions and her visions had come true, so they say. I have to admit that she was right that Xiaojin and I will have more daughters but we will be having at least one son. You see, having sons is a huge big deal in this clan."

"Wow," Sakura gasped. "So, what kinds of questions will this Pei-Pei Nai-Nai will be asking the girls about?"

"Just the basics, such as your age, where you're from, what do your parents do for a living, your siblings, your hobbies, your like and dislikes, your view of family in general, and most of all, your feelings for Xiaolang. Next, she will examine you physically too, such as the feel of your hair, your eyes, the size of your lips, your neck, arms, legs, everything. Then based on your answers and her examination of you, she will determine how you measure up to Xiaolang as a potential future wife, which will also include a prediction of what type of children you will have should you be the one Xiaolang chooses to marry."

"That's rather… unnecessary, Auntie Yelan, Uncle Xiaojin," Tomoyo sighed. "I mean, everyone here knows how much Sakura and Syaoran-kun are destined to be with each other. I believe that as well!"

"Apparently, not everyone in the clan knows that," Xiaojin said. "Not my immediate family. For example, if Xiaolang chooses Sakura to be his bride, then he must do whatever he can to make the entire clan recognize her as the wife of the clan leader. Until her future son completes clan leadership training, she remains the second-in-command of the entire clan. Right now, for example, Yelan is currently acting as the leader of the clan because of my obvious disability, me being paralyzed forever, because Xiaolang hasn't completed his training yet. Once he's finished, I can finally retire and have him officially installed as the new clan leader."

"Now," Yelan changed the subject, "the reason why I called the two of you here and talk to you about this is because each unit throughout the clan must choose a minimum of two girls to have this consultation meeting with Pei-Pei Nai-Nai. Most of the clan prefer someone Chinese, however, this is the 21st Century and Xiaolang was raised here in Japan, Xiaojin and I opted for someone Japanese. We are choosing the both of you for this process."

Tomoyo blinked in surprise. "Including me? But I can't go through that… I love Sakura with all my heart like a real sister. I would never do such a thing, to steal Syaoran-kun away from her."

"Don't worry about all that. We just need a second girl to complete the requirements. I'm aware of the other teen girls in showbiz whom Xiaolang has worked with according to Eriol and Meiling and personally, I don't like any of them. That's just my opinion of course," Yelan said.

Xiaojin cleared his throat. "Tonight will be the meeting. Apparently majority of the Li Clan have flown in to Japan today but are currently staying in Tokyo along with the girls they chose. At the moment they will be having their meeting with Pei-Pei Nai-Nai early afternoon. The consultation will be tonight when she arrives here in Tomoeda. When that time comes, please wear something traditional when you meet her."

"Traditional?" Sakura asked curiously. "But I don't have any Chinese dress or anything like that—"

"I'll lend you one of mine, Sakura, don't worry I got you covered," Tomoyo reminded her.

"Not Chinese traditional dress," Yelan added. "He meant traditional Japanese dress. Like a yukata or something. Something that you would wear during summer festivals."

"Whew," Sakura sighed in relief. "Now that, I can definitely wear that."

"In that way, Pei-Pei Nai-Nai will know that you're not Chinese," Xiaojin added. "Meiling will be there with you when you go through this process since Pei-Pei Nai-Nai can't speak a single word of Japanese."

"Oh," Sakura and Tomoyo said simultaneously.

"That's all we would like to talk to you girls about," Yelan smiled. "Now, Xiaolang actually knows about this process, however, he cannot know the identities of the girls chosen by every unit of his family to go through this process. I don't know the reason why, not even Xiaojin here has a clear reason why, but it's a Li Clan tradition… heaven forbid."

"So, eventually though, Syaoran will know right after?" Sakura asked.

Xiaojin nodded. "He'll eventually find out about the identities of the girls who had to go through this process— after he gets married. The elders will eventually tell him."

"Ohh…" The two girls nodded.

"So, not a word to Xiaolang, please," Yelan begged. "I know you may probably be thinking that it would be a whole lot more convenient if Pei-Pei Nai-Nai would just do this process back in Hong Kong before flying over here, but she said that in order for her… powers to work… they had to be done on the future clan leader's eighteenth birthday."

"Don't worry. We'll keep our mouths shut about the subject," Tomoyo said. "And if that Pei-Pei Nai-Nai says that Sakura isn't fit to be Syaoran-kun's future wife, then that's her problem. Right, Sakura?"

Sakura lead out a sigh of worry. "Hoe…"

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Her best friend asked.

"I know he's beginning to recover his memories but… what if he doesn't recover them anymore and then he ends up falling in love with someone else?"

"Oh come on, Sakura, you know that's silly," Tomoyo giggled. "As your forever best friend and a keen observer, I can tell he's really in to you. I mean, if he really doesn't have any interest in you then he wouldn't be getting near you most of the time, ne? Sometimes I get the feeling that he gets a bit stressed out when there's so many people around you because he wants you all to himself…"

"Eh?" Sakura gasped, feeling rather nervous that she may find out about their super special secret spot at the heavily vegetated coastal area near their town. Tomoyo had been unaware of their hiding place for the last fourteen years and for sure she wouldn't find out about it today or anytime in the future. "Um… I don't know… you're more of an expert with boys than I am."

"He'll remember, Sakura," Yelan said in a stern and confident voice. "I know my son. This is his life that we're talking about here. It's actually considered a bad omen for the future of the Li Clan if he doesn't recover all of his memories before he ascends the leadership seat, that's why he was given this lifelong test for him to pass. It's a rather long story."

"Well," Sakura tightened her fist, "we'll do as much as we can to make him remember!"

"The good news is that he already remembers us. He already remembers Sakura," Tomoyo nodded. "The thing is, he still doesn't remember his true relationship is with Sakura. I mean he knows who 'Syaoran' is to Sakura, but that part hasn't really triggered his lost memories just yet. We just need to give him a little push further."

Yelan nodded. "I know. We spoke to Xiaolang earlier over breakfast and how he was feeling. He had a long list of questions about his past life here in Tomoeda. Too bad we couldn't answer all of them because we still insist he discovers them himself rather than us telling him about it."

The two girls nodded in acknowledgment. Right then, everyone who was upstairs suddenly came downstairs, now finished with their luggage unpacking. The sisters, along with a rather exhausted-looking Touya, came downstairs first.

"Mom, Dad," Shiefa called, "the girls and I are gonna chill at the beach with Tou-chan and Kaho-chan and the others. You know, a little high school reunion, so to speak." Her other three sisters giggled happily with two of them linking their arms around Touya's.

"The beach, huh," Yelan said. "Don't forget to bring your suntan lotion, please."

Sakura chuckled and turned to her brother. "So I guess you're gonna be their chauffeur, right?"

"Yeah," Touya answered with a reluctant voice. "They want me to take them to Kaho's place first, then we hang out at the beach for awhile. Then we'll have lunch at Mooncastle since Yukito and Nakuru are on duty today."

"Have fun, Oniichan!" She giggled while Touya simply glared at her, knowing that his more of less arch nemesis, Syaoran Li, will have another chance of being alone with his little sister.

Fanren patted Touya on the back. "Now now, don't be pouting like that. You're getting married soon and we haven't seen Kaho since forever, so of course we gotta catch up with the times, ne? And besides, one day in the future, we're all gonna be one big happy family!"

Touya's eyes widened in surprise. "One… big… family? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Anyway!" Feimei suddenly grabbed Touya by the arm and gently dragged him towards the door. "We're off now! Don't expect us to come home for lunch!" The Li Sisters giggle their way out while dragging their old childhood friend and first crush out of the house.

Next, Meiling came downstairs, along with the boys and Wei. "We're done unpacking and arranging our rooms, Auntie, Uncle," Meiling said.

"I'm keeping my room, hope you don't mind, Mother, Father," Syaoran informed them.

"You're talking about the side room with the window facing the Kinomoto house, correct?" Xiaojin asked. Syaoran nodded as his answer.

"Of course you can keep your room, Xiaolang," Yelan said. "It _is _your room after all." Right then, Sakura gave a soft giggle.

"Yamazaki now stays at the room of the front window," Eriol reminded them. "Because pretty soon those fans are gonna find out where we've been boarding all this time and they're gonna start camping across the street just to wait for any of us to come out of the house.

"That's not gonna happen," Tomoyo stood up from her seat, looking confident. "If they camp across the street from this house, that means they'd be blocking _our _driveway. Sorry but they can't enter our neighborhood just like that. I think we should have a gate entering this neighborhood and have a guard posted here."

"That would be nice," Yelan gave a soft chuckle, "but that's too expensive to handle, even if there are a few elite families living here. The best way that we can do is simply not let anyone know that you're staying here."

Yamazaki cleared his throat. "At least Chiharu's doing a good job not letting her wolfpup fangirls know where Syao-chan and Eriol are really staying."

"That's because until now, she still doesn't believe that we're staying with you, Yamazaki," Eriol chuckled.

"Yeah. That's why," Yamazaki sighed at the fact.

Quickly, Meiling headed to the living room and sat next to Tomoyo and Sakura. "Auntie Yelan, Uncle Xiaojin, Tomoyo is taking me out shopping today. I want to buy a yukata for the upcoming summer festival and all… and since the girls from the cast have free time today, I thought it'd be cheaper to buy early."

"Ah, yes!" Tomoyo quickly exclaimed. "I invited Sakura earlier so all three of us are going together!"

"Hoe?" Sakura gave a confused expression until she noticed Meiling and Tomoyo winking at her. "Oh! Oh! That's right! Yukata!"

"Oi," Syaoran stepped forward. "You didn't tell me about this, Meiling. I mean yeah, I know about you girls having a day off from the shooting today, but going out shopping for a yukata?"

Meiling winked at her former love. "Oh come on now, Xiaolang, don't be so shocked! We haven't had a girls day out like this, so we're gonna chill at the town square later!"

"Actually the stores are about to open now!" Tomoyo gasped as she and Meiling stood up. Sakura followed suit. "Don't worry, we'll be back early, Auntie Yelan, Uncle Xiaojin."

"Oh, take your time, Meiling," Yelan smiled. "You deserve this break." She then turned to her son with a stern look. "As for you, young man, I've heard that you've been excusing yourself from the movie shoot days simply because you _didn't feel well_. I'm not very happy to hear that you are using your top star status in this project to your personal advantage. You better get yourself together or you're gonna make a lot of people very angry, and it wouldn't be just your parents or Director Terada or the producers."

Syaoran gave a frown. "I really didn't feel well at that time but I'm not skipping any of my scheduled events today. I'm having a few interviews and then more magazine photo shoots that would take place at the park in thirty minutes along with Eriol and the other guys."

"Well, we better get going now!" Meiling quickly wrapped her arms around Tomoyo's and Sakura's arms. "Don't expect us to be home before lunch!"

"Have fun now, girls!" Yelan smiled, waving at them, as the three finally exited the door.

Syaoran sighed while Eriol and Yamazaki joined him at the sofa. "Why are you so worried about? I mean it's just girls and shopping, Xiao," Eriol said.

"The way Meiling and Daidouji acted… it's like they're up to something and I'm not being aware of it…"

"Now now, Xiaolang," Xiaojin said, "you need to get ready for your events later. Same with you, Eriol." He then turned to Wei, who had been standing there on watch. "Wei, be sure to help both Xiaolang and Eriol with getting ready."

"As you wish, Master Xiaolang," he bowed to the clan leader. The two boys followed Wei upstairs, leaving Yamazaki with the Lis.

"Well, Takashi-kun," Yelan smiled, "do you have anything to do today?"

"Well, not really. Actually on Monday we'll be shooting another musical scene and I thought about practicing with the band, but since everyone's busy, guess I'll practice by myself," Yamazaki answered humbly.

"Well," Xiaojin grinned, "why don't you perform some music for Yelan and me? We could use some entertainment here once Xiaolang, Eriol, and Wei leave the house in thirty minutes."

"Are you sure?" Yamazaki answered humbly. "Well, I can take requests and I'll see if I can play it on the guitar."

"Oh, just play what you know. We're open-minded with music," Yelan smiled.

"Alright then. I'll do that, Yelan-san, Xiaojin-san."

"Oh, one more thing," Yelan suddenly changed the subject.

"What is it, Yelan-san?" Yamazazki asked curiously.

"Is your girlfriend— Chiharu-chan, right? Is she doing anything today?"

The teenager shrugged. "I don't think so."

"Why don't you invite her over?" Yelan smiled. "I'm a little curious about her. After all, she's also the president of the Tomoeda branch of Xiaolang's fanclub, isn't she?"

"Uh, yes… yes, she is."

"Good. Please do invite her. We would really like to get to know her."

"Sure thing!" Yamazaki stood up, bowed to them, and headed upstairs to his room to call Chiharu.

#

Rather than actually going to the town square to shop for the traditional yukata summer dress, the three girls simply headed across the street to the majestic Daidouji Residence. They approached the design room where they found Sonomi and her staff still working on their clothes designing and tailoring. Although Yelan reminded Sakura and Tomoyo that a simple yukata would be fine to wear when they have their one-on-one meeting with an elderly Li concubine known as Pei-Pei Nai-Nai, Tomoyo insisted that they should level up a bit and don the more formal _furisode_ style kimono instead. Both mother and daughter fashion designers never neglected that Japan still embraces their traditional dress regardless of the time period they're currently living and they also had their own collection of intricately-designed formal kimono and the slightly lesser-elegant yukata.

With the help of Sonomi, Tomoyo revealed her two most favorite _furisode_ kimono designs, one of pink and white with simple but fresh-looking patterns of flowers from the simple cherry blossom to a more complex-looking peony flowers of red, pink, and white with traces of curved white and light gray lines that resemble the wind. The other was of dark purple with various lavender flowers and a multi-colored bird of red, orange, and black that was visible at the back side. The corresponding _obi_ sashes also had a bit of a simple design as well. For the pink kimono was a long navy blue _obi_ with shiny silk-thread design of leaves and flower petals scattered. The goldenrod yellow _obi_ for the dark purple _furisode_ also had a shiny silk-thread design of chrysanthemum patterns.

The expression on Sakura's and Meiling's face were completely amazed. With the intricacy and vivid detail and the purity of high-quality silk, the Daidouji Couture would seriously make a huge fortune should they decide to sell their kimono designs to the masses. As for Tomoyo, who designed these kimonos by herself, they were only made out of her spare time and of course, only available as gifts to her loved ones.

"Okay, seriously Tomoyo, you should start off your fashion design career by selling these kimonos," Meiling expressed her enthusiasm. "I would seriously would love to have a _furisode _designed by you, girl!"

"Oh I have plenty more in my special closet, Meiling," Tomoyo smiled. "I'm happy to give you one. Consider it as a gift."

"I don't mind paying, but thank you so much, Tomoyo!" The two girls embrace each other. She then turned to Sakura. "Obviously I think the pink one suits you."

"I love the pink one… and its design…" Sakura muttered in a whisper with a huge smile on her face. "The flower patterns are of small cherry blossom petals being blown away but the main flower designs are… I think they're peonies!"

"Uh huh," Tomoyo grinned. "Doesn't Syaoran-kun love peonies?"

"Oh you're telling me, girl," Meiling chuckled. "He loves peonies— and the peony is also one of the traditional floral symbol of China, much like how the chrysanthemum is to the Japanese Imperial Family, ne? And while Japan has the cherry blossom, China has the plum blossom. I think the cherry blossom and peony combination suits very well!"

"Wow…" Sakura gasped as she approached the kimono, hung on a hanger at the wall. "I can't wait to wear this today!"

"I'm gonna dress up and get ready first," Tomoyo smiled. "In that way I'd be able to do a lot of intricate work on you, Sakura!"

"Hoe?" Sakura blinked curiously. "You can dress yourself in a _furisode_? I thought you'd need another person to help you out with the _obi_?"

"My mom will create the _taiko _obi. I don't want to show up looking really high-class if you know what I mean," Tomoyo giggled. "I'm going to create a _fukurasuzume_ knot for your obi, Sakura. It would give a true youthful charm that would knock the socks off anyone once they see it on your back. This should seriously knock the sense of Pei-Pei Nai-Nai for sure!"

"Wow, I didn't know there's different kinds of _obi_ knots," Meiling blinked her eyes. "Japanese traditional clothing really rocks!"

"You better believe it!" Tomoyo giggled. "Well, I'm gonna get dressed now. There's actually a smaller room at the other side and that's where my personal design closet is located. You can go and take a look-around at the clothes there while you wait. Oh if you like anything there, just let me know and I'll wrap it for you."

"Are you sure?" Meiling blinked. "I mean, I feel bad that we'd be choosing a dress or dresses without paying…"

"Don't worry about it, Meiling!" Tomoyo chuckled. "None of my designs are for sale anyway. If you want the ones that Mom designed, then you're gonna have to pay."

"Understood, Tomoyo," Sakura nodded. "See you later!"

Right when Tomoyo left the design room with her mother, Sakura and Meiling headed for the small room where they can browse and look at all the outfits Tomoyo designed and tailored herself. While admiring the dresses and the outfits in the closet and also looking at themselves to see if the outfits match them, this was the time for Meiling to get to know Sakura even more. She had to admit that the first time she had seen this green-eyed Japanese girl, she knew immediately that she would be the one destined for her former boyfriend and distant cousin Syaoran to fall in love and eventually marry.

"Ne, Sakura," Meiling began right after they decided to sit down on the chairs at the small table set to rest. "I've actually have heard of you before, way before Xiaolang and his family moved back to Hong Kong seven years ago."

"Hoe?" Sakura slowly turned to the pretty Chinese idol girl. "But how?"

"Xiaolang's mother had a habit of sending photos of him as a kid along with his friends he made here at Tomoeda to the close relatives. Apparently my father's relations with the main unit of the Li Clan are quite close that I even learned about Xiaolang himself. You know that Eriol and I met Xiaolang in person when we were only eleven? We've never met each other when we were younger than that. He always stayed in Japan and rather than them visiting Hong Kong, it was the relatives left in Hong Kong who would come and visit Japan."

"Ah, so you've already heard of me from pictures."

"Yup. Most of the pictures Auntie Yelan sent to us had you in them. I used to envy your green eyes because they're so beautiful, plus the fact that Xiaolang's favorite color is green that I already knew that he would never keep his eyes off of you. You are one lucky girl, Sakura."

"Well, thank you, Meiling." Sakura answered shyly. "I'm really sorry that you and Syaoran broke up…"

Meiling responded with a laugh. "Nah, no worries about that. We were both confused with our feelings. I mean I've grown to like him and he'd grown to like me, and since we've spent so much together being paired up as a pair of love interests with one another in movies that we decided if we would still be a good match in real life. But while we were together, we never really did things that most couples would do. In some of our movies, we had the so-called kiss scenes, but they were actually off-camera kisses. Meaning he just simply placed his lips on m cheek to make it look like we were actually kissing on the lips. Outside the scene, we just never kissed at all. I mean, we embraced each other, we sat next to each other, we even held hands, but kissing… well, I already knew the feeling that it was probably because of amnesia, maybe, that was preventing him from kissing me."

"I don't understand your last statement but I don't know a lot about amnesia anyway. Maybe there was some kind of an unknown inner force that's warning him to not kiss you as a lover for some reason. Maybe?"

"Who knows," Meiling shrugged her shoulders. "We did get closer, but it was more of like a brother and a sister rather than lovers. I just didn't feel the romance towards him and he didn't feel the romance towards me at the same time. Plus, there was something else that finally got me to ending our relationship as a couple."

"Hoe? What was that?"

"Well, during a Christmas gathering at the family island off the coast of Hong Kong, I spotted Auntie Yelan reading the Book of Keroberos. Her copy was rather interesting though. She had paper-clipped certain pages of the book and a few of them even had childhood photos of Xiaolang and his friends back. Most of the photos that I spotted on that book were solo shots of you and himself. I asked Auntie Yelan more about you, she freely told me about you, your basic background, family, and most of all, your relationship with Xiaolang. At first I thought that Auntie Yelan was playing favorites, but when she told me about Xiaolang's reaction when they were moving away from Tomoeda, that's when I truly realized that she wasn't lying."

"What happened?"

"You know, after you guys parted with your stuffed animals and Xiaolang got in to the car, he just broke in to tears and cried while he was hugging that pink teddy bear in to his arms. I never knew that Xiaolang could be that gentle and sensitive. I mean, everyone in the Li Clan knows he's very stern and callous most of the time, but to break down in to tears? And not just that, he cried for several days once they arrived in Hong Kong? Maybe that's why he got a whole lot more… stone cold… than he was before because he misses you and his friends. Well, that's what I think."

"Oh Syaoran…" Sakura sighed in shock. She wasn't the only one who cried on that sad day. The mighty tough and merciless Syaoran Li had shown his gentle side after all.

"You know he's gotten a bit more mellow and cool since he returned here to Tomoeda. Of course he hasn't realized why just yet because of his amnesia, but just a little more, he'll have his lost memories restored."

"Well, he's remembering now that he grew up here in Tomoeda though. But I think he's still having trouble remembering who he really was through the eyes of all Tomoedans. Now that I thought about it, most of the kids who grew up with us are still here. How is it that they don't recognize Syaoran as much as I did… and maybe Tomoyo and Tak-kun and Yuki-niichan? Even my brother didn't even recognize him. It's not as if he had some kind of plastic surgery or anything like that."

Meiling gave a chuckle. "Maybe because no one really bothered about your close friendships with him, you know? But I heard that he was quite popular around town too."

Sakura nodded. "Kung fu or any other Chinese martial art is really rare here in Tomoeda. He was pretty open with Japanese martial arts too. He was a member of our elementary school's kendo and judo club. And he only got popular because he was the one who stood up to my brother when he used to be a cocky bully to some of the elementary school kids— and he was in middle school at that time for crying out loud!" Meiling giggled in response.

"Maybe your brother just didn't want to remember him that's why he didn't recognize him right away."

"I guess you're right." The two laughed until they both rested.

"Anyway, I'll tell Tomoyo later though she probably wouldn't need the advice. I don't know if Auntie Yelan and Uncle Xiaojin even mentioned this, but here's a bit more info about Pei-Pei Nai-Nai."

"She sure has a strange name. Well maybe it's strange for me because it's Chinese, but… Pei-Pei Nai-Nai…"

"_Nai-nai_ means 'grandmother' in Chinese. Pei-Pei is just her given name."

"Eh? So her real name is actually Pei-Pei?" She nodded. "Wow…"

"The name doesn't really suit her but I guess it's because she's old. Even though she's not really our grandmother, we just call her that since our real grandmother died years ago."

"Aww. My condolences," Sakura bowed her head in respect. "Well, anyway, what about Pei-Pei Nai-Nai?"

"Well, aside from what the Lis know about her, there are other things. I even learned this from Eriol's mother. As you know, she married a half-Japanese British guy…"

"Okay. What is it?"

"Well… Pei-Pei Nai-Nai has a bit of discrimination against Japanese girls."

Sakura stared at he looking perplexed. "Discrimination against Japanese girls? But… but the war is over decades and decades ago…"

"I said Japanese girls, not Japanese in general. It has nothing to do with that war," Meiling chuckled. "She believes that Japanese girls have no hearts of warriors, just like how Chinese women were throughout our long centuries of history. A lot of the Li Girls are also well-versed in kung fu in almost of an equal level as the guys. I became Xiaolang's training partner when he started training in kung fu again after his family moved back to Hong Kong long time ago. I think I consider myself a really good kung fu fighter but I have to admit that I can never be of an equal level as Xiaolang."

Sakura tightened her fist. "She's wrong about that! Japanese girls have a long history too. They're not just there to tend to the family and the household, they have to defend the home front from bandits and invaders as well, and for that, they have to learn how to fight also."

"I believe you," Meiling answered with a smile.

"And I learned a bit from Syaoran when we were little. I practice it everyday in secret because I don't want my brother complaining about it and talk bad about Syaoran over and over again. I love my brother but I'm just sick and tired of him talking so much negativity against the people I'm associated with, especially with Syaoran."

Meiling shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, just be yourself when you face Pei-Pei Nai-Nai, Sakura. Just answer her honestly even if it's something she doesn't want to hear. And as long as I'm there translating everything for you, she can't be biased with her predictions about you."

"Thanks, Meiling."

Right then, Tomoyo arrived, _furisode_ and everything. "Your turn, Sakura!"

"Wow!" Sakura gasped in awe. "You look so beautiful, Tomoyo!"

"Aw, thanks Sakura! But I'll make you more beautiful than you can imagine right now!" She turned to Meiling. "Will you help me out in fixing Sakura up?"

"Sure!" Meiling said. Tomoyo took the neatly-hanged pink kimono as she lead both Sakura and Meiling to her room.

#

During the lunch hour, teen idol and TV reporter Ai Aihara returned to the scene once more to begin her interview with the main cast, starting with the males. Last night would have been her time to interview, but because of the several takes of that one particular musical scene, her interviewing had to push back to the next day. Now that they are back at the amphitheater area of the Tomoeda Penguin Park to have the magazine photo shoots and various interviews, Syaoran and Eriol finally had the time to sit down and rest while having their exclusive interview with the idol teen TV reporter after they were finished doing their various photo shoots for the upcoming issues of various teen and celebrity magazines.

Just like the interviews of the Cool Rascals and other local talents, the interview is being taped to be aired in two days because the show _Oshare-na Cool Teens!_ is not aired during the weekends. Looking sleek and swanky as always, Ai Aihara was ready.

"Happy Monday, all you teen fashionistas and trendsetters and thanks for tuning in to yet another swanky edition of _Oshare-na Cool Teens!_ I'm Ai Aihara reporting you live here in Tomoeda at the movie set of _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_! We've talked to Tomoeda's local artists who will be making cameos in the movie last time and today, we will begin having our exclusive interviews with the main cast of the movie. With me now are most of you girls have been really anticipating for! Let's all welcome two of Japan's hottest teen cuties of our generation— Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiragizawa!"

The boys bowed their heads as their way of saying thanks while Eriol applauded right after. "Thanks for having us, Ai-chan!"

"First off, on behalf of the crew and viewers of _Oshare-na Cool Teens!_, we would like to greet the very handsome birthday boy— Happy Birthday, Xiaolang-kun!" She and Eriol applauded again while Syaoran gave a nod with a smile.

"Thank you Ai-chan. Thank you, everyone!" Syaoran answered.

"So, how does it feel to be an adult now— that is, in Hong Kong standards? You're not longer a teen, which breaks the harts of majority of your Wolfpup fanbase out there!"

Syaoran gave a chuckle. "I'm in Japan right now so I really don't have an answer to that question."

"But let's say we're in Hong Kong right now? What do you plan on doing as your own celebration of becoming an adult?"

"For one thing," Syaoran began, "I need to learn how to get serious with life now. I have plenty of things that I plan to do that are a higher priority over my showbiz career, such as college planning and thinking about my role in the family. I guess you could say I'm the opposite of what most kids do when they turn eighteen, where they decide to party real hard and get themselves screwed."

Both Eriol and Ai laughed at the response. "Now that's something that we don't normally hear from most teen idols as of late, especially Japanese teen idols. Most of them just want to finish high school and then become full time in their showbiz careers while a small number want to pursue other interests by going to college. So, do you have an idea what you're going to be majoring in or what college or university do you plan to attend?"

"I'm interested in actuarial science and anthropology. I plan to prioritize college over my showbiz career but after college, let's just see where fate will take me. As far as a specific college or university, I still haven't decided yet. I like math and history."

"Well then, I heard that there is a university nearby this area that is very well known for its prestigious business, mathematics, and sciences. I forget what it's called… it had an English name I think…"

"Clow Reed University?" Eriol immediately answered.

"Ah yes! That's it!" Ai exclaimed.

"Well, I haven't really had the time to check on that university," Syaoran answered. "But my next-door neighbor is an anthropology professor there."

"Maybe you should ask your next-door neighbor about that university then, ne?"

"Maybe I will," Syaoran grinned.

"Speaking of birthdays now, you have work the entire day today. No plans on celebrating it?"

Syaoran continued to answer. "Well, tonight I'll be celebrating it Japanese style. What I mean by this is just a small gathering by close-knit friends. And my family just flew in earlier today so they'll be having a small-scale celebration with me tonight. Something small, simple, nothing to get excited about."

"But tomorrow, you will have a grand birthday bash, sources have been telling me!"

"Tomorrow would be the Hong Kong elite style of celebration with a huge party with a specific theme, so there will be a huge guest list."

"And of course, _Oshare-na Cool Teens!_ will also have an exclusive report on tomorrow's birthday bash! This should be a lot of fun!"

Syaoran chuckled. "Yes indeed, so if you happen to be near Tomoeda, show up in your favorite sleepwear and make a donation at the door— only 4000 yen. The money will actually go to the Mindspring Children's Fund, where the money will support high-class research to find various cures for the ailing children in Japan and hopefully around the world."

"That sounds a wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing that with us!" Ai cheered happily. "Speaking of Tomoeda, it's already public knowledge that you're still suffering from partial amnesia, and sources have told me that you're almost on your way to full recovery. In fact, one of the most interesting facts about your slow recovery was that you actually recalled many of your childhood memories right here in this very small town of Tomoeda. Would you share a bit of what you remember of your life here in Tomoeda?"

He turned to Eriol, looking rather concerned. Eriol simply gave him a nod, meaning to just reveal what shouldn't be considered personal and sensitive. "Of course," Syaoran said. "I actually lived here in Tomoeda since I was two-years-old."

"Oh my!" Ai gasped. "So technically you were raised as a Japanese rather than Chinese?"

"Partly. Of course I still retain my Chinese heritage at home. I speak Cantonese at home with family and extended family, but of course, Japanese outside the house. The only exception is that I can speak Cantonese freely to the next-door neighbor."

"Ah! Was your next-door neighbor Hong Kong Chinese also?"

"Actually, he's Japanese. He's a renowned archaeologist and historian who speaks many languages fluently who goes by the name of Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto."

"Ah I see! Wait, is that the same next-door neighbor as the one you mentioned working as a professor at that university Eriol mentioned?"

"Yup, same person."

"Amazing! Well, during the week of my stay here in Tomoeda, I'll be having a special tour around town and meet more of the locals not involved in the movie. I have heard of the name but I'm afraid my history is really bad."

_Good thing you're also clueless that he's also Sakura's father…_ Syaoran gave a soft sigh. "No worries, he's the author of one of Japan's bestselling non-fiction books in history: _The Visitor's Guide to the Book of Keroberos_. You should purchase a copy at the local bookstore here. Eriol has one and I have one myself and we both read it during breaks in the shoot."

"Wonderful! I'll be sure to check out the bookstores and buy myself a copy. I'm not a fan of history to be honest but I like reading all kinds of books, so this should be a wonderful treat!" The boys nodded in agreement. "Well then, now that you've discovered your childhood roots here in this little town, which one do you think is a better place to live?"

"Compared to Hong Kong?" Syoaran asked curiously as Ai nodded. "To be honest, I guess in a small town setting like Tomoeda, I can be myself. I can do whatever I loved doing in peace, either by myself or with family or with friends. I wouldn't have to worry about so many commitments when you can only do so many more important priorities, like school, extracurricular activities, you know, just being a normal kid."

Right then, Ai turned towards Eriol. "Not to leave you behind or anything like that, but Eriol-kun, being his cousin, do you have anything to say about Xiaolang-kun's childhood here in Tomoeda?"

Eriol gave a slight chuckle. "Nothing much, really. In fact, we really didn't get to know each other until Xiao and his family moved back to Hong Kong. While he was still living in Tomoeda, I was living my childhood in London. We only have family gatherings during the summer but because we belong to a predominant family clan that we don't even know each other as relatives, you know? This is the first time that I've been to Tomoeda myself and so far this town has really made me feel like a local rather than a guest. The hospitality of the people and the town's very charming environment really mesmerized me, so to speak. It pretty much everything that I dreamed of."

"Well then," Ai continued on. "Speaking of Tomoeda now, yesterday I had the privilege of interviewing the local entertainers who will be making cameos in _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf._ And because you must have plenty of time to work with them in various scenes in the movie, which one of the local talent caught your attention?"

The cousins turned to each other, wondering which one would answer first. Eriol decided to go first. "All of them, actually. I mean I always like checking out local talent. I think each local talent has a unique quality or two of them that makes them a diamond in the rough, so to speak."

Syaoran followed. "Same answer as Eriol. I like the dance crews and the vocal groups and bands. Some of them are a lot more talented than the mainstream artists in my opinion."

"Me too," Ai smiled. "I really do like all of them. They really have great and humble personalities and they felt so comfortable in front of the camera and around me, so that definitely is a good sign. I would say Daihokusei and The Cool Rascals stood out for me the most."

"I like them too," Eriol said, nodding.

"Same here." The two began talking about their favorite members of Daihokusei, as well as their songs. Then later, they moved on to the subject of the local Tomoeda band.

"So, who among the members of The Cool Rascals stood out for you the most? I think three of them are around the same ages as us?" Ai began.

"Hm, let's see," Eriol began to answer first. "Since the Cool Rascals are a co-ed band, I gotta be fair. For the guys, I say Yamazaki. I think the two other sempais are awesome but you know, I think Yamazaki is the male frontman of the band and the dude can sing pretty good. The girls, it's kinda obvious— the ever-lovely and perky Tomoyo-chan! I mean any guy who would get to know the Cool Rascals would notice Tomoyo-chan first at first look!"

"Well," Ai chuckled at the response. "I would agree if I were a guy."

From out of the blue, Syaoran interrupted. "I beg to differ."

"Really now, Xiao?" Eriol chuckled.

"I agree that Yamazaki's the man, but as for the girls, I prefer the more… mysterious types."

The idol TV reporter gave a slight grin. "The mysterious type… you mean Sakura-chan, their keyboardist-slash-lead guitarist? Well, she is a bit of a mystery. I mean she rarely spoke as much as their lead singer Tomoyo-chan did."

"Let's just say I've come across plenty enough elegant-looking girls in my lifetime. I'm even including my own mother and my four older sisters," Syaoran laughed. "Those sweet and simple types can really give an aura of mystery that somehow draws me to her. You know, the urge to getting to know her more and wonder if there's something more than just the melodious voice, the sparkling eyes, and the tender smile. Don't you think?"

"Ooooohhhh…" Eriol and Ai gasped as the two applauded.

"Well then, let's get down to the current attire that you guys will be gracing through the pages of the teen fashion magazines! Let's start off with Xiaolang-kun!" She then turned right at Syaoran and began. "Now, Xiaolang-kun, I'm only doing my job here, but I have been noticing that most of your swanky-casual to the semi-formal to formal attire that you always wear different cufflinks. You must be very specific with your fashion sense!"

Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, I have a thing for cufflinks. Being the only son in the head family, I get spoiled easily by the parents. I got my first pair of cufflinks— it was of white gold with a slightly giant rhombus-shaped emerald with a few diamond studs on the surrounding edges— when I was six-years-old. And then from there I just started collecting cufflinks of different designs and themes. Some bought by myself, some were presents from family and friends, yeah. I have a bit of a weakness for cufflinks."

Eriol also showed off his own pair of yellow gold soccer-ball shaped cufflinks on his navy blue polo shirt's wrists. "These are actually Xiao's because I forgot to bring my own collection of cufflinks with me, so I'm borrowing them from him."

"Aw, what good cousin you are, Xiaolang-kun!" Ai smiled happily.

"Both of us are wearing some of Daidouji Couture's very rare casual designs for males," Eriol said. "Sadly we're not as fashion-knowledgeable as Tomoyo-chan when she described her outfits and the outfits of the rest of the members of The Cool Rascals, I'm afraid. I think they're a blend of silk and polyester… or… something…?"

Syaoran snickered. "If you don't know what you're talking about, Eriol, then don't even try." He gazed right at Ai. "The only thing I know is that the material of our entire outfits feel really good and they really keep yourself cool under the very hot and sweltering sun— even if the colors are dark."

"Oh that's okay, no need to be elaborate, boys!" Ai laughed. "After all, we don't want to spoil everything since your entire ensemble will be featured in… what magazine will this appear on?"

"The outfits Eriol and I are currently wearing will be featured in the August edition of _Trendy __Teens Magazine_ and will be released next month. Stay tuned for it!"

"Well then, I'm afraid we'll just leave it like that," Ai laughed and then gave a thumbs up towards the camera. "Last, but not least, will we be able to see more of the coolest trendy outfits you and the rest of the main cast at your upcoming party tomorrow?"

Syaoran and Eriol gave a soft laugh. "Well," Syaoran began, "if you're featuring sleepwear in _Oshare-na Cool Teens!_, sure! There will be plenty of awesome sleepwear from pajamas to nighties to… well, tomorrow night will all be about the pajamas!"

"Of course, I forgot about that!" Ai chuckled. "Well, sleepwear can be fashionable and trendy too!"

"Oh yes, definitely, especially if you're having slumber parties or pajama-themed parties," Eriol nodded in agreement. "It'll be a lot of fun, that's for sure!"

"And you will be having your small gathering tonight with your family and all the close friends you grew up with here in Tomoeda. What a wonderful revelation that you're finally beginning to find yourself, so to speak."

"Yes," Syaoran nodded. "Who knows, maybe I'll recover more of my lost memories after the party tonight."

"Well then, I'm sure we would've talked some more however we are running out of time. I really do hope that we get to chat like this again next time!" Ai offered her handshake to the two as they shook hands firmly. "It was an honor hanging out with you guys, only for a little bit!"

"Thanks for having us, Ai-chan," Eriol nodded happily.

"Likewise," Syaoran nodded.

"Once again, Happy Birthday, Xiaolang-kun! Enjoy your new prelude to adulthood!"

"Haha, thanks, Ai-chan."

She then turn toward the camera. "Thank you for tuning in today and for sure, we'll have more coming from Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa in the near future!"

Once the director called cut, the three sighed out in relief, knowing that the taping was finally over. Ai applauded happily as her sign of thanks. "You guys look and sound really awesome today! Thanks for the interview!"

"That was a short one," Syaoran said curiously. "It seemed as if your interview with The Cool Rascals was a lot longer than our interview."

Ai chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry about that. I've got more questions to ask you guys but the director…"

"Yeah," Eriol sighed. "That was a pretty good interview if I say so myself."

"Yeah. It really was," Syaoran nodded in agreement.

"You see?" Ai stuck her tongue at the boys. "I'm not as airheaded as most idols think I am. I always know how to deliver the best teen interviews in Japanese teleivision, if I say so myself!"

"Alright, alright," Syaoran shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a believer."

The director advised them to take a break for the time being. Luckily for Syaoran and Eriol, their next photoshoot isn't until in an hour and Ai decided to have these two boys to herself for the time being by treating them out to lunch. Wei even had to contact Syaoran's parents for permission. Since it was just lunch, there was nothing wrong with accepting an invitation. Instead, Wei decided to offer Ai a limo ride to a restaurant of her choice around the area with Syaoran in Eriol in exchange for her invitation for lunch.

"Mooncastle Diner would be a bad idea to go to at this hour," Eriol reminded. "Yamazaki warned me about it a few days ago. That place gets cramped on the weekends. Plus lots of rabid fans may be hanging around there."

"We could do take-out," Ai suggested. "Maybe we can just eat here and wait for Wei or someone to deliver the food."

"I have a better idea," Syaoran snickered. "To ensure pure privacy away from the public, we should head to the beach."

"Eh?" Ai gasped in surprise. "There's a beach here in Tomoeda?"

"Yup. We also have beach scenes also but that doesn't happen until August. Also, the Tomoeda Summer Sports Camp will also take place at the beach as well and the location of the Tomoeda Summer Festival will be a walking distance from the beach as well, so festival goers can enjoy the summer night while walking along the sand against the roaring sea."

"Oh my gosh! That's so romantic!" Ai blushed, placing her hands on her cheeks. "Let's just go to the beach instead! We'll have take-out!"

Right then, Syaoran's phone began to vibrate in his pocket. "Wait a sec." He saw a message icon on his phone that had the name "Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto" on it. "Oh? It's Dr. K!"

"Dr. K?" Eriol asked curiously. "You mean Sa—" Just as he was about to mention Sakura's name, he also realized that Syaoran never mentioned Fujitaka being Sakura's father to possibly protect her privacy from Ai. "That is… your next-door neighbor, Xiao?"

"Yup. The next-door neighbor, Eriol."

Syaoran opened the icon and read a text message coming from his beloved Ying Fa's father: _"We're having a lunch picnic at the Tomoeda Penguin Park by the penguin playground. Was hoping if you would like to have lunch with us."_

He grinned and closed his phone. "Looks like our lunch problems are solved."

#

At the hillside of Tomoeda were various estates and properties of residents and such owned by the town's elite class. The Lis and the Daidoujis were no exceptions to the long list of the wealthy who have their own private villas being taken care of by their hired housekeeping staff and were only used for certain occasions. When there was no room at their main homes on town for their visitors, they would normally travel to these hillside villas so they can board and sleep along with their visitors. As for the Lis, their visiting extended family, as well as a few of the immediate family members, reside at the Tomoeda Hills. To the locals, they simply called the area "the hills."

The Daidouji limousine drove the three girls to the Lis' main hillside villa named "Plum Manor." Basically, any property that has the label "plum" in English or "sumomo" in Japanese meant that they are the property of the Li Family Clan. The estate itself is a mix of classical Chinese and Western archaeologisture with the colors of pure red, gold, slate grey, and cream white. When the Lis used to live in Tomoeda seven years ago, the prominent elders including Syaoran's, Eriol's, and Meiling's grandfather and their families stayed here. It would have made sense that Syaoran and his family should stay in this majestic villa, but Yelan, the more dominant in character, did not like the isolated location and would rather be in a neighborhood where old friends and new live in harmony with them in the same property.

The Daidouji limo parked inside once the driver answered the intercom outside the gates, just near the central fountain leading towards the grand staircase leading to the main entrance. The three girls gazed at the manor in pure awe, but also noticed that there were other limousines parked outside as well.

"Huh," Meiling muttered suspiciously. "So we're not the only ones who will be seeing Pei-Pei Nai-Nai…"

"So, this is Plum Manor," Sakura gave a soft giggle. "I remember Syaoran talking about this when we were kids."

"This isn't the first time I've seen the manor but this is the first time I've actually been inside the gates," Tomoyo said. "It's just as the urban legend goes…"

"Seems like any Tomoeda urban legend about my family seems to be true, Tomoyo," Meiling gave a soft laugh. "My parents have told me how awesome the Plum Manor of Tomoeda was when I was little, but this was the first time I've been here myself."

"Syaoran used to dread coming here, I remember," Sakura laughed. "Whenever he heard 'Plum Manor' coming out from his mother's mouth, he would just groan in discomfort. He liked seeing the relatives and the elders but he hated the parties being held here. Somehow just by looking at this villa, I bet all the parties being held inside must be magical!"

"That Xiaolang," Meiling snickered. "That boy never really liked grand parties, even if they were just family gatherings. That's my former darling alright!"

Once the three girls finally reached the entrance, Meiling turned to the two Japanese girls. "You ladies ready?" Sakura and Tomoyo nodded. "Alright. Rock and roll!" She approached the doorbell and pressed it once, and then used the bronze door knocker to knock three times. They waited a few seconds until the door answered.

The butler looked rather curious right when they gazed at the three. Meiling first spoke to the butler in Japanese. "We're here to see Pei-Pei Nai-Nai. I'm Li Meiling, daughter of Li Mingtao. I'm representing Li Xiaojin and Li Yelan and I'm with two of their chosen candidates for Li Xiaolang's future bride."

Immediately, the butler spoke in Cantonese. _"I'm so sorry, I don't understand Japanese. I will go find someone to speak—"_

Quickly, Meiling responded in Cantonese. _"No need. We're here to see Pei-Pei Nai-Nai. I'm Li Meiling, Li Mingtao's daughter, and I'm here on behalf of Li Xiaojin and Yelan's candidate choices for Li Xiaolang's potential future bride. Please let us in."_

The butler gasped and quickly nodded. _"Ah, yes! Miss Meiling! I am aware of your name! Please come in!"_

"Hmph," Meiling smirked. She lead the two Japanese girls inside and the butler directed them to the library area of the manor. Apparently, they were certainly not alone. Plenty of girls their age, all wearing traditional Chinese attire from the typical cheongsam dresses to the slightly more aristocratic silk dresses, all waiting for their turn to have their interview.

Sakura already found herself out of place, for the girls were as beautiful and elegant as Tomoyo and Meiling. She found herself standing behind the two in slight fear. Tomoyo turned to Sakura with concern on her face.

"What's wrong, Sakura?"

"It's just… it's just… they're all so beautiful…" Sakura muttered. Meiling stood next to her and wrapped an arm around hers.

"Don't panic, Sakura. Just don't pay attention to them. I bet half of these girls already had their turn with Pei-Pei Nai-Nai. They're just hanging around here to wait for friends or simply just want to have a tour around the Plum Manor. Seriously though, it's not like they're gonna live in this place." She then spotted a small table at the corner of the library unoccupied. "Let's go wait over there."

They followed Meiling and sat on the seats. Meanwhile, a Chinese representative of the Li Elders arrived to call the next candidate. After the girl was called in and escorted by bodyguards, that same rep spotted the three girls at the corner. He then approached them.

"_Miss Meiling! Good to see you! Madam Yelan has contacted us earlier that you will be coming with two Japanese girls."_ He then turned and gazed at Sakura and Tomoyo. _"Well then, they've got quite unique beauty and charm! The head family is never wrong with their choices, I must say!"_

Meiling responded in Cantonese with a slight smirk on her face. _"Of course they're never wrong. They are Li Xiaojin and Li Yelan after all."_

Right then, the rep immediately switched to Japanese. "Because you girls have been chosen by the head family themselves, it is a custom that you will be the last two to be interviewed by Pei-Pei Nai-Nai. Most of these girls you see here are already done with their interview and are waiting for the manor tour. I understand that you will also be joining the head family in celebrating Master Xiaolang's birthday tonight after this."

"Yes," Meiling nodded. "Don't worry, we've got plenty of time. Just let us know when it's our turn."

"Will do, Miss Meiling."

Looks like our Tomoedan girls will be waiting a whole long while until all the girls in the room finally finished. In the meantime, Sakura stayed silent while observing the library and the girls she was up against. Tomoyo and Meiling went on about their usual girl talk with each other. Sure, a part of her heart was already reminding her that it was sealed that Syaoran would choose her for his bride, but at the same time, she was also afraid that once he finally recovered all his memories that something bad may happen. For instance, she had been thinking if he was being just a childish boy who was simply playing pretend with her during their childhood days and all the gestures he made at her, such as sharing their first kiss and making promises that they will be together forever was all part of a game. But on the other hand, the handsome movie idol Syaoran seemed to be interested in her that seems to have a stronger intention behind it than he was when he was little. He did make another promise to her not too long ago that should he failed to recover his past memories that he would really want to start over with her. But that was it. He didn't exactly say that he wanted to start over as lovers. Friends, sure, friendship is always the basis of forming special relationships, after all. But what if he only saw her as a childhood playmate and that everything that they shared together as kids were nothing more than child's play.

Right then, she found herself clenching her chest tightly and closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip. She was afraid this was going to happen if her feelings for Syaoran all this time was nothing more than a pretend illusion and all they were doing were just playing games with each other like any other child would. She was so afraid that may be the result that she could already feel her heart beating. It wasn't the type of beating where she gets excited thinking about Syaoran. It was the type of beating that could easily tear her heart apart.

Just as she was about to feel more pain thinking about it, she felt her small purse on her wrist vibrating. Her phone was ringing and she reached for it to see an icon message. Much to her surprise, she saw Syaoran's name on it. Quickly she opened the message icon and read his text: _"Where are you, Sakura?"_

_Uh oh!_ She began to look around to make sure that no one was watching her. Luckily in case someone may peer over her shoulder to look at the screen of her phone that she wrote the idol's name in Katakana: "Syaoran Li," rather than in Kanji "Li Xiaolang." Quickly she responded.

"_I'm still shopping with Tomoyo and Meiling at the town square. How are you doing with your photo shoots and your interviews?"_

She sighed in relief once she answered his message. Right then, the rep who spoke to them earlier entered the library to announce the next name: "Tomoyo Daidouji."

Many of the girls in the room gasped in shock as Tomoyo and Meiling stood up. The other girls' first impressions were too quick to judge: _"Could she be THE Tomoyo Daidouji of the Daidouji Couture? The famous fashion designer Sonomi Daidouji's only daughter? The future heiress to the __Daidouji Couture Empire? Of course, she would be very eligible. Li Xiaolang's parents sure have discriminating taste when it comes to girls! Oh my gosh Tomoyo Daidouji is so perfect for Xiaolang! I'm so jealous!"_

Sakura chuckled that no one mentioned "Tomoyo Daidouji the lead singer of The Cool Rascals" or simply "Tomoyo Daidouji, local girl from Tomoeda." She wished her best friend good luck as she and Tomoyo gave each other a hi-five.

"Hopefully this should go quick, Sakura. We'll be done in no time," Tomoyo smiled.

"Good luck, Tomoyo!"

"I don't think 'good luck' is the right term in this case," Meiling chuckled. "Anyway, I'll be back for you once this is all over."

Sakura waved at the two girls while the rest of the girls still continue to gawk and swoon over a Japanese girl who may possibly be the most eligible girl and the most fit to be the future leader's wife. Luckily none of these other girls were paying attention to her and she would prefer it that way. Right then, she received another message from Syaoran.

"_My gut feeling is telling me that you're somewhere else slightly far from town doing something else other than shopping. Meiling would not answer her phone when I called her and even messaged her. I just want to check to see if you girls are alright."_

Right then, the green-eyed girl gave a gentle smile on her face. _Aww… Syaoran's worried about us. How adorable!_

She replied his text, making sure she followed his parents' instructions regarding Pei-Pei Nai-Nai. _"Actually, since we're riding Tomoyo's family limo, she decided to give a little tour around town for Meiling. We already got what we shopped for, and since we've got plenty of time, we decided to drive around the town including the places no average local or visitor has been before."_

She gave a sigh of relief, making sure she doesn't reveal of her mission for today. At this point, she found other girls already had their eyes on her. Although Tomoyo and Meiling did so much hard work to make her stand out in a graceful manner against the entire crowd of girls in the library today, she knew she finally got the attention even though she was just simply sitting alone at the corner table checking her phone and staying quiet.

Immediately, Syaoran sent her another message:

"_When will you give me a little tour around places I've never been before? I thought I've been all around town now, and with some of my lost memories restored, I thought I already know my way around town now."_

Not worth staring at the girls staring at her, she then replied her text. _"There is a secluded, private, gated and secured area at the hillside that we simply called 'The Hills' where many villas and summer homes of the Tomoeda elite are located. Believe it or now, you have a few houses in this area. You need to have some kind of ID or permission if you're a visitor giving the reason why you're there. For instance, if you're a Tomoeda resident, you just simply show them your ID, like your __driver's license that show your home address being Tomoeda or your school ID if you are showing the name of your school being in Tomoeda, like Tomoeda High School. It's like a tourist paradise here, people can see the eclectic architecture and the magnificence of their homes and estates surrounding the homes. You're probably not that impressed since you grew up in a huge villa or mansion and all that. But we're at Tomoyo's family villa right now having refreshments. We'll be home soon!"_

_Okay, that should keep him from getting curious about my whereabouts…_ She gave a soft sigh, closing her eyes and then gave a smile of relief. Just as she thought she didn't have to panic anymore, an unfamiliar female voice suddenly called her out.

"You! You in the pink kimono!"

Quickly, Sakura closed my eyes in a startle and found a group of Chinese girls in elegant cheongsam gazing right at her. "Me?"

"Do you see anyone else here wearing a kimono?" Good thing some of these girls knew Japanese. They weren't that bad either.

"Can I help you?" She gave a curious look at them.

One of them stepped up with a rather hostile gaze. "You sure got a lot of nerve being in here. Do you actually think that a Japanese girl would ever have a chance to be married in to the mighty Li Clan?"

"The current clan leader and his wife chose me along with my best friend to be their chosen candidates. They only told me it was just an interview so I just went along with it."

"Do you seriously think that the crown prince of the clan would actually choose you as his bride? How unlikely!" One of them chortled.

"Sure, we can understand Tomoyo Daidouji being here, I mean she's the daughter of the great Sonomi Daidouji, and Li Xiaolang happens to be a model for the Daidouji Couture. It only makes a whole lot of sense. But you? Just who are you anyway?"

Keeping herself cool as always, she stood up from her seat. "You asked, so I'll answer. My name is Sakura Kinomoto. I was born and raised here in Tomoeda and a daughter of a well-respected archaeologist and university professor." Right then, the girls facing her broke in to laughter. Still, Sakura kept her head high with an uncertain smirk on her face.

"Really now," another one of the girls said. "What would a university professor's daughter do to contribute to the power and glory of the Li Clan in the first place? Do you have any idea what you're exactly getting in to? And to be chosen by Li Xiaolang's own parents as a bridal candidate? That's just so unreal!"

"You can laugh all you want," Sakura answered and sat back down. "But in the end, Li-kun will be the one to choose."

"Heh, good luck. Although we really don't want you to get embarrassed if you don't get chosen. You're just simply way out of our league!"

"Funny," Sakura continued. "But true. I am way out of your league. But I'm out to marry Li Xiaolang, not to marry you girls. I don't need to be in anybody's league to marry someone you love."

The girls then laughed again. "What? You love him? You don't even know him!"

"And yet his parents chose me as one of the bridal candidates. You sure are confident enough to say that someone like me can never know Li Xiaolang in person. Like I said before, I'm just a simple girl who was born and raised here in Tomoeda. Now, if you girls know him so well, then you should know that he grew up here in Tomoeda for nine to ten years. That can only mean that he grew up with most of the teenagers living here in this town. That also means that he also friends with the kids in this town. And because Tomoeda is such a small town to the point that everyone knows each other by name and face, it would make no sense that I wouldn't know Li Xiaolang in person and he wouldn't know me in person as well. Don't you think?"

And with that, the girls who attempted to jeer at her fell silent. Her words immediately hit their pride, knowing that they did not know or have forgotten that their dream prince did grow up and lived here in Japan during his childhood, Tomoeda in particular.

Right then, two familiar voices immediately interrupted their confrontation. "Don't ever mess with my best friend like that!"

_Tomoyo!_ Sakura's voice gasped and then drew a sigh of relief.

The girls then turn to her and gave another startling gasp. The lovely Tomoyo Daidouji was just finished with her interview, with Meiling stepping up towards them.

"You sure love to talk smack at other girls out of your league, huh?" Meiling snickered. "Unlike the rest of you worthless trash, Sakura-chan here just happened to be chosen by Xiaolang's own parents. That should mean something, don't you think?"

Still, the girls felt stunned as Meiling wrapped an arm around Sakura's. "Forget them. It's your turn now, Sakura. Then we can get the hell out of here and head back to town."

"Right," Sakura nodded. Then she bowed to the girls. "It was good meeting you all. Good luck to all of you."

"Good luck, Sakura!" Tomoyo waved. Sakura nodded in return as she and Meiling headed out of the library and to the family ballroom, where the enigmatic Pei-Pei Nai-Nai was waiting.

#

Sakura and Meiling sat at the seats with a small tea table at the center. Right across from them is a huge Chinese-style designed grand chair where the elderly Pei-Pei Nai-Nai was to sit at this meeting. The rep reminded them that she went quickly to the restroom and that they had to wait. Once the rep exited the ballroom, the servants arrived with a tray of fresh tea and cookies. In the meantime, Sakura examined the surroundings of the ballroom, but what gave her attention are two particular canvas paintings of the leading members of the family. On one wall were the patriarch family, where Syaoran's grandfather and grandmother were seated at the center, surrounded by their seven children. The oldest one on the photo had to be Xiaojin. After all, Sakura thought that the younger Xiaojin looked almost uncanny to Syaoran.

At the wall parallel to that was another painting of the Li Family. This time of Xiaojin, Yelan, the four daughters still in their middle school years, and Syaoran at such a very young age. She blushed and chuckled at the seriousness of Syaoran's face on the painting, but overall still an adorable boy. Meiling noticed Sakura's delightful smile, which made her smile as well.

"Just by looking at these paintings it looked really obvious who was truly in line, truly destined to be the clan leader, Sakura," Meiling said. "Finally you are now getting the glimpse of how Plum Manor looks like on the inside."

"Yeah seriously," Sakura laughed.

"Now, just be yourself, alright? I'm going to translate everything that Pei-Pei Nai-Nai says so you can answer her properly," Meiling reminded her.

"Hey Meiling," Sakura turned to the Chinese maiden. "Whatever you do, translate everything, even if it's an insult."

"What? But why?" Meiling frowned. "I feel uncomfortable translating insults against the people I like just for the sake of translating."

"Don't worry," Sakura smiled confidently. "If I can handle those Chinese girls earlier, I can handle Pei-Pei Nai-Nai."

Meiling sighed, but at the same time nodded. "Alright. If that's the case then I'll also translate everything you say to her, even if they're insults."

"Right."

Just in time, the elderly woman known as Pei-Pei Nai-Nai, stepped inside the ballroom with the help of two Chinese maids. She was almost a hunchback while walking, but the expression on her face was obviously something else than pleasant. Once she reached the area, Sakura and Meiling stood up to show their respect for her. When she reached her seat and was being helped by her maids, the two young ladies bowed to her, as they took their seats.

Pei-Pei looked up to see one of her husband's countless grandchildren back on the scene again. She then spoke to her in Cantonese. _"You're back again, Meiling?"_

Meiling replied in the native language. _"I'm here to translate for Sakura Kinomoto. She's the second candidate that Uncle Xiaojin and Auntie Yelan chose to become one of Xiaolang's potential brides."_

The old woman frowned. _"That Xiaojin is out of his mind. Is he trying to corrupt the pure blood of the Li Clan by allowing foreign blood in to the veins?"_

"_You are in no position to define the blood of the Li Clan, Nai-Nai. You're just a concubine and you and your children have no Li blood or name whatsoever. Stop being bitter!"_ Meiling exclaimed with a glare. _"Now, shall we start with the process now?"_

"_Fine. Let us start."_ Slowly Pei-Pei turned her eyes towards Sakura, who remained calm and silent at this rather short conversation. With the tones of their voices earlier, she knew for sure that she would never allow herself to be on concubine status should Syaoran ever decide to get concubines of his own. On the other hand, finding concubines would hurt her even more.

Right then, Pei-Pei, who have no knowledge of the Japanese language, she began. _"Please state your name, where you're from, your age."_ On the way, Meiling translated Pei-Pei's words word for word.

"Sakura Kinomoto, a resident here in Tomoeda. Age seventeen," she answered promptly. Meiling translated her words in return to the old woman.

"_Sakura? I have heard that the name is equivalent to 'Ying Fa'… now I wonder if you are the mysterious 'Ying Fa' that Young Master Xiaolang kept on murmuring in his sleep…"_

Meiling went ahead and translated the words to her. "I have no knowledge of that, Pei-Pei-san," Sakura answered, although she felt that she was lying through her teeth.

"_Tell me more about your parents. What are their professions? And what are their relations to the Li Clan that got the current head of the clan to choose you."_

She replied after Meiling's translation. "My father is a university professor at Clow Reed University teaching anthropology classes and an active archaeologist and historian. He is also a best-selling author of various non-fiction books. My mother… passed away when I was three-years-old, so I can't really say that I knew my mother very well. I have an older brother, Touya, who takes great care of me since I was little and in a way, he sort of became my mother too whenever my father's busy. As for relations with the Li Clan, we live next door to each other in our neighborhood in town. My mother and Aunt— Yelan-san— were classmates and best friends when they were in high school."

Pei-Pei waited until Meiling finished translating everything Sakura said in to Cantonese. Then, she answered her. _"How unfortunate. A girl being raised by men. Although you seem to have turned out alright. And an old classmate of Mistress Yelan… why does that not surprise me?"_

Right then, Meiling answered Pei-Pei. _"What does not surprise you? That Sakura's mother and Auntie Yelan were best friends back in high school? Please do keep in mind that your powers do not allow you to be biased. As you stated before, your powers are indeed a curse and don't forget the consequences."_

"Meiling, please translate what she said just now…" Sakura asked formally.

Meiling hesitated at first, then sighed. "She wasn't surprised that your mother and Auntie Yelan were classmates back in high school. She must be thinking that it was probably your mother's influence that caused Auntie Yelan to have a… indiscriminating mindset… so to speak, leading her to choose you as one of the bridal candidates. I simply told her that her powers cannot allow her to be biased. She may have her personal opinions, but her powers have some kind of consequence, so to speak, that if she tells you something contrary against what the powers have revealed to her, she will have some kind of punishment."

"I see…" Sakura sighed. She then turned to Pei-Pei and said, "I really don't know my mother enough that would cause Yelan-san to have an open mindset and it's unfair of you to accuse a deceased person for influencing the head unit of the Li Clan to choose me."

Meiling quickly translated her words to Pei-Pei, only to immediately stop Pei-Pei from responding. _"Please, Nai-Nai, let's continue."_

"_Alright. Fine."_ Pei-Pei sighed but continued on. _"Please be honest with me on this one or else my powers will not work properly for me to give you a reading. What are your favorite subjects and your least favorite subjects in school? What kinds of school activities do you do? Do you do any activities outside of school? Do have any plans on attending a university? If so, what field do you plan on getting in to?"_

"This is a bit long," Meiling warned Sakura as she went ahead and translated each of them slowly.

Sakura nodded and answered the questions one by one. "My favorite subjects in school are P.E. and music. My least favorite subject is math. I like English, sciences, and history too, but not as much as P.E. and music. School activities in school are mostly sports-related. I was in the cheerleading squad for my elementary, middle school, and my first two years of high school. I was in the girls' soccer team, softball team, basketball team, track and field team. This year, I'm only doing track and field because I have to study for college entrance exams, but I do create choreography for our cheerleading squad. Activities outside school— I'm a member of a five-member band called The Cool Rascals as a keyboardist and sometimes a lead guitarist. I was also active in urban dance crews too. I do some various volunteer work, such as cleaning up the forests, cleaning up the open fields, and of course, cleaning up the beaches. It's a lot of fun when your family's involved too. I do plan on attending university but I don't know what field I want to enter just yet. I think most likely I'm gonna study history or anthropology and become a historian, author, or teacher even, just like my dad."

"_Hm… you almost have the same hobbies and activities as Young Master Xiaolang. I could hardly call this a coincidence."_ Pei-Pei reacted after Meiling translated Sakura's words to her. _"Contrary to my own biases, I have a feeling my powers would reveal to me a very good reading about you. But let's continue…"_

"Hoe? What'd she say, Meiling?"

"She says you may probably end up having a good reading even though she's highly suspicious of you. But anyway, let's keep going!"

The interview continued on. _"Considering your… background… what do you know about the Li Clan? What contributions do you think would you provide to the Li Clan if you indeed were chosen? Why do you think you should become the future wife of the heir apparent to the leadership seat of the Li Clan?"_

Sakura immediately froze after Meiling finished translating her questions. It wasn't because she felt intimidated by this old woman, but simply because she wasn't prepared, or rather did not expect, that these types of questions would come up. Rather than giving the exact answers, she decided to use a different tactic.

"My father has written several scholarly journals about the Tang Dynasty and the ancestors of the ruling family before the foundation of that dynasty. I was only around eight-years-old when he began writing them and I always served him various refreshments to keep him going. He gave me some tidbits about the Tang Dynasty and the royal family, which you should know, happens to be the Li Clan. I could tell you the entire history but I would just sell you my father's scholarly journals instead for you to read."

Meiling snickered at Sakura's reply and freely translated her words. Pei-Pei felt stunned but Sakura continued on with the answers.

"I don't know anything about the businesses within the Li Enterprises or who does what and all of that. I don't know anything about their businesses at all. Syao— Xiaolang-kun was my childhood best friend. You may not believe it because he may seem unfriendly but it's true. We've been friends for ten years… and I still believe that we're best friends up to now. It was during that time that I have grown to love him as a person. I don't really care if he was rich or if he was the heir apparent to the Li Clan. None of that matters to me. I could only give him my love, my friendship, and I really care about him. If he chooses me for his bride, I can also give the same love and care for our children, whoever they may be. I would do all I can to teach various morals and values I learned from my family and raise them to become leaders. After all, if I become Xiaolang-kun's wife and then bear a son, that son would be the next heir apparent, ne? I have no business with the rest of the members of the Li Clan at all, as long as none of them do any harm Xiaolang-kun or our children. And as for the last question— why do I think I should become the future wife of the heir apparent of the Li Clan— the answer is simple. I love him, all of his positives and all of his flaws, and being the girl closest to him throughout majority of his life, I feel like I'm the only girl who knows everything about him, in and out, than any other girl around. It's not just about knowing who he is, but it's all about understanding why he's the way he is. If Xiaolang-kun doesn't choose me as his bride, then I would understand. I will admit that it would be painful for me, and I would probably cry endlessly almost every day if that happens, but I would understand his decision and find a way to get over it."

The words somehow made Meiling shed a tear, sighed deeply, and translated her words. After she was finished, even Pei-Pei herself found herself stunned.

"_Can you truly love the Young Master Xiaolang, young one? Most of the young girls I have interviewed before you only cared about him because of his good looks, but as a person, they're all afraid of him. They're afraid of his strict attitude and his cold-hearted demeanor. Young Master Xiaolang does not have that many friends because of that harsh attitude of his. His father, Xiaojin, was a bit more lenient, but that wife of his, Yelan— it must be her that made the Young Master the way he is now. Can you seriously love someone like that, young lady?"_

Meiling rolled her eyes and answered Pei-Pei again. _"Whatever you may say about Xiaolang that would scare Sakura, it won't work on her. She knew Xiaolang way longer than you anyway, so don't even try."_

Sakura went on with her answer. "If there are things that I need to learn for me to be… eligibility fit… in the Li Clan, then I'm fine with it. Whatever it takes. I'll even learn how to speak fluent Cantonese. My father speaks the language fluently anyway so he can teach me. And I know the Li Family-style Tai-Chi and basics of Li Family-style Kung Fu too."

"You don't need to do all that, Sakura," Meiling answered her with concern. "I don't think Xiaolang would let you go through all that. You shouldn't worry about all that, ne?"

"I know, but…" Sakura gave a deep sigh.

Right then, Pei-Pei continued. _"Before we go to the next phase, one more final question. Should you and Young Master Xiaolang do get married and decide to have children eventually, in your hopes, how many children would you like?"_

Sakura began her reply after listening to Meiling's translation. "Well, of course we're required to have children, I mean the leadership seat of the clan would be at stake as always even if it's currently occupied. I hope that I can have one son and one daughter. Two children, one of each, would be enough for me. If not, we'll… we'll just keep on trying and trying until we finally get one of each."

Meiling gently nudged her on the side with a smirk on her face. "Oooh, Sakura! That would mean that if you have a son as your first-born and then you have a son as your second-born, you'll just keep on going until you finally have a daughter? I gotta say, you're very strong indeed, girl!"

Sakura immediately blushed thinking about the situation while Meiling translated to Pei-Pei her answer. The old lady, using a cane, slowly stood up from her seat. She then turned to Sakura.

"_Young lady, please stand up. I need to examine you now."_ Meiling instructed Sakura as Pei-Pei explained. Sakura followed everything the younger Chinese girl instructed her.

"Just stay still and don't be nervous, ne?" Meiling whispered, patting her on the shoulder.

"Thanks so much for being here with me, Meiling," Sakura smiled. "I'm glad it's you."

"No problem. Tomoyo's obsession on you rubbed on to me, so to speak." She winked. Sakura gave a giggle.

Sakura stood still and was now facing the old lady, due to her slight hunchback, was many inches shorter than her. Pei-Pei gazed right through her eyes, and from there, she immediately stumbled backward. Meiling quickly aided her to keep her balance.

"_No… green eyes… but… that's impossible…"_

"_What are you talking about now, Nai-Nai?"_ Meiling asked in a low tone.

"_My powers… last night, I had this rather strange dream… of a young handsome prince bearing the Li Clan insignia… on a white horseback… with a young peasant girl with green eyes… riding along on a grassland… and were the chosen guardians of the legendary Water of Immortality…"_

Meiling raised an eyebrow. _"Now you're talking nonsense, Nai-Nai."_

Sakura remained clueless at this point as Pei-Pei got closer to her as well. Gently she took Sakura's right hand and began to trace her rather rough finger on to her skin.

"_Very soft… and the skin color is very natural… just like the peasant girl in my dream… and…"_ She then graced her hands on to her shoulders. _"Slightly broad shoulders. You look like a toothpick but you have rather strong shoulders. And…"_ The old lady walked around Sakura and from out of the blue, she began to rub her waist area and her buttocks all at the same time, making the young Japanese girl squeal in shock.

"_Very strong legs… you are indeed a runner, like you say… and strong legs need strong buttocks, strong hips, strong waist… strong men are born from strong bodies… the powers do not lie…"_

Meiling translated everything Pei-Pei said, which gave Sakura another clueless expression on her face. "I have… strong legs? Strong hips? Strong waist? Strong glutes?"

Once again, the old lady walked around her, facing her this time, and took her right hand again. This time, he examined her palm. She counted and examined the lines, tracing a finger on to a few of them. Sakura gave a soft chuckle, feeling the tickle from the finger tracing.

After the physical examination, they all sat back down again. Pei-Pei gave a deep sigh. _"I personally do not like Japanese girls in general. That is my personal opinion. But these powers of mine does not allow me to be biased. Your cheerful, perky personality would never fit the persona of the Li Clan— again, my opinion— however, the spirits advice me that so far, you are the perfect match for Young Master Xiaolang. As far as children, it will be rather difficult. You will have at least one daughter, but the chances are rather little. You will indeed have a son— or rather— plenty of sons. At least you will be having at least five sons— and more. Having many sons is a true blessing to the Li Clan, but it can also be a danger at the same time. Throughout 2,000 years of this family's existence in China, the downfall of the Li Clan's dominating powers over China are all caused by internal conflicts within the family— family member against family member, brother against brother. But because of your rather cheerful, perky, and positive personality, your influence may avoid these deadly internal conflicts between your future sons and possibly the entire Li Clan. Once again, I do not like your kind, but the spirits have told me that you truly are the one… the destined one for the young master."_

Meiling gasped happily and then gave Sakura a tight embrace. Right then, Pei-Pei wrote those words in a piece of paper using a calligraphy brush, black ink, and also in Chinese. Sakura would just have to ask Meiling— or even her father— to translate what she wrote on the paper. After she was finished, she folded it and placed it gently in to an envelope. She used an old-style heated seal that bears the Li Family insignia on. On the flat side of the envelope, Pei-Pei wrote Sakura's name in Kanji. She handed the envelope to Sakura, as she gently took it from her.

"_Please, Meiling, explain to the young miss what she needs to do next."_

"_Thank you, Nai-Nai,"_ Meiling nodded and turned to Sakura. "Keep this envelope sealed at all times. If Xiaolang asks you to marry him and you guys get engaged, you can open the envelope and then have someone— your dad I guess— translate what she wrote in there. You can show the message to Xiaolang's family, but not towards Xiaolang himself. On the day of your wedding, during reception, then you can show this to Xiaolang and have him read it."

"Wow… that sounds exciting!" Sakura gasped. "But what if he asks someone else to marry him instead?"

"If that happens, you'll have to burn it. Sadly, it's part of the clan tradition. You're not allowed to let Xiaolang see what's written in that envelope so as to not distract him and his newly-wedded wife. You see, this is also a part of his tests for the leadership seat— making decisions based on his mind and his heart all at once. If he married someone else and then it says something rather bad in that girl's envelope, then you can be sure he— and the clan— would be in big trouble. As in, bad luck trouble. But anyway, knowing Xiaolang, I'm sure he wouldn't choose any other girl over you, Sakura. Just have faith, ne?"

Sakura nodded. "I already have faith in him, Meiling. Just need a little push until he can finally recover all of his memories. For sure!"

"For sure!"

The ladies then exchanged their thanks and their goodbyes, as she and Meiling freely exit the ballroom and then towards the library, where they meet with Tomoyo and the other suitor girls in waiting. When they met up with Tomoyo, Sakura felt the vibration coming from her hand purse. She reached for her phone and Syaoran finally replied her previous text.

"_Eriol and I will be arriving at the Plum Manor to visit the elders. Since you girls are at the Daidouji villa, we'll meet you there and we can head back to have my small scale birthday dinner with family and neighbors. Sorry I only replied now, more photo shoots and interviews. We had lunch with your dad and his archaeological team. Be there in five minutes!"_

"Hoe!" Sakura shrieked from out of the blue, which startled Tomoyo and Meiling.

"What's wrong, Sakura?"

She lowered her voice and whispered to them the text exchanges. Tomoyo and Meiling also squealed in panic. "Okay, calm down, everyone," Tomoyo said. "I have the keys to my family villa. We can go and get changed there."

"Oi," Meiling frowned, "seems like Xiaolang is having suspicious gut feelings regarding your whereabouts, Sakura. My golly, he's good."

"Well, we better get going then!" Sakura said. The girls made their exit, just as the rep finally began to give the manor tour for the girls. As they made their way to the door, the same rep called out to them.

"_You girls are not joining the tour, Miss Meiling?"_

Meiling answered immediately. _"I'm with them and they're giving me the tour of the entire hillside. I'll be the one who will give them the manor tour some other time."_

"_Well then, have a good night, ladies!"_ Quickly, they made a gentle dash to the Daidouji limousine.

"To the family villa, please!" Tomoyo ordered the chauffer. The limousine drove out of the Li Manor driveway and made their way towards the Daidouji Villa.

Once they got there, Tomoyo opened the doors to the house with her keys, along with their backpacks containing their standard civilian clothes and shoes. Using the restroom and Tomoyo's bedroom, the girls changed back to their everyday selves so Syaoran and Eriol would not suspect of their meeting with Pei-Pei Nai-Nai.

"Xiaolang must not know about your meeting with that old woman," Meiling said. "I think the reason why Eriol came along with him so in case that we're still there that he could distract him away while we make our escape."

"It's a good thing Syaoran is so sweet, ne? He started texting you out from nowhere, getting all worried about you, Sakura! That must be love right there!"

"Oh Tomoyo…" Sakura smiled, blushing at the same time.

Once they were finished, they placed their backpacks, now containing their traditional clothes, jewelry, and shoes, in to the trunk of the Daidouji limousine. They even made sure that they washed and wiped off the makeup from their faces and removed all the jewelry they wore at the same time. They decided to wait in the living room until Syaoran and Eriol arrive at the hillside.

Some fifteen minutes later, they hear the doorbell ringing. Tomoyo headed for the door to look through the peephole. As expected, Syaoran and Eriol was at the door.

"Well then, time to go!" Tomoyo called out for Sakura and Meiling. They exited the house, with Tomoyo locking the doors with her keys. They exchanged their hellos as always when Syaoran immediately took Sakura by the hand.

"Hoe? What is it, Syaoran?" Sakura blushed.

"Ride with me instead?" Syaoran asked her with a tone that sounded more pleasant to her than anything else.

"S-sure… okay…" She turned to the girls and waved at them. Right then, Eriol followed behind them.

"Eriol, you can ride with Meiling and Daidouji," Syaoran commanded him.

"What the— you're kicking me out of your own limo? I'm a Li too!" Eriol pouted.

"So is Meiling but she's not riding with us," Syaoran immediately retorted.

"I knew it! You just want Sakura-chan to yourself!"

"Why?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow of curiosity. "Do you want Sakura to yourself also?"

"Come on now, you guys," Sakura giggled.

Right then, Eriol became lost in words. "Well… no…"

"Then no point arguing, Eriol!" Right then, Wei opened the limousine doors as Syaoran let Sakura enter first before he did. Eriol shrugged his arms and turned to the Daidouji limousine.

"That idiot Xiaolang," Eriol sighed. "I love him like a brother but sometimes he makes me want to wring his neck with that attitude of his!"

Meiling simply giggled. "Oh don't complain, Eriol. Besides— Tomoyo's here!"

"Meiling!" Eriol shrieked, finding himself blushing. Tomoyo, on the other hand, also began to blush as well.

"Well, what are we waiting for! I'm starving. Let's get back in town!" Meiling cheered. They all entered the limousine and followed Wei, Syaoran, and Sakura from behind.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, I know, this chapter is somewhat long overdue, but that's because there had been several things happening in my offline life. For one thing, I finally got a job, though it's a temporary one and had gone through training for the entire weekend. I got another training tomorrow, so I had to finish this so I can start fresh. ^_^

Being Asian, (I'm talking about me- and other Asians out there LOL) we all have our own crazy, quirky traditions within the family or even within the lands we grew up at. I've read a few accounts here and there that old women who tell fortunes regarding the future of the family they represent still exist, not just in China, but basically everywhere around Asia. "Nai-nai" is Chinese for "grandmother" (I looked it up in Google Translate and such. Just something general). "Pei-Pei" just happens to be a typical Chinese female name. I think they sorta have the same grammar as Japanese and Korean in terms of honorifics, so I placed "nai-nai" at the end of Pei-Pei. If I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me. ^_^

This is a short author's note, so giving out my usual shout-outs to the new peeps who started following and adding "Stuffed Animal" to their list!

Finally, replies to the reviewers!

**DualStarduster** – If you mean Chinese names, I ask my Chinese friends and sometimes even look at historical names of famous Chinese individuals. If you mean Japanese names, I'm proficient enough in Japanese for me to come up with Japanese names. ^^; If you mean Korean names, I ask my sister's boyfriend (who's Korean). ^^;

**Aizawa LSV** – Just keeping Syaoran in character as the way CLAMP written him as. He just isn't the type who would just sleep around with other girls for the sake of training and traditions. And another thing, his love for Sakura truly is real and it's always has been (in CCS, in Tsubasa Chronicle, xXHolic, etc.) and I intend to keep him that way in Stuffed Animal too, even if it's an AU fic. He's just way too disciplined to do something careless and meaningless like that. Sorry to all the other writers there who have a habit of writing Syaoran as some kind of a player in their fanfics... =T

**DALUNA** – Same reply as the reply I gave you in ch. 13. XD

**aly-chan** – Sorry for the wait! Here's ch. 14 LOL.

**SakuSyaoLvr** – To be honest with you... no, I don't have a deadline of some sorts. When my mind brims of so many ideas, I could just write forever. In other words, I don't have an exact estimate of the number of chapters I expect to write LOL. Patience is virtue! :D

**Cat Dawntreader** – LOL glad the chapters helped you get occupied during your commute LOL. I live in the Bay Area, but I have a sister who lives in L.A. so we visit whenever we can (though she does most of the visiting up here so yeah LOL). And yes, my entire family and I are very familiar with 405. I personally hate driving in 405 LOL. The worst freeway that we have in the Bay Area in terms of traffic is actually 101 LOL. You should know 101- the "historical" El Camino Real LOL. In terms of writing, I guess I just imagine the dialogues (I actually distract myself by doing other things so I'm not always on the computer/laptop all the time LOL) and I just write them out. Plus I write about 85wpm (words per minute) LOL. XD Maybe I should build a fanlisting site that says "The Wolfpups Fanclub" LOL. XDDD

**aurora0914** – I actually have a spoiling and messing with the readers a bit with my fics in general (the other reviewers know it too LOL). I was going to make it something minor and thought the readers wouldn't notice it, but I'm quite surprised that a lot did LOL. For me personally, Syaoran wasn't written as some kind of careless player who just sleeps around, whether for pleasure or for traditions anyway. I wrote that little bit just to shock the readers, I guess. It's just me as a writer LOL.

Thanks for reading all! This is Adri again, see you next time!


	16. 15: Pajama Party (Part One)

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 15: PAJAMA PARTY (Part One)**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

Sakura had never felt so nervous before when Syaoran began to prod her with curious questions about her activities with Tomoyo and Meiling. Syaoran, on the other hand, couldn't help himself but to be curious of her whereabouts and wondered why she did not even make contact with him, not even a single text message, throughout the entire day. Although Sakura tried to make herself as calm and cool as possible, Syaoran somehow can tell that she was indeed hiding something from him. She never really hid any secrets from him during their childhood days, as she always felt that she can always tell him anything no matter how embarrassing they may be. Throughout all this, she just couldn't seem to be brave and talk about Pei-Pei Nai-Nai in front of him, but according to his family, this was also a part of his test.

At this point, she sat across from him at the back seat of the limousine. She began to worry of his indifferent mood. She needed to say something to get Syaoran's head up before they arrive back home for his small scale birthday dinner.

"You're really quiet today, Syaoran," Sakura mentioned the mood in the car. "You should be happy, you know? It's your birthday!"

Syaoran lifted his head and simply nodded. "Thank you, Sakura."

"But you should be smiling, you know? It's your birthday after all!"

He then led out a sigh. "I'm sorry if I'm not in the brightest mood today."

"Must be a really tiring, really demanding photo shoot you guys got."

"It's not really about the photo shoot or the interview, Sakura. It's just…" He trailed out, pondering to himself if it was safe to talk about anything else about his family's rather strange traditions to her. "I'm a bit… nervous… that a lot of the members of the clan actually arrived here in Japan just to attend tomorrow's party."

"Well, they should be, Syaoran. I mean, they're your family, ne?"

He simply turned his head away from her. "I wonder…"

"I bet having a really huge family must be really fun. I mean, my mother was an only child and her family lives two towns away from Tomoeda. They used to live here, but ever since Mom graduated high school and went off to college, they had to move to somewhere affordable so they can continue paying for her tuition fees. My dad's family is the same too. We don't have a very huge family clan compared to yours, so…"

"But you're happy, Sakura," Syaoran slowly turned his head to her again. "I mean, even though there isn't that many of you, you're always happy with each other. That's all that matters."

She nodded slowly. "A lot of harsh things must have happened within your family that made you guys move back to Hong Kong from Tomoeda…"

"I suppose… I never really knew the entire story." He leaned back on to his seat to relax. "You're right for one thing though. It's my birthday, and eighteen at that. I'm a bit upset because I feel as if I'm no longer part of the family anymore. Always keeping me in the dark about all the internal activities within the clan. I barely know about the enterprise that my family has been running for generations. Don't I deserve to know what's going on within my family and whatever schemes they're up to?"

"Um… I guess they're preparing you for the next step to the leadership seat, ne? About you becoming the next leader of the Li Clan?"

He gave a low sigh. "If Father were still strong and healthy now this wouldn't be happening and that they would take their time to prepare me for the next level. But you've already seen him… wheelchair-bound and barely moving. At least he could still speak, move his head and arms but other than that…"

Right then, she switched seats and sat next to him. "But your dad has your mom to help run the enterprise and the entire clan, ne? If you were in his shoes now, I'm sure I'm— that is— your wife would do the same thing. I think a married couple shouldn't just be a married couple just for the sake of being married, but they should also work as a team on every task from maintaining their love for each other, maintaining the stability of the family, and in this case, making sure that everything within the clan is in order and that all members are in the same page. Right?"

At that point, Syaoran remained silent, except for a nod. Sakura began to worry about his silence again that she decided to speak anymore. Moments later, he broke the silence. "May I… ask a question, Sakura?"

"Sure thing. What's up?"

"I know this may come rather abrupt, but… be honest with me."

"Hoe?" She waited for him to give out the question.

"Between me and Syaoran Li from seven years ago… which one of the two whom you like the most?"

She gave him a confused look. "My feelings for you never changed, Syaoran, whether you were still eight or eighteen. You know that."

"Well, tell me honestly," He swallowed nervously and continued. "Am I… am I different… compared to who I was seven years ago?"

She suddenly gave a rather slight melancholic look and then lowered her head. "Well… yes… you are completely different from seven years ago— but that's because of your amnesia, so… I'm sure lots of things really influenced you to become different… so it's not your fault!"

"Well, I get that. It's just…" He leaned back to his seat and placed his hands over his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I shouldn't have… asked that question…"

"But you know me… well… partially… Syaoran. I'm quite adaptable to anything different. Like with Kung Fu and Tai Chi and being friends with someone who didn't know a single word of Japanese back then… and vice versa. We became close and overcame all these differences. I'm sure if anything happens, I'll adapt to it as always…"

"Sakura…" At that moment, he gave a worried look as if guilt had come all over him.

"But you know…" Sakura continued on. "I will admit this… that if you don't feel the same way as I do for you, it would really hurt me deep inside… but at the same time I'll overcome the pain… so… I… I won't press you about that because I don't have a right…"

"What do you mean you don't have the right?" He exclaimed in suprrise. "Of course you have every right to know! If there's something bothering you, especially if I'm involved… don't hesitate to talk to me about it…"

"For instance, Syaoran, at first I thought that we share the same feelings for each other… that you know… we're soulmates and… well you know… but then now I'm having these thoughts that maybe we were just too young to understand these things that all along and that everything back then was all child's play… like maybe you're pretending that you're in love with me… and I fell in love with you not thinking that you were just pretending and—"

"Sakura, about that—" Before Syaoran could continue, they felt the limo stop and the engine turning off.

Wei turned his head at the back to face the two teenagers. "We're home now, Master Xiaolang…"

"Oh. Right." Syaoran took a deep breath and exited the door first without waiting for Wei to open the door for him. "Come on, Sakura, let's… let's talk about this some other time…"

"Right…" Sakura reached for his hand after he offered it to her, as he helped her exit the car.

#

A small-scale dinner at the Yamazaki Home, I mean, the Li Home, to celebrate Syaoran's eighteenth birthday was about to commence. The immediate members of the Li Family consisting of Syaoran, his four quadruple sisters, his parents, the humble servant and manager Wei, and a host of old friends from around and about Tomoeda. There were the Kinomotos from next door (Touya included), the Daidoujis from across the street (including Sonomi's husband and Tomoyo's father, who just flew in from England), the Tsukishiros from two doors away (both Soun and Yukito), Touya's and Yukito's fiancees, Kaho and Mizuki, and the Kashii Couple. Yamazaki, Eriol, and Meiling were also present, while they wait for Chiharu, Rika, Naoko, and that young Korean idol dancer Oh Yun Hwa to arrive. The Lis brought along their household staff with them all the way from Hong Kong in order to continue their household work in this house.

Tonight's dinner served Hong Kong-style Chinese Cuisine, even though not everyone present dressed in traditional Chinese attire. The specialized hired chefs even packed a few boxes of the dishes according to Yelan's commands for Fujitaka to take home next door to feed his dedicated archaeological team, who decided to skip the dinner party in order to continue their work. Before that, the team came along with the Kinomotos with their own gifts for the young master Syaoran and to commemorate his eighteenth birthday before they went back next door to continue on their work.

The dinner started with a toast from Xiaojin, who prayed for Syaoran's longer life and a sustainable future no matter which path he decides to take while making his way to inheriting his leadership seat. The Lis made sure that there were no media of any kind would visit this side of Tomoeda and break news of their quiet, private birthday dinner. Various guests chatted in different subjects throughout dinner, while Sakura quietly ate her dinner. In the meantime, the birthday boy, sitting across from her, couldn't help but to watch her eat daintily as if the food was so precious to her. Sakura noticed the way he looked at her, and all she could do at this point was to blush and smile at the same time. At that point, she thought about what Pei-Pei Nai-Nai said to her regarding loving someone with so many negatives compared to the positives. Maybe to the old woman, she could never love someone like that, but she knew that she was the only one who knew Syaoran in every little way than anyone else and had been confident that she could love him, inside and out.

After dinner, each guest gave Syaoran their gifts. Sakura was the last person to give him the gift despite that he already advised everyone not to bring him any presents. Even so, he was happy that these guests still took the trouble of finding him a gift. That even included his on-and-off mortal enemy, Sakura's brother Touya, who also gave him a present. He decided to open the gifts later after the party, where he can open them to himself and respect the privacies of the givers from each other.

More mingling went on with the guests and the hosts. The rooms and chambers that Yamazaki rarely opened except for spring cleaning throughout the majestic gated mansion were finally opened, giving Yamazaki a break from cleaning them up. At the family ballroom, the teens were sitting around a rectangular table already planning for the agenda for tomorrow's pajama-themed birthday bash. Who could be more perfect to host the party than his fellow idol cousin?

"Just seeing you volunteering to be the host of my party gives me the creeps already," Syaoran made his first reaction.

"Don't be bitter, Xiao," Eriol winked. "It's not as if I'm using your own birthday bash just to humiliate you. After all, there's going to be plenty of guests— and I mean plenty. That's why your parents decided to rent the Spinel Sun Auditorium to hold the birthday bash instead of in here or even at the Plum Manor. Believe me, Meiling and I were already planning the agenda for quite awhile now."

"Although," Meiling joined in, "I really like how you decided to change the theme of the party in to something a whole lot simpler. A pajama party sounds a lot more fun than trying to up each other to see who is the most elegantly dressed in the party, you know?"

Syaoran slammed his fist against the table. "I can't believe those girls will also be at the party. The elders have really gone out of their minds…"

"What girls?" Sakura asked curiously, while at the same time she already thought about the girls earlier at the Plum Manor to meet with Pei-Pei Nai-Nai.

Quickly, Syaoran and Eriol startled at Sakura's question and Eriol began to cough

"Um… none of your concern, Sakura-chan!" Eriol quickly answered with a nervous chuckle.

"Hoe?"

"Um… just… just random girls that the clan elders invited whom I've never met in my life. I was really shocked to see all of them hanging around at the Plum Manor earlier today looking at me as if I'm some kind of an idol celebrity," Syaoran answered.

"Um… you _are _an idol celebrity, Syao-chan," Yamazaki reminded him in a low tone.

"Ugh, you know what I mean Taka-chan!" Syaoran glared at his other best friend.

"But… why would they be there?" Tomoyo went along with playing innocent.

Syaoran turned his head away. "Those idiot elders are probably going to force me to choose one of them to be my bride during my party…"

"That's not gonna happen, Xiao," Eriol said, patting his cousin on the shoulder. "Your parents gave me and Meiling responsible for the agenda of the party. We have a few proposals that we showed to your parents earlier and they approved all of them. All we need to do is to have you choose which one of these proposed agendas you want us to do." He placed a folder that has all the printed agendas.

Syaoran took the folder and counted as having five types of agendas and he reviewed them carefully. "This is in Chinese…" he said. "… And yet there's a lot of typos and your character choice is really weird. I can read Japanese, you know, Eriol."

"Sorry, Xiao. I just thought it'd probably be easier for you if it was in Chinese. Meiling was just dictating to me and I just let the computer choose whatever characters needed," Eriol gave a grin.

"Relax, Xiaolang," Meiling frowned and revealed another manila folder she took out from the folder. "In case Eriol screws up with the Chinese text, he typed another set in Japanese."

Syaoran remained his glare towards Eriol and took the folder from Meiling. "Even if you wrote it in English, I'd still be able to read it."

"I'm not well versed with American English, dear cousin," Eriol said.

"Whatever!" Syaoran shouted. He opened the folder and began reading the Japanese version of the agendas. The others took a closer look at the first sheet.

**PARTY AGENDA (Proposal #1)**

I. Introduction (MC - Eriol and Meiling)

II. Welcome Speech (Xiaolang)

III. Dinner (with live performances by Daihokusei, The Cool Rascals, other local artists (not in any particular order))

IV. 10 Questions (get to know Xiaolang more!)

V. Live Performances II (Daihokusei and The Cool Rascals only - not in any particular order)

VI. Dance Performance (The IllTrix - Xiaolang, T. Yamazaki, Yun Hwa, Naoko, Sakura)

VII. Games (musical chairs, newspaper game, truth or dare, "Mochiron," etc.)

VIII. Birthday Cake/Gifts

IX. Song Performance (Xiaolang and ?)

X. Closing/Sleepover

_This doesn't seem that bad, _Syaoran thought. _I wonder who that "?" is…_

He turned the first sheet and then looked at the second one. Somehow he realized that the second proposal did not have any change or difference from the first proposal, except it was in a different order. He also checked the third, fourth, and fifth and was also re-arranged in a different order, but all the items were the same.

"What the hell, Eriol? They're all the same! Except they're in a different order!"

"In that way, Xiao, you wouldn't have to fear of having the elders taking over your party and then do something unexpected that would ruin your partying mood, such as forcing you to choose a bride among those hordes of girls earlier right in front of everybody," Eriol explained. "You wouldn't want to do that and… hurt some girls' hearts, would you?"

"You got a point there," Syaoran sighed. "Alright, I'll take a look at these and then I'll decide like… later."

Right then, Sakura pointed to the item that says "dance performance" on it. "Whose idea was this?"

Naoko raised her head. "Well, Yun and I have been talking. I think it'd be really awesome if we revive our old dance crew, just for old time's sake, ne? And besides, Yun said that Syaoran's a pretty good dancer. Ne?"

Syaoran shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have a problem with that, but what exactly kind of routine we're dancing at?"

From there, Yun decided to take over. "Nothing new and complicated. I thought we'd perform 'The Ducky' routine. You've always said that you loved that routine the best when we were little, Xiao."

Syaoran gazed at the couple with a curious expression on his face. "I have? Really?"

Naoko turned towards Yun. "It's the amnesia talking, remember…"

"Good thing I had my cousin transfer the old VHS tape of us performing it eight years ago to DVD so we can watch it. I got a copy if you'd like to watch it."

"Really, Yun? Can you give me a copy then?" The Korean idol dancer reached for his backpack and handed him the copy of the DVD of the dance they mentioned.

"Maybe once you watch it, you'll start to remember, Syaoran," Sakura nodded.

"If I don't, you guys will have to teach me again," Syaoran reminded them. "But I'm a fast learner, I know that."

"We all know that, Syao-chan," Yamazaki smiled. "Back in elementary, a lot of the other kids think that you're the male version of Sakura… and Sakura is the female version of you!"

"Hoe?" Sakura blinked in curiosity. "That's the first time I've heard of that…"

"Same here," Syaoran also showed a perplexed expression.

Chiharu immediately bopped her boyfriend at the back of his head. "Stop making up stories when poor Li-kun is struggling to recover all his memories!"

"Who knows," Syaoran immediately answered. "Maybe Taka-chan is right about that…"

"Li-kun!" Chiharu shrieked. "I know you're suffering from amnesia right now, but you actually believing everything Takashi says is who you really were when you were a kid— even though you knew he was lying."

"Well, I may be somewhat gullible, Mihara, but at least his 'stories' isn't harming anyone. Right, Taka?" Immediately, he and Yamazaki ended up giving each other hi-fives as if it was something natural these boys would do.

"You got that right, my man!" Yamazaki grinned.

Syaoran continued to skim through the agenda until he got to the "games" item. "What's this 'Mochiron'?"

"You know… 'Mochiron'! 'Of course!'" Eriol smiled.

"I know what _mochiron_ means, idiot," Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Why is that under the 'games' section?"

"You see, Meiling and I got this idea from Yun-kun. There used to have an old variety gag show in Korea with a game called 'Mochiron'— of course it's called something else in Korean, but in English, it's 'Of Course.' It's kind of like a mix of 'Truth or Dare' and those American 'Yo Mama' insult battles with a bit of a twist. Yun-kun explained it to us and even got a demo between him and Yanagisawa-san and I thought it'd be a fun idea— especially if it's a girl and a guy facing off against each other hehe."

"Wow," Sakura gasped. "I… I'm not very good at insulting people at all… I think I'll lose immediately…"

"Oh, it's not just about insults, Sakura," Meiling explained. "It's more of like a test of wits against each other, you know? One person says some statement about the opponent and try to get that opponent to say 'mochiron' as if he or she was admitting to that statement even if it wasn't the truth. If that person couldn't have the guts to say 'mochiron', then that person loses. If you want to insult your opponent in return, you have to say 'mochiron'. You guys got that?"

"Um, sort of," Yamazaki blinked his eyes curiously.

"I think I got it!" Tomoyo giggled. "We should have a demo!"

"Good idea!" Meiling winked. "How about you and Eriol do the demo?"

Eriol startled after hearing Meiling's suggestion. "Now Meiling, why choose me and Daidouji-san here? Why not Sakura and Xiao instead?"

"Uh, because I don't know what the hell this game's about, Eriol?" Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Sorry Eriol, I still don't get how to play this game," Sakura murmured shyly.

"Alright, alright, fine…"

Eriol and Tomoyo stood up from the seats while the others applauded. They stood across from each other and Yun stood up at the center. As the mediator, he explained the rules. "Okay, the rules go like this. Since this is something new we'll decide who goes first by a coin toss. All you have to do is to say some kind of statement, whether if it's a compliment, flattery, insult, or a combination of all, that may be true or almost to the truth, while the other tries to get back at that person in the same fashion after he or she admits that what that prior person said is true or somewhat true. In that case, the second person will have to respond by saying 'mochiron.' Generally, there's no time limit to this game, but the game will be over if the responding person couldn't admit to the truth or close to the truth about what the prior person just said to her. In short, if he or she couldn't bring him or herself to say 'mochiron.' You two understand the rules?" The two nodded to confirm. "Great! I'll toss up the coin and Eriol, you make the call."

Naoko handed him a 100-yen coin, as he turned to Eriol. "Okay, Eriol, call it!" He flipped the coin up in the air, caught it, and placed the coin on the back of his hand, covering it with the other.

"Heads!" Yun removed his hand to reveal the side of the coin landed.

"Heads it is. You go first, Eriol. Ready?"

"Ready," Eriol said, while Tomoyo remained calm on her spot, waiting to start.

"On three— one… two… three! Start!" Yun backs away as Eriol began his first statement by clearing his throat and gazed at Tomoyo.

"Daidouji-san… can I call you Tomoyo? It's a whole lot easier so I don't get confused between you and your mother…"

From out of the blue, Yamazaki called out. "What the heck kind of an opening is that?" Immediately, others hushed him in silence while Tomoyo gave a soft giggle.

"Mochiron!" Tomoyo nodded. Now it was her turn to retort. "My mother says that I should start to get to know you better because she thinks that we're perfect for each other—" Immediately, everyone broke in to laughter while Eriol lightly blushed. Right then, everyone fell silent when Tomoyo indicated that she wasn't finished. "Mom says you're like the junior version of my father." Immediately, both Eriol and the others broke in to laughter again.

Eriol finally returned to his composure. "Mochiron!" He coughed softly and continued. "But you have to admit, Tomoyo-san. If your mother says that I'm like the junior version of your father, shouldn't that mean that I'm dangerously handsome and dashing? Because if your father wasn't dangerously handsome and dashing, you wouldn't look like the heavenly goddess that you are right now, wouldn't you agree?"

"Waaaa!" Sakura shrieked in shock. "Are you flirting with Tomoyo, Eriol?!" Along with her reaction, the rest watching also gave shocked and amused expression on their faces.

"Hey, everyone, shh!" Chiharu interrupted to keep everyone down. At this point, Eriol gave that smirk on his face while Tomoyo's back was at him, covering her face while chuckling at the same time.

"Ahem," Tomoyo found her composure and faced Eriol again. "Mochiron!" Right then, she began caressing a few strands of her long raven hair with a rather flirty smile. "A heavenly goddess I am! Heck, all the other pretty girls are heavenly goddesses, once you see one right on the spot, ne?"

"Ouch!" Syaoran snickered while Eriol was taken aback. "Looks like Daidouji got you there, Eriol! What are you gonna do now, huh?"

"You think I'm gonna back down on that, Syaoran?" Eriol snickered. "I don't give up that easily, my good man." Syaoran remained in his usual smug look while he continued on to face Tomoyo.

"Mochiron! But see… all the pretty girls are not you, Tomoyo-san." Once again, various reactions from the audience continued to dominate the somewhat quiet aura around the open ballroom. They fell silent again as Eriol continued. "There are plenty of beautiful girls in the world, but there is only one Tomoyo Daidouji."

Tomoyo couldn't help herself but blush some more. "Mochiron! But if what you say is true about me, then why do you cower whenever Meiling mentions my name to you, ne? Just like earlier today?" Everyone then burst in to laughter. "There must be something about me that scares you, right?"

Eriol finally found his composure and cleared his throat. "Mochiron! I'm scared that you would break my heart if I admit my deep, innermost feelings of undying love for you..."

"Oh my!" Tomoyo shrieked and found herself completely stunned with the statement that she couldn't get herself to say that one magical word to keep her going. While the others also showed their enthusiastic and shocking reactions, she knew she had to admit defeat. "I give up!"

Yun applauded, patting Tomoyo on the shoulder. "Congratulations, Eriol Hiiragizawa, you had just won your first 'Mochiron' Showdown!" Eriol suddenly pumped his fist in victory up in the air as the two teens sat back down on his seats. The rest of the audience applauded at the demo. Tomoyo, knowing though that it was game, somehow the way Eriol mentioned the latter words made it seem so real that she decided to remain silent.

"You guys get the game now?" Yun asked curiously.

"Please, add that into the agenda!" Syaoran answered immediately, applauding and chuckling at the same time. "Forget about all those lame games. This one's quite original."

"That was really fun!" Chiharu laughed. "So it's a combination of praise, compliment, flattery, and insult. Although that demo with Eriol and Tomoyo sure is a little dangerous!"

"Dangerous but really cute and entertaining!" Rika made her comment.

"Well Eriol," Yun said, sitting down on his seat next to Naoko. "Since you and Meiling are the coordinators for tomorrow night's party, you guys can work around the game, as long as the concept of the game still remains. Don't make any dumb changes that would piss the party people off, alright?"

"Oh don't worry, Yun," Meiling laughed. "Eriol and I will think of something that would make this really fun and interesting. Ne, Xiaolang?"

"Do what you want," Syaoran shrugged. "Just don't make it all lame and stupid. This is my party after all, it has to be fun and memorable!"

"Oh no problems with that, Xiao," Eriol grinned. "We'll make sure this is one birthday party that you'll never, ever forget…"

"Hmph." Right then, they went back to the proposed agendas, reviewing them carefully. Moments later, Syaoran made his decision.

"This one right here. The fourth proposed agenda. Let's go with this one," Syaoran said. Eriol took the fourth proposal and laid it out for everyone to see:

**PARTY AGENDA (Proposal #4)**

I. Introduction (MC - Eriol and Meiling)

II. Welcome Speech (Xiaolang)

III. Dinner (with live performances by Daihokusei, The Cool Rascals, other local artists (not in any particular order))

IV. Live Performances II (Daihokusei and The Cool Rascals only - not in any particular order)

V. 10 Questions (get to know Xiaolang more!)

VI. Song Performance (Xiaolang and ?)

VII. Dance Performance (The IllTrix - Xiaolang, Takashi Yamazaki, Oh Yun Hwa, Naoko Yanagisawa, Sakura Kinomoto)

VIII. Birthday Cake/Gifts

IX. Games (musical chairs, newspaper game, truth or dare, "Mochiron," etc.)

X. Closing/Sleepover

"I like this one too!" Meiling said. "Having the 'Mochiron' Game would be the perfect ending to the party. What do you guys think?" The others expressed their agreement and decided to go with this one instead.

"Alright! We're done!" Eriol applauded. "We'll get this started!"

"One more thing," Syaoran interrupted. "That song performance… what's with the question mark?"

"Well, about that," Eriol chuckled, "we haven't decided yet on who's going to be your duet partner in your song performance. We were hoping of inviting some of Japan's and Hong Kong's most prolific female artists to sing with you, but Meiling was suggesting that you should choose the singer instead."

"I see… so this is another one of your ideas that will involve anything random, is that correct?" Syaoran gave a smirk.

"I guess you could say that, heh…"

"Oh boy…" Syaoran frowned. "Well, we still got time to decide. I wanna watch this old DVD that Yun-kun just gave me in my room for the time being and see if my amnesia would start being friendly to me and let me at least recover this piece of memory for the sake of the party."

"Your room?" Sakura blushed. "Well, since you're inviting us to watch the DVD in your room… okay."

"We'll stay here and work on this new agenda and let your parents know, Xiao," Eriol said. "You IllTrix dancers can watch your DVD."

Right then, Syaoran, Sakura, Yamazaki, Naoko, and Yun stood up from their seats as Syaoran was leading them towards the stairs. Once they reached his room, Tomoyo suddenly appeared right after Sakura entered his room and just about Syaoran was about to close the door.

"Can I watch with you guys?" Tomoyo asked in a slight soft but desperate tone.

"Sure, Tomoyo! Come on in!" Sakura smiled. Tomoyo invited herself and thanked Syaoran for letting her enter.

"Why are you here, Daidouji?" Syaoran asked curiously. "Weren't you going to plan along with Eriol and Meiling for my party tomorrow?"

"Um…" Tomoyo sighed and simply lowered her head. "I… I don't feel like… being with them right now. I… I need to clear my mind off of something…"

"Alright then," Syaoran shrugged. "Make yourself comfortable."

Syaoran's room was pretty much the dream bedroom most teenage boys would dream of. Although he would be having a temporary stay here, or so he thought at first, he already made himself at home. Posters of various Kung Fu styles and a few Chinese motifs adored his walls, and on his desk were two framed photos of himself and his family, and another of a group photo of himself, Eriol, Meiling, and other notable Asian teen stars at a private gala. When Sakura noticed the photos, she then smiled to herself.

_I really hope Syaoran would like my birthday gift to him…_

Across from his full-sized bed was a huge plasma TV that was just recently installed earlier today when his family moved back in their old home. He placed the DVD at the side of the TV, in which the DVD and Blue-Ray player was also built-in. They sat on the carpeted floor next to his bed as Syaoran climbed over on his bed.

"Sakura. You can sit with me on the bed if you like."

Sakura turned and smiled happily. "Can Tomoyo sit with us too?"

"Well, if she wants. Sure thing." Much to his disappointment of hoping he would have Sakura to himself at this point, he still needed to respect her wishes. Sakura climbed on his bed and sat next to him, with Tomoyo sitting next to her other side.

The video was that of a regional dance competition and the announcer just announced "The IllTrix" to take on the floor. Five little kids ranged from ages eight to seven came out, with a grand entrance from Sakura and Syaoran doing flips from each side of the stage. Right then, everyone laughed at the entrance.

"Damn, was I that short back then?" Syaoran expressed his laughter.

"You were the second shortest. Yun was the shortest," Yamazaki corrected him. "Even his girlfriend was a little taller than him back then!"

"Gosh, we were so young back then," Naoko laughed, then rested her head on to Yun's shoulder. "But at least Yun got taller and got more handsome and now he's got a name for himself back in Korea too!"

"Aww," Sakura giggled. "At least you're able to win the heart of the boy you really like, ne?"

The group continued on watching the video, and along the way, they burst in to laughter, judging on how silly they looked even though their routine was absolutely perfect. One particular person, on the other hand, didn't exactly feel like laughing along. Sakura immediately noticed this right away.

"What's wrong, Tomoyo? You're not your usual cheery self today," Sakura muttered with worry.

Tomoyo simply shook her head with a light smile. "I'm alright, Sakura. Really. I just want to hang out with you guys more, you know?"

"I know, but I feel like… there's something else that's bothering you and… well we haven't really talked a lot as of late, you know?"

Tomoyo chuckled. "What are you talking about, Sakura? I mean I've been working really hard for you and… him… to get closer to each other!"

"I mean… about you…"

Right then, Tomoyo's grin suddenly disappeared. "Oh. I… I see. I guess I'm really that obvious, huh?"

"You're my best friend, Tomoyo. You're not the only one around here who has special best friend superpowers, you know?"

The doll-faced angel took a deep sigh. "I'm trying really hard for you, to make your dreams come true, to be with the one you love. I thought that I'd be able to forget about my troubles while I'm concentrated with you and the band and the movie. But then… something else triggered and… well… here I am… depressed."

Sakura turned to the rest of the group and noticed Syaoran and the others were heavily concentrated on the movie. This was indeed another good time for Syaoran to recover his memories, even if they weren't exactly the most important one. At least, his time at the former hip-hop dance crew called The IllTrix would at least help him a little bit. At the same time, she really wanted to have a one-on-one chat with Tomoyo so she can find a way to make her feel better.

"Syaoran?" She whispered his name. He turned his head right at her.

"What is it?"

"Um… Tomoyo isn't feeling very well and… hope you don't mind if she and I can step out of your room for a bit? We'll be back eventually."

"Sure, no problem. The room next door to mine to the right is Fanren's room. Since she's downstairs with the rest of the sisters and the older kids like your brother anyway, you can use there to freshen up."

She quickly bowed her head. "I'm really sorry about this. I'll… I'll make it up to you!"

"Just go already," Syaoran gave a chuckle. "We'll still be here. We won't go away."

Sakura smiled and turned to Tomoyo. "Come on, Tomoyo, let's go!"

"But Sakura…"

"It's okay, don't worry. Come on." She dragged Tomoyo gently by the wrist as they exited Syaoran's room, heading towards Fanren's room.

When they entered Fanren's room, the room was completely filled with lavender and purple shaded colors. Definitely Tomoyo's type of room, Sakura thought. Once they entered, Sakura closed the door behind her. Tomoyo sat down at the edge of Fanren's silk-linen bed while Sakura followed her.

"You really didn't have to do this, Sakura," Tomoyo chuckled.

"But I want to. What kind of a best friend I would be if I didn't even think about you, ne?"

"Thanks so much, Sakura. I really appreciate it." The two made themselves comfortable on the bed as Sakura began to speak.

"I know it's probably been hard for you… I mean, the whole breakup and everything."

Tomoyo gave a nod. "Though lately Ken had been talking to me on the set whenever we had the chance. A part of me wanted me to scream gleefully that we get to talk normally again. Another part of me just wanted him to go away. I thought that I can finally move on and be happy again being single, but then… there are two things that's been bothering me…"

"Oh? Like what?"

She gulped nervously and lowered her head. "After Ken Bunchin, I vowed to myself never to fall for rich, handsome, and popular boys ever again no matter how much they like you. In the end, they'd end up tossing you away like trash once they found some other pretty girl, fresh and new. Remember, he dumped me for Maiko-chan…"

"Of course I remember, Tomoyo. How can I ever forget? Seems like nice hot guys just end up falling for the pretty but mean girls as of late."

"Ken… Ken really isn't that bad once you get to know him more, Sakura," Tomoyo continued. "When Syaoran and the others arrived in Tomoeda for the movie and then we were discovered as a band, I thought this was a major opportunity to finally move on. But then… unexpected things just had to happen that I need to brush off…"

"Like what?"

"For one thing, Ken had been bugging me, asking me how I was and did I meet any new guys whom I may be interested in dating, like over and over and over again. At first it bothered me that he was making me rush to move on, but then on the other hand, I felt like he was having this aura to remind me that I shouldn't move on that fast. It's like he's giving me hints that if he and Maiko-chan are having major problems that I should be open and willing to accept him back—"

"What? That jerk!" Sakura exclaimed in shock. "Who does he think you are? It's like he's making up his own harem of beautiful girls. If he gets tired with one, he's got plenty of choices whom he can get sweet with as a replacement. Over your dead body, really!"

"I know! That's why I've been avoiding him as much as I can during these weeks on the set, Sakura! I kept reminding myself several times not to get closer to the past and get closer to the present… and then… _he_ had to appear in my life…"

"Oh? Who?"

"Eriol, who else?" Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.

"But… you like Eriol though, ne? I mean, we were crushing over Syaoran and Eriol in the magazines before and everything even though we're not die-hard fangirls, but… how is Eriol bothering you?"

Tomoyo placed her hands on both sides of her temples. "He's not bothering me… it's just that… it just occurred to me during the Mochiron demo that there's a possibility that Eriol likes me too…"

"Hoe? But isn't that a good thing?"

"The thing is… when he was doing his thing at the Mochiron game earlier… he just started acting like the way Ken was with me when he was flirting with me before… before we started going out, I mean. And I've been noticing this about Eriol because on the set, whenever Ken and I would end up talking, he'd normally just interrupt us and join along too as if he was butting in purpose… Eriol, I mean. Now I'm realizing that in that Mochiron game that… I know he was just playing around but what if he said was actually true?"

"True… you mean about how he'll have a broken heart that you would reject him if he confesses to you that he's in love with you?"

Tomoyo nodded. "That's how I lost the Mochiron game because I couldn't say 'mochiron' to what he just said. If I said that, he'd have the idea that I'm not interested in him when in reality…" She swallowed and found herself shedding a few tears on her eyes. Sakura found a box of facial tissue on Fanren's side table and grabbed one to hand to her best friend.

"So… that triggered you in to becoming sad like this, Tomoyo? All of a sudden, Eriol became Ken?"

Tomoyo suddenly gave a rather depressed expression on her face. "And… and I was beginning to like Eriol too… just as how much you really like Syaoran-kun…"

"But… that's a good thing, Tomoyo! If you like him so much and he likes you a lot too then… what's wrong?"

"Sakura… I don't want to end up the same way as I was with Ken before… tossing me aside for another pretty girl…"

"Ehh? But what makes you say that? I mean, to be honest I don't know Eriol that well to tell you the truth…"

"I overheard Rika and the Moonie fangirls one time that the only thing they don't like about Eriol's negatives is that he's really notorious with girls. Some even said that he was a lot more notorious with the pretty rich girls than Syaoran is— not that Syaoran is a player anyway— and that he loves to wrap pretty girls around his finger and would have them do anything he wants them to do for his own pleasure…"

"Whoa," Sakura shook her head. "So you're scared that he's one of those types… like another version of Ken Bunchin…" Tomoyo slowly nodded. "But he's Syaoran's cousin! He can't be that notorious like those fangirls thought he would be. Sure, he's a bit… manipulative… but he can't be that bad when it comes to girls…"

"That's why I decided to join you guys instead of staying with Meiling and Eriol and Rika and Chiharu to work on tomorrow's party. I don't know how I would act when Eriol is around…"

Right then, Sakura embraced her best friend and let Tomoyo cry on her shoulder. "Don't worry about those things… at least from your last breakup, you've learned your lesson. I mean, if Syaoran and I get along so well, why can't you and Eriol, ne? I even noticed that Meiling seems to like seeing the two of you together too."

Tomoyo gave a confident grin. "Do you think so?"

"I know so." Another familiar female voice interrupted them as the two best friends turned towards the door.

"Oh! Meiling!" Sakura and Tomoyo exclaimed once they saw Meiling slipping her head through the door.

"Found you girls!" She invited herself inside. "I was looking all over for you, Tomoyo. Are you alright?"

Tomoyo then smiled and nodded. "I am now."

"Don't worry, Tomoyo. I'm always here with you… when it comes to Eriol, that is." Meiling winked.

Sakura gently pushed Tomoyo forward. "You go ahead with Meiling. You're one of the best party organizers around so I'm sure they could use some of your help."

"Right on!" Tomoyo giggled. "And you, pretty girl, go take care of the birthday prince, ne?"

The three girls laughed as they exited the room and head to their own destinations. When Sakura entered Syaoran's room, the movie was over and Yamazaki, Naoko, and Yun were about to exit.

"Oh! You guys are done?"

"Syao-chan says he'd like to re-watch the video by himself at this time. You know, re-absorbed the dance routine and all," Yamazaki said.

"Oh. I see…" Sakura answered in a low tone.

"Sakura, come over here." From the bed, Syaoran waved at her. She gave a slight blush.

"Anyway, we want to see what Eriol and Meiling are up to with the party planning tomorrow," Naoko winked at Sakura. "Besides, I think it'll be a surprise and we can't have birthday boy over there being spoiled at everything!"

Sakura giggled as the three finally exited. "Have fun, you two!" Yun suddenly grinned as he closed the door on their way to the exit. "Be good to each other."

"Get the hell out of my room, Yun!" Syaoran immediately glared at the Korean idol dancer, as Yun stuck his tongue at him.

Gazing at Syaoran completely relaxed on his bed, she found herself blushing heavily and then quickly turned away from him. _Oh no! It's what Tomoyo has been saying before… things might happen when a girl is alone with a boy in his bedroom… what am I gonna do?_

"Sakura! Hey!"

"Hoe!" She gasped and quickly turned towards him. "Um… sorry…"

He patted on the space next to him, inviting her. She nodded nervously and climbed on to his bed, now sitting next to him. He has his remote control on one hand and placed it on the side table.

"How's Daidouji? She okay?" Syaoran asked firmly.

"Yeah. She's fine. She's just… worried, that's all."

"Worried? During my birthday dinner? What on earth would she be worried about?"

"Eriol."

"Why would she be worrying about— oh!" Syaoran suddenly kept silent and decided not to go further. "Right. I'll shut up now."

Sakura took a deep breath. "So… you're really gonna watch our dance prod video over and over again until you finally remember?"

From out of the blue, Syaoran reached for the remote control and turned off the DVD player and the TV. "Nah. I had to find a legit excuse to get Yamazaki, Yun, and Yanagisawa out of my room." He snickered.

"You're horrible!" Sakura chuckled, then took a deep breath again. "But, this is your room. You have the right to let anyone in and kick anyone out, ne?"

"Ugh, for a house that's in a mixed neighborhood, this house is just way too big there's too many people in here…" Syaoran suddenly lied down on his bed, placing his hands on to his face.

"You want me to leave?" Sakura was ready to stand up when Syaoran quickly reached for her hand.

"No… of course not… I… uh…" He got up and gently pulled her down so she can sit on the edge of his bed. "I… I just want to be alone with you… that's all."

Immediately, Sakura found herself blushing again. Nearby, she noticed the pink stuffed animal she gave him as her going away present seven years ago. She smiled happily at it but decided not to prod the idol about it.

"Syaoran… you know… this is the first time that I've been in to your room…"

"Eh? Seriously?"

"… in seven years…" Sakura giggled.

"Oh. Right…" He sighed out in relief. "Well… here you are again… and I'm really happy that you came."

"Me too," she laughed. "Man, I never realized how spacious your room has been. I mean, my entire room can probably fit half of your room, you know?"

"Maybe." Right then, the two fell silent. Unbeknownst to each other, there definitely was an awkward aura rising around their environment.

For Sakura, she suddenly felt a major chill coming out from the window. Somehow the house had become cooler than expected. It must be the major blast of the central air conditioner system, but at the same time the chill felt a little natural and random at the same time. She found herself rubbing her arms for warmth.

"Cold?" Sakura nodded after Syaoran noticed her actions. "Let me close the windows then." He stood up and closed the windows. Still, the air condition continued to blast its chill. "Great. It's the air conditioner."

He climbed over his bed again and grabbed his phone from the side table. He called his one and only trusted confidant to fix this little chilly dilemma. "Wei, are you busy right now? Could you turn down the air conditioner at the second floor please. It's cold as hell here… Right. Thanks." He hung up the phone and then sat next to Sakura again.

"Ne, Syaoran… aren't you cold?"

He shook his head. "I'm used to the air conditioner being on like this." He tapped her on the shoulder so she can stand up, as he grabbed the comforter covering his bed and placed it around her to keep her warm. "For the time being, you can keep yourself warm here."

She blushed once again. "Thanks, Syaoran." With that, he also sneaked underneath and unexpectedly, slipped his arm around her waist. Once they both found comfort inside the comforter, the birthday boy began to speak.

"The video we watched gave me another migraine…"

"Our IllTrix dance routine? Really? But it's just a minor memory. I mean we won first place in that competition."

"I know, Sakura. I thought it's something minor too, but… I also remembered the date the competition was held also."

"I've forgotten so many things in the past myself, especially during our little hip-hop dance crew days."

"The regional hip-hop dance fest took place on July 12th, the day before my eighth birthday, Sakura." Right then, she immediately placed her fingers on to her lips, now remembering the events that took place around that time. "So, I… I want to ask you again…"

"Hoe? Again? What question?"

"The same question I asked you earlier." Right then, Sakura felt a jolt of nerviness coming on to her again.

"Question… you mean… about… which type of you I prefer more?" Syaoran gave a huge sigh and dropped his head, nodding. "I'll give you the same answer as I did earlier. I have no regrets. But why do you ask that question again?"

"It's just… it's just that… I remembered what it was that made me… well… what made me do that one thing that made you… have these feelings with me back then. That's why I asked you earlier which one of the two do you like the most? That kid Syaoran Li from seven years ago or me? Given I have amnesia, I see myself completely different from who I was seven years ago, that's why I treat me as a kid and me today as two different people."

Right then, Sakura's eyes began to widen in surprise. "What are you saying? Are you saying that none of this is real? About what happened? I mean… are your feelings for me isn't the same as mine for you and you were just playing around?"

"Hold on… please hear me out…" Right then, Sakura bit her bottom lip to keep her cool. "Something happened… on that day… the regional hip-hop dance fest. It was right after we got on stage and did our routine."

"I don't understand… I don't think I remember this…"

"You and Yanagisawa went ahead to the girls' locker room to change while Taka, Yun, and I were just heading to the boys' locker room to have our change of clothes. From out of the blue, we were surrounded by other girl dancers in the competition including that girl Maiko Horibe, the one that bastard ex-boyfriend of Daidouji's left her for. Left and right I got all sorts of confessions, telling me how cute and adorable I was and all that crap and they all claimed that real soon that I would be their boyfriend and all of that. It got way too overwhelming and that the other kids and competitors were getting annoyed by them that I accidentally blurted out that I already like someone as my counter to reject all of them. I mean seriously, girls mature way too fast. Having crushes and wanting to have boyfriends at age eight? I thought Japanese girls were weird at first, but then I realized that there's you and Daidouji so I had no right to say something like that."

"Well, I have to agree that girls mature faster than guys in general… I think…"

"Then those girls, including Horibe, all thought that it was Daidouji who I liked. You know how it was back then— me being the son of the richest family in Tomoeda and Daidouji being the daughter of the second richest family, that whole deal. So then all those girls began to target her behind her back. I had to do something before Daidouji finds out that she's the main subject of every girl's nasty gossip then."

Sakura listened to him carefully and nodded. "Go on."

He gave another deep sigh. "I don't even like Daidouji— I mean I like her but not that way— and the guys were letting me know that I gotta pick the girl who I like the most so that those fangirls would just leave me alone while at the same time, back off from Daidouji if I really do care for her safety. Those guys even suggested some girls they knew including their sisters and their cousins to pose as my girlfriend. No one ever thought about you or even suggested you… so…"

Her eyes suddenly opened wide. "So you thought that by declaring a girl who's a nobody to be your girlfriend, all those girls would finally leave you alone? And because of that… you… you thought that I was the 'nobody' girl and then decided to do something that made me believe that… you have the same feelings for me?"

Immediately, Syaoran faced her and bowed his entire body to her. "I'm so sorry, Sakura. I'm not saying that you're a nobody or anything, it's just that, of all the girls a lot of the kids have been pairing me up with, none of them even considered you as a possible match for me. Do you understand now why I asked you that question earlier? About me today and that arrogant dumb kid from seven years ago?

"I don't understand…"

"All that time I thought you were just playing along when I started… how do I say this… getting sweet on you… because you and I were really close buddies and we know we're always in sync when it comes to a lot of things and I thought you knew what I was aiming at. And since no one in town ever thought of you being the one I like, I thought that with us always being together that all those girls and those annoying losers who act like they're my friends would leave me alone… and it worked… so I proceeded with it and went on… and on… up until I learned the bad news that we had to leave Tomoeda and go back to Hong Kong…"

At this point, Sakura was at a loss of words and wondering whether she should cry and let her heart shatter or bring in a brand-new feeling completely the opposite of what she had been feeling for him all this time. But as the saying goes, even in The Book of Keroberos, love conquers all, no matter how much you want to hate. She decided to be the typical Sakura: playing it cool.

"So, other than us being 'in-sync buddies,' you thought of me as some kind of a… safety net… for your own good…"

Syaoran slowly looked up to see her rather puzzled reaction and then swallowed. "Sakura… please… just listen." She bit her bottom lip and gave a nod, letting him to continue. "While we were… you know… always being sweet on each other since then… you kept on saying really sweet words to me all at that time… and like I said I thought you were just playing along so I played along too, giving you sweet words in return… but something else happened that made me forget what my real purpose was for being with you in the first place. My mother, my father, all my sisters… almost the entire Li Clan who lived here in Tomoeda at that time… they all loved you very much. They were always happy whenever you came over our house, whenever they see you over the fence next door, always happy whenever your father would brag about you and your accomplishments to all the neighbors around. They kept teasing me about being serious with you that they even wished that one day you would… become part of my family. And the more that I listened to those sweet words you kept giving me from that day until the day we left, the more I was beginning to believe that they were true. And then… it was too late…"

The girl still gazed at him, still with water eyes and with an undecided expression on her face. "I only realized how much you mean to me all that time on the day that we left for Hong Kong. It wasn't even since I was forced myself to find a girl to pose as my girlfriend on my eighth birthday, not even that. I realized it back when all started on the time your mother died… and you stood in front of her grave crying like you wanted to die yourself right after the burial. I was still a dumb kid back then who didn't know a single word of Japanese, but I just wanted to make you smile, so I found a flower near the cherry blossom tree that shaded your mother's grave and…"

"… you said some words in Chinese that I didn't understand at all… but whatever you said, it sounded really sweet… and you gave me a dianthus flower to cheer me up…" Right then, Sakura smiled and then embraced him tightly in to her arms. "Me too, Syaoran. I've fallen in love with you on the day you gave me a flower so I won't cry anymore. I don't have a mother anymore, but you were always there to make me smile… I cried a lot when I was little, I know, but you did all you can to make me stop crying, even if you had to make a fool of yourself just so I can laugh again." She swallowed and slowly released him. "If what you said was true then… you really did well in hiding it from me… But then again…"

"Yeah. I know. We were kids and we were idiots back then." He sighed, but even if that was the case, he still couldn't help but to feel all the guilt inside. "So now… that's why I asked you that question again, Sakura…"

"But what about me? I know you're suffering from amnesia and all but… how do you really feel about me… today… not seven years ago, but today."

"Sakura… I…" Just as things were about to get deeper, their conversation suddenly got interrupted by a door knock. Syaoran fumed in disappointment. "Who is it?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Master Xiaolang, but the guests are about to leave now. If Sakura-chan is with you now, her father and brother are waiting for her downstairs."

"No…" Sakura gave a soft cry as Syaoran gave a soft hush.

"We still got tomorrow's party, Sakura. We'll talk about this some other time. I'll take you downstairs to your father and brother."

Sakura sighed sadly. "Alright, Syaoran."

"But wait…" She waited while Syaoran picked up a particular wrapped green present from the pile of gifts he received tonight. Sakura blushed once she recognized the wrapper.

"I know you said that I shouldn't worry about the gifts but still…"

"Thank you, Sakura. Can I open it now?" Syaoran answered with a smile on his face.

"Sure! Of course!"

He unwrapped the present carefully, not being too messy but articulate enough to give respect to the gift wrapper. Out came a dark green box. He uncovered it and two things came out: a homemade construction paper-made scrapbook and an empty wooden picture frame. Immediately, he gave a very content, happy smile.

"Wow… this is beautiful…" He gazed at the scrapbook first with the title on top: _The Little Cub and His Friends by Sakura Kinomoto_. He opened it and the back of the cover had the card attached to it. "Whoa, this looks like… it's a storybook with childhood pictures in it!"

"Yup," she nodded. "Dad and Tomoyo helped. We picked the best pics that may possibly help you trigger your lost memories."

"Thank you…" He decided to close the scrapbook and placed it on his desk. He then turned to the empty picture frame next. "No picture?"

"Well, I left it empty so you can fill it with the best picture you think deserves to be framed."

"Thank you, Sakura. I know I said no gifts, but… this has got to be the best gift I got so far." Right then, he placed the frame on his desk and then took her in to his arms. Right then, he whispered to her ear.

"I'll make everything up to you… those seven years we've been apart…"

Sakura blushed and decided to remain silent, but nodded in return. "Well, we better get going, Sakura. I don't want your father and brother getting worried."

"Alright then. See you tomorrow." She then glanced at his desk, where the pink stuffed animal was sitting. _I guess we'll get acquainted again some other time, my old friend!_

He opened his door as he escorted her downstairs, with Wei following them from behind.

#

_**Spinel Sun Auditorium, Clow Reed University**_

_**July 14 (the day of Syaoran's Pajama-themed Birthday Bash)**_

Today was the day that the girls of the main cast have their photo shoots and interviews with the media at the Tomoeda Penguin Park. With that happening, the rest, along with many of the Li Clan's service staff and facilities committee of Clow Reed University, were now busy decking the entire auditorium with party decors, setting up tables and seats, along with floor managers doing their usual business contacting their caterers and other services. Meanwhile with all the buzz going on, the newly-reunited hip-hop dance crew, The IllTrix, were already practicing their old award-winning routine with Yun and Naoko leading the choreography up on the stage area.

The Li Sisters were also present, managing the entire decking of the auditorium. The fanclub officers of the Tomoeda branch of the Wolfpups, lead by Chiharu, were also present, volunteering in setting up the place. The Li matriarch, Yelan, hired one of Japan's most reliable security system, making sure that the place was heavily guarded from any unwanted guests. Mooncastle Diner and even a few of Japan's most renowned (and filthy expensive) restaurants will be covering the catering. She even made sure that Syaoran's favorite local dish, the Whistlejay Stew, was on the menu. By Syaoran's request, Soun Tsukishiro, Yukito's grandfather and owner-manager of Mooncastle Diner, had to borrow Fujitaka's Whistlejay Stew recipe to prepare it, knowing that Fujitaka has his hands full with the upcoming Mongolia excavation project and a huge collection of untranslated ancient scrolls.

Speaking of Fujitaka, he and his three colleagues, Dr. Keiichi Mie and lovers Dr. Chen Jintao, and Dr. Sayaka Iwasaki, arrived at the entrance of the auditorium to take their own sneak peek. The cheerful Sayaka squealed with excitement.

"Thanks so much for giving us a day off today, Boss!" Sayaka applauded. "We've been working twenty-four-seven just trying to translate all of those scrolls. I can't believe those darn Mongolians had to give up their own script for Cyrillic alphabet because if they didn't, then all of us Asian historians and enthusiasts would be really fluent in Mongolian by now. Right, Dr. Mie?"

Dr. Mie cleared his throat. "Mongolia is a very underrated country, so it's easily ignored by the history buffs around the world. It's really unfortunate that they become so ignored, knowing how strong, mighty, and dominant they once were in the ancient times. Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, the Yuan Dynasty…"

"And the discovery of that fable about a Chinese prince of the Tang Dynasty and a young Heian Era Japanese maiden being guardians of this so-called Water of Immortality is another thing too!" Sayaka chuckled. "Luckily not all of the scrolls were written in Mongolian script."

"Even with ancient Chinese, you still wouldn't be able to read it," her boyfriend, neurosurgeon-turned-medical anthropologist Jintao Chen, answered her.

"Well, at least we've discovered something that no one else in the world has— this Water of Immortality legend— Mongolian version!"

"Now now," Fujitaka chuckled, "I thought this was supposed to be our day off? Enough talking about work and let's relax, alright?"

"Whoops, sorry Boss!" Sayaka saluted towards her mentor. "No more talk about Mongolia and the sweet romantic legend!"

While they continued watching all the facilitators doing their duties, they were immediately spotted by the Li matriarch and called out the lead architect's name. "Fuji-kun! Over here!"

Fujitaka turned to see Yelan waving at him. "Well, looks like we are being invited inside, team!" He lead the team to meet with Yelan, who was now donning a cream-colored collared blouse and khaki capri pants, holding a folder containing her iPad. "Looks like this entire auditorium will be completely transformed in to some kind of a Dream World."

"We try not to make it too cutesy, if you know what I mean," Yelan chuckled. "Xiaolang does not do cute."

"Oh, that's right," Fujitaka nodded. "Yelan, these three are the members of my Mongolian excavation project." He went ahead and introduced them to her, with Yelan eying specifically towards Jintao.

"I heard about your son's condition from the boss, Ma'am," Jintao bowed his head politely. "I haven't really had a chance to have a one-on-one consultation with your son yet. You know, archaeological work with the boss and the team."

Yelan nodded. "Oh that's quite alright, Dr. Chen, my family and I just arrived here a few days ago, so we're still trying to re-adjust ourselves to Tomoeda right now."

"Thank you for… considering me in taking care of your son's condition," Jintao continued. "I'm sorry if it broke your heart that I no longer operate my services in Hong Kong due to all the slander that's been done to me by the other ruling families over there."

"I grew up in a somewhat a simple life, Dr. Chen. I would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes at that time. You've done nothing wrong with the situation. That desperate patient simply made his own decision in ending his own life. It's not as if you're the murderer."

"Thank you, Mrs. Li. I'll do whatever I can to save your son's memories from permanent loss. Hopefully his condition isn't as bad as what that other doctor made out to be."

"Now that you're here, here's your chance to have a one-on-one with my son—" Immediately, Yelan was interrupted by a series of joyful cheers and giggles coming from the stage area. The adults turned to see The IllTrix teens jumping, making somersaults, and simply having a ball on a rectangular-shaped trampoline that was recently brought out by the university's facilities committee. "Well… um… he's very fond of doing plenty of aerial gymnastics, as you can see…"

"So does my Sakura-chan," Fujitaka snickered, gazing at his daughter doing her own somersaults on the same elite level as Syaoran's airborne routines.

"Aww, they really look cute together!" Sayaka cheered happily. "Mrs. Li, I don't know exactly the traditions that your family clan normally does but if that includes arranged marriages, why can't you just pass that and let your son be happy with the boss's little girl?"

Yelan gave a soft chuckle. "Unfortunately, I was married in to the family. I'm not part of the authority when it comes to family traditions, but if I had the power to change things within our family, I'd agree with you, Dr. Iwasaki."

Quickly, both Sakura and Syaoran did synchronized three aerial flips, another flip, and both landed on the ground with their feet at the same time like the way gymnasts would land when they just jumped off the bars. Those who witnessed the synchronized somersaults applauded and cheered. The two childhood sweethearts bowed to everyone while giving their thanks at the same time.

Yelan approached the stage to call for her son. "Xiaolang, will you come here for a second. I'd like you to meet someone important."

Syaoran lifted his head and spotted his mother. "Now, Mother?"

"Why? Are you busy doing something important?"

"Well… not quite. We just finished our dance routine for tonight and we're just taking a break."

"Well, better early than late. Come on over here…" Syaoran gave a slight moan as he followed his mother behind.

Meanwhile, Sakura, Naoko, Yamazaki, and Yun watched their idol friend approach Fujitaka and his team. They became curious when Syaoran and Jintao stepped away from the crowd and had a talk amongst themselves.

"Huh, I wonder what Syaoran's connection is to one of your dad's team members, Sakura," Naoko wondered.

"Oh, that's Dr. Chen. He's a newbie here at the university. He used to be a neurosurgeon but he's an anthropology professor too. He's gonna go to Mongolia with Dad and the others, of course. Dad is his boss, of course, and he's also the boyfriend of Dad's assistant, Dr. Iwasaki, right over there."

"Chen?" Yun asked curiously. "Chinese?"

Sakura nodded. "He's originally from Hong Kong. He used to have his own neurosurgery practice over there but decided to move to Japan to start over."

"Start over, huh?" Yun continued to wonder. "I've heard of his name before. My father mentioned about him quite a lot. There was a major news article about him at one point some years ago in Korea, said to be the best neurosurgeon the world has ever has with such high prestige. The wealthy and the elite immediately go to him whenever they or a loved one have a major condition in their heads, primarily with brain tumors."

"So, if he's a neurosurgeon," Yamazaki muttered, "I wonder if he's there to talk to Syao-chan about his amnesia… maybe?"

"Well, if he is," Yun said, "It shouldn't be much of a big deal. Just more therapy sessions and a little push from his friends should help him recover."

"Hopefully it wouldn't be that serious…" Naoko sighed. "Poor Sakura if something really bad happens to him."

"No one dies of amnesia, Naoko," Yun said, "unless if it's Alzheimer's Disease, which normally happens to a number of elderly people. Xiaolang's way too young to have any early signs of Alzheimer's Disease, so there's no way it can be that."

"How do you know all this, Yun?" Yamazaki asked curiously.

Yun simply smirked. "You of all people should know, Takashi. My father used to have his own psychology practice here in Tomoeda, remember?"

"Oh… oh yeah! Duh!" Yamazaki chuckled.

They continued to watch the two doing their chats. Right then, the two immediately shook hands, with Syaoran bowing his head, showing his thanks. He then waved, as the young neurosurgeon gave him a nodded and he approached back to the stage. Right then, he found the rest of the dance crew looking at him.

"What?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"What was that all about, Syao-chan?" Yamazaki asked curiously.

"Oh, him? That's Dr. Chen. He works for Sakura's dad in the university here. They just happened to stop by the auditorium to see how we're doing."

"What'd you guys talk about?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Oh, plenty of things," Syaoran smiled. He lifted himself on to the stage and sat right next to Sakura. "Yeah, he wants to examine me sometime next week regarding my amnesia and see if there was any additional damage in my head that the doctors back in Hong Kong may have missed. Also he's gonna help me out with fulfilling my requirements on getting in to the actuarial science program and anthropology should I choose to decide to attend this university next year."

"Wah, that's a good idea!" Sakura clapped happily. "Man, I really should seriously think about what I want to pursue in college. I mean we're graduating from high school next year…"

"You said you wanted to be a teacher, Sakura," Naoko chuckled.

"I know, but… a teacher of what?" Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "At first I wanted to be a PE teacher or a dance teacher but now… I don't know."

"You don't know? What do you mean?"

"Well, there's something about those Mongolian scrolls Dad and his team have been working on that interests me… I don't know if that makes sense to you…"

"You mean you're having some interest in history and anthropology, am I right?" Syaoran asked with a grin.

Sakura then gazed at Syaoran. "You know, what, Syaoran?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! You're right. Maybe I do have an interest in history and anthropology. There's something about those scrolls that make me want to work with Dad… you know?"

"What's the big deal with those scrolls anyway?" Yamazaki asked curiously.

"What scrolls?" Yun asked curiously.

"Okay, let me explain…" Sakura began to explain the translation project that her father and his team have been working on these past few days before they head off to Mongolia for their excavation project in the fall.

"Whoa, who would've thought Mongolia would have something like that finally uncovered after several hundreds of years being lost," Naoko began to wonder. "You could be a really good anthropologist… or a historian… or a teacher of history… something… Sakura…"

"I don't know yet. We'll see. So far I'm doing really good in history classes in school since elementary," Sakura smiled. "I have to thank Dad for making history fun!"

"Hm, speaking of college…" Yamazaki began to wonder again. "Hey Syao-chan, what exactly is 'actuarial science'?"

"Eh?" Syaoran blinked after hearing Yamazaki's question. "If you're deeply obsessed with math, you should know what it is."

"Oh… for sure it's something Sakura hates," Yamazaki chuckled while Sakura gave a glare towards him. "But it's true, Sakura! You suck at math!"

"Hoe…" Sakura moaned sadly and dropped her head. "I haven't even started with my math summer homework and I know I don't have time left to finish them… stupid high school…"

"You know, I could help you out with your homework if you like," Syaoran volunteered.

"But you'll be busy most of the time with the movie shoot. Right?" Sakura blinked. "I don't want to bug you for things that I should learn how to do myself and all…"

"I get some time off too, you know. And don't worry about me. I do home school, remember?"

"If you insist…" Sakura gave a faint smile when Naoko then snapped her fingers.

"Hey, since we're all done now and we got nothing else much to do, we can have a tour around the campus. What do you say?"

"Hey, that's a great idea, Naoko!" Sakura gave her thumbs up. "Let's do it! And since Dad isn't really doing anything right now except chatting with Syaoran's mom and his excavation teammates, let's go ask him!"

"You up for it, Syao-chan?" Yamazaki asked curiously.

"Sure. Let's go!"

Sakura approached her father to see if he could give them a tour around the campus. Instead, he assigned the couple, Sayaka and Jintao, give the tour instead. He and Yelan may be in the middle of an important conversation at this point and that he couldn't afford to get interrupted. The two younger anthropologists decided to lead the university campus tour to the future college freshmen. While making their way out, Syaoran gently dragged Sakura away from the rest of The IllTrix while Naoko, Yamazaki, and Yun went ahead.

"Syaoran? What is it?"

"Walk with me, Sakura."

"Okay."

The two stayed behind, following the rest of the group. The other three were so busy asking questions about Clow Reed University that they seemed to have forgotten that Sakura and Syaoran were purposely lagging behind them. Once they were at a good distance with no other possible witnesses around, Syaoran began another conversation.

"I hope you and I would face each other during the Mochiron Showdown later tonight."

"Hoe? I… I don't think I'm that witty to play that game well. It seems so… intimidating…"

"Relax," Syaoran grinned. "Eriol and Meiling decided to just pick random people among the guests to play the game. It'll be the Local Tomoedans versus the _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ main cast of ten people— five guys, five girls."

"Hoe? But that means that you'll be with the CBLW cast team?" He nodded to confirm. "Aww, I hope we'd be on the same team…"

"If we were on the same team, then we won't have the chance to face against each other."

"But why you want to do a showdown with me?"

"Because… let's just say, I want to find out if the brave and mighty Sakura I knew seven years ago was still there… therefore, I challenge you."

Sakura gave a slight glare at him. "Oh I get it. You're testing to see if I've changed or not over the course of seven years, huh? Well for your information, Syaoran Li, I have _never _backed down from _any _challenge thrown at me. You already know that I don't chicken out like that on challenges, ne?"

"Well then, so we will be on opposite teams. This should be exciting."

"Heh," Sakura smirked. "Alright then, what are the terms?"

"Well then, the terms," Syaoran cleared his throat. "If the Tomoeda Teens win, they get to have a special private dinner party with the main cast— in Shibuya, down in Tokyo. If we win, then you'll have to be our slaves for one week starting tomorrow. Deal?"

"What? That's unfair! That's forced labor!"

"It won't be that bad, Sakura. Besides, if you do lose and become our slaves, each of us get to pick one of you as our own personal slave. It'll be rather obvious who I'm going to pick…" He gave a naughty grin immediately.

"Hmph!" Sakura glared. "Why don't we make the terms more fair? How about if we win, you get to be our personal slaves starting tomorrow?"

"But we'll be busy with the movie set, you know that. That's why we can't be your personal slaves."

"Darnit… you're right…" Sakura then began to brainstorm once more.

"How about this, Sakura? If you guys win, you'll get to win a vacation trip with us somewhere— all expenses paid. For example, each of us idols will choose one of you and then we take you out somewhere on a vacation. So in short, if you win, I'll take you on a trip to China all expenses paid."

"So… if our team wins, for example, if you choose me that you'd want to take out on a vacation trip, will it be all of us or it'd be just you and me?"

"Hm…" Syaoran was tempted to say that it would be just the two of them, however, still unsure of Sakura's true feelings for him, he decided to take the safe route. "How about this? All of you in your team can vote and choose a place you would like us to treat you and we'll pay all of the expenses— the flight, the hotel reservations, the food, the sites, everything."

"Hey," Sakura grinned. "I like that!"

"So, we got a deal then?"

"Sure! Challenge accepted!" The two shook hands, unaware that the rest of their dance crew had been watching them all along.

"Um… Sakura?" Naoko suddenly interrupted their short moment. "Are you sure about this challenge?"

"Of course I'm sure, Naoko!" Sakura exclaimed happily. "I never back out of a challenge— and I always succeed in each of them anyway!"

"But Sakura," Yamazaki gave a concerned tone. "Sure, you always win in any challenge being thrown at you, but you never actually won any against Syao-chan."

"I—" Immediately, Sakura realized that statement. She won many challenges thrown at her but never succeeded in any challenge thrown at her by Syaoran back in their childhood days. Now she was having second thoughts.

"Oh come on now, that was in the past," Syaoran said. "I bet now you'd have a stronger wit than before, ne? I mean, it's only the Mochiron Challenge. It's not that hard."

"Hm… yeah!" Sakura threw up her fist of victory. "I can't wait for tonight now! Let's get it on!"

"Good. Now that's the spirit!" Syaoran smirked. At that time, both Yamazaki, Naoko, and even Yun showed their worried, concerned faces, thinking about this rather risky challenge. Seriously, who wants to be a slave to a popular teen idol anyway?

#

**PARTY AGENDA (Final)**

I. Introduction (MC - Eriol and Meiling)

II. Welcome Speech (Xiaolang)

III. Dinner (with live performances by chosen local artists (not in any particular order))

IV. Live Performances II (Daihokusei and The Cool Rascals - not in any particular order)

V. 10 Questions (get to know Xiaolang more!)

VI. Dance Performance (The IllTrix - Xiaolang, Takashi Yamazaki, Oh Yun Hwa, Naoko Yanagisawa, Sakura Kinomoto)

VII. Birthday Cake/Gifts

VIII. Games (musical chairs, newspaper game, truth or dare, "Mochiron," etc.)

IX. Closing/Sleepover

Just as expected by many of the entertainment media, the pajama-themed birthday bash was indeed a very happening event. Many of the household names of every social scene appeared in nothing more but their stylish set of nightwear, majority in pajamas, of course, that the whole world has ever seen. There were cameras of all kinds and many of the famous celebrity reporters were also spotted at the entrance of Clow Reed University not too far from the Spinel Sun Auditorium. Although the guests of big names, small names, and no names were already present, the birthday boy himself has yet to make an appearance.

The party started at around seven in the afternoon with Eriol and Meiling being the MCs and hosts of the party. They welcomed everyone to Clow Reed University and the Spinel Sun Auditorium. Many of the guests were awed at the decor that was made to create such a wonderful atmosphere for a pajama party. Thanks to Tomoyo's expertise in party planning, the atmosphere really did look like a place where anyone would want to have fun in their pajamas before they actually go to bed. Minutes after the introductions, they finally announced Syaoran's name, that is, annouced as Li Xiaolang, of course.

Syaoran appeared in a rather simple-looking green-shaded silk pajama pants and a top representing that of a traditional Chinese motif. He looked more like a young prince of an ancient dynasty than he was a normal guy ready to go to bed. Right then, he made his welcome speech, the second item of the agenda.

"First of all, thank you all for coming. I'd like to give a shout out to those who traveled all the way from Tokyo, Osaka, and other major places. I would most especially would like to say thanks to my family and close family friends who traveled all the way from Hong Kong just to be here and celebrate my birthday. Sorry it's not in Hong Kong this time, hope you all understand." Just in front of the stage is a rather huge rectangular table, where the immediate members of the Li Family sat. They gave a laugh as their reaction to his short apology.

He continued on with his welcome speech. "I actually never thought that a lot would show up because of the sudden change of the party theme or even the somewhat remote location, but even though I really like a good huge company of like-minded people, I'd like to have a party that would be more simple so that it would be a whole lot easier for everyone to be able to attend. So, for those of you who are now, thank you from the bottom of my heart." He bowed like any normal Japanese would, as the guests applauded with enthusiasm in their faces. "Whoa, check it out, all of you. Rather than you showing off and trying to up one another to see who was the best-dressed than who like you would normally see in award nights, we're now about to show off and up one another to see which one of us would be the craziest in nightwear before we all go to bed, so please, give yourselves a hand for coming here without any shame to dress down." Everyone applauded once more. He continued on.

"We've got a lot of things going on in this birthday bash. We'll have dinner, live performances from the local talent here rather than having the already-famous artists doing the performing, a Q&A period with me, a special dance performance that includes me in it, and of course, we've got something new and fresh that we simply call 'The Mochiron Showdown.' You'll find that out a little later once the right time comes." Again, applause followed. "Before we start having our dinner, I would like to talk about other reasons why I wanted to have my eighteenth birthday bash in an area far away from Tokyo or from any other major city in Japan. First of all, we are standing at the Spinel Sun Auditorium, which is a major part of Clow Reed University, one of Japan's highest-ranking universities of today. First, many of you already know that I do plan on going to college next year after I earn my high school diploma. Some of you may be in shock because most teen idols simply go full-time in showbiz right after high school, but others would simply just see me as being ambitious and open-minded at things. Clow Reed University just happens to be one of the top candidates that I may go to college to. I'm not ruling out Hong Kong, but I hope that I would still be able to continue working here in Japan as much as I can.

"There is another reason why I chose this location for my eighteenth birthday bash. About two towns east of here is a very small, secluded coastal town known as Tomoeda. As you know, Tomoeda is the main setting of the upcoming movie _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_, so some of the media icons here have already been there. It's been revealed recently that I was raised in that small town. My mother, Yelan Li, was a foreign exchange student in high school for all three years, there in Tomoeda, and you can already guess how my four older quadruplet sisters and I ended up becoming locals in Tomoeda. Although I am originally from Hong Kong, I'm not ashamed to call myself a Tomoeda local, so I would really like to thank all the people of Tomoeda who are here today for giving me a chance to grow up and become one of you. I am also not ashamed to consider Tomoeda as my first home over Hong Kong either."

Immediately, all of the Tomoeda residents present in the party, including Sakura, Tomoyo, Yamazaki, and others, stood up and cheered and applauded, acknowledging Syaoran's latter words.

"And also, I think… no… I know now… that I am very close to recovering my remaining lost memories and everything gradually started to come back to me since I stepped in to Tomoeda soil, and again, shamelessly, I would like to say to all the fellow Tomoeda folk there that I've finally come back home. Even though I'm still trying to remember everything about my life as a child, I'm really happy that you took me in and treated me as a real local, rather than just a visitor who just happened to be there at work. Thank you, thank you all, once again." More applause came until they all halted.

"Lastly, I'd like to thank all the locals, the Clow Reed University facilities department, and even the Tomoeda Branch of the Wolfpups Fanclub, who did an excellent job in decking up the auditorium. It's simple but very dream-like. Thank you very much." The Tomoeda fangirls and others applauded as their way of saying thanks.

"Well then, I think I'm done now, only because I'm hungry." Laughter came from the crowd. "I'm pretty sure you're all hungry as well. We'll have the type of dinner that you would normally have in your own dinner table, so don't expect any weird fancy nouveau cuisine that you normally have in those fancy restaurants. Since I'm now sharing my local roots with all of you, the food served for today is completely local. Check out the famous Whisperjay Stew. I highly recommend it! While we eat dinner, let's all give a welcome to our local performers as announced by our MCs for the night, Eriol and Meiling. Enjoy your dinner and have fun, everyone!" Finally, he finished his welcome speech, as he was given a standing ovation.

Not very far from the Li Family table is the circle-shaped table reserved specifically for the Kinomoto Family and the Daidouji Family. Sakura, Touya, Fujitaka, and Kaho, who had a special invitation considering she is Touya's fiancee, sat at one side. On the other side were Tomoyo, Sonomi, and the husband and father, a British-born Japanese entertainment tycoon in Britain named Akira Daidouji. In England, he was more known by his English name, Henry Daidouji. A quick history regarding Sonomi's husband and Tomoyo's father. He was born in England to immigrant Japanese parents whose father was actually an author and movie screenwriter in many British-produced films, while his mother was a stage actress both active in Britain and Japan. Akira Henry attended an international high school in Japan per his interest in learning more of his Japanese origins. He eventually won a scholarship to Tokyo University and became roommates with Fujitaka. Eventually, after freshman year, he and Fujitaka were assigned to move in to a four-room dorm apartment, where they met a Chinese foreign exchange student named Xiaojin Li, Syaoran's father, and Keiichi Mie, who is now one of Fujitaka's team members in the Mongolian excavation this fall. Fujitaka and Nadeshiko were already seeing each other, not quite on a dating level yet, when Akira Henry met Sonomi, and of course, Xiaojin also met Yelan at the same time. It wasn't until they graduated and earned their Bachelor's Degree that they started officially dating. The rest was history.

At the table next to them were the Yukito, Nakuru, and Fujitaka's excavation team members, Sayaka, Jintao, and of course, Dr. Keiichi Mie. Along with them are also Director Terada and the Kashii Couple. These tables were located close to the Li Family table for a reason, and many close witnesses already knew the reason why. Yukito's grandfather, Soun, was at the kitchen area being supervisor to his caterers for the preparation and the serving of dinner.

Once everyone was already waiting for dinner, Tomoyo began a conversation with Sakura, who was just sitting right next to her. "So, I heard from Yamazaki that you and Syaoran made a bet earlier today."

The conversation sparked interest in the older Kinomoto child. "Excuse me? Did I just hear a bet with that brat?"

"Jeez, could you be a little much nicer to Syaoran, Oniichan?" Sakura shook her head. "I mean, you just happen to be in his grand birthday party with lots of famous people around and you still act like a pigheaded jerk?"

"Sorry, force of habit," Touya shrugged. "I gotta admit that this seems to be a pretty decent birthday bash. I've seen snobs' birthday parties before and you gotta look expensive just to get noticed. Here, on the other hand, everyone's in PJs and nighties and no one can tell who's expensive and who isn't."

"Don't sound like a cheapskate, Touya," Kaho warned him after overhearing his complaint once again. "Just because you didn't have to pay, which by the way, is actually a fundraiser to a children's charitable organization, doesn't mean you have to act cheap."

"What are you talking about? I'm not that selfish, Kaho," Touya returned the argument. "I didn't have to pay because I was invited, but I paid anyway because it is for the children after all."

Kaho sighed. "Alright, Touya. I forgive you."

"You know," Tomoyo suddenly gave a snicker. "If you do become really nice to Syaoran-kun, Touya-niichan, maybe you'll have the best wedding setup the world has ever seen when you and Kaho-neechan get married."

"What the— how's me being nicer to that kid gonna make our wedding the best ever the world has ever seen, Tomoyo? Sometimes your logic is really screwed up, you know that?"

"Ohohohohoho! You'll see… just be nicer, if not for him, at least for Sakura. Please?"

"First of all I wanna know what the hell this bet is about!" Touya crossed his arms. "What on earth did that kid say to you, Sakura?"

"Calm down, Oniichan," Sakura frowned. "Let me explain." She went ahead and explained in full detail, which made Tomoyo laugh and Touya looking rather shocked.

"What the hell was that? We're gonna be personal slaves to those snob stars including him if we lose this Mochiron Game or whatever? Why that cocky little turd!"

"You're a cocky little turd also, Touya," Kaho reminded him.

"That's not the point! If he wants to play games like that then I'm in!"

"Well then," Tomoyo snickered. "Congratulations on winning a teammate for the Mochiron Showdown tonight, Sakura. Good job!"

Sakura giggled. "Thanks, I guess. Well, we need 10 people— five guys and five girls— to make up one team. In Syaoran's team, it's already the five main couples from the movie who will be one team. I mean, check out the Li Table. Syaoran was already talking to Eriol and Meiling and all the others. I bet they're already talking about their strategies for the game tonight."

"Exactly how does this game go?" Kaho asked curiously. "The Mochiron Showdown, huh? What a funny name."

"Mochiron!" Sakura laughed.

"Don't worry about that," Tomoyo smiled. "I'm way ahead of you on this one. Since I already have an idea on how the game goes, I already assembled our team so far. Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko are in. Of course, Yamazaki is in too. I was hoping you and Yukito-niichan would come and join us too!"

"Bah, bring me and Yukito in," Touya quickly volunteered. "I really wanna rub that smirk off of that brat's face. Personal slaves? Ha!"

"Careful with your words, Touya. This is the future heir to the powerful Li Clan we're talking about here." A familiar male voice spoke from behind and they turned to see Yukito stopping by their table."

"Wah! You heard everything, Yuki-niichan?" Sakura gasped.

"Considering Touya's voice was way too loud that Nakuru and I could hear him from our table, of course I heard everything. Sounds fun!"

"Then you'll join our team then!" Sakura exclaimed happily.

"Of course! Anything for the dignity of the Tomoeda Youth!" Yukito winked. "And I've been quite familiar with majority of those main cast so at least we've got a bit of advantage on how to topple them one by one."

"Now we need two more local guys," Sakura gave a frown. "How about Yun? I mean sure he moved back to Korea when he reached middle school but he lived in Tomoeda longer than Syaoran did. He can be considered a local."

"Unfortunately he'll be facilitating the Mochiron Game so he can't be in it," Tomoyo sighed. "I did ask him though."

"Darnit." Sakura frowned.

"But no worries. I'll let Yamazaki know that we've got your brother and Yukito-niichan. He just needs to find two more guys to join us!"

"Great! Hope he finds really good guys who are brave enough to stand up against a bunch of teen idols, ne? I mean we can't let their fame and name intimidated us, right?"

Tomoyo gave a thumbs up. "You bet, Sakura! Although I think majority of us in our group are a bit scared of Syaoran… if you know what I mean… even I'm intimidated by him."

Touya gave a smirk. "Me? Afraid of that Chinese brat? As if! Sure, I haven't exactly _brawled_ with him compared to majority of the losers around but I'll finally have my last laugh tonight!"

"Well well, a bit overconfident, aren't we?" Yukito gave a humble grin.

"Which side are you on, Yukito?"

"Well then. It's settled!" Sakura nodded. "Let's go Team Tomoeda! I would _love _to have a free vacation with Syaoran and the other idols, you know?"

"Hahahahaha, darn right!" Tomoyo laughed as the two best friends hi-fived each other.

#

Dinner went smoothly and the reactions from the guests were indeed overwhelming. They finally had their first taste of Tomoeda through the Kinomoto-style Whisperjay Stew. The only thing was that it'll remain unknown to the public in this party that the recipe of the stew belonged to the great architect and historian, Fujitaka Kinomoto, and not from Mooncastle Diner. Even if that was the case, both Fujitaka and Soun Tsukishiro loved everything low key and remain in Tomoeda rather than making the dish commercial and mainstream after all.

After the local entertainers did their thing during dinner, the dinner session finally will be concluded by two live band performances. First will be the already popular Daihokusei and the second will be The Cool Rascals. It was decided that Daihokusei will perform first so that The Cool Rascals would have time to prepare backstage.

During Daihokusei's performance, Sakura, Yamazaki, and Yukito were busy tuning in their guitars while Tomoyo and Touya listened along to the more senior band's performance. In the meantime, they brought up the subject of the bet Sakura and Syaoran made and of course, their possible strategies for the upcoming Mochiron Showdown. Sakura did not look happy after learning that Yamazaki chose to recruit Tomoyo's ex-boyfriend, Ken Bunchin, and Sakura's tormenting suitor, Takuya Sakamoto to complete the five-male roster of their team.

Ken Bunchin simply agreed because Tomoyo was there. Takuya Sakamoto only had revenge in his mind. Sure, this was no time to become hostile towards the Kinomotos, however, that particular birthday boy was the one who truly humiliated him on the day these movie stars arrived for their movie shoot. He came to the birthday bash simply because his parents were also invited by the Lis, from fellow Tomoeda elite to another.

"I can't believe you recruited those two guys in the team!" Sakura frowned. "I thought you'd be smarter than that, Tak."

"I don't have a choice, Sakura," Yamazaki shrugged his shoulders. "Most of the kids who came were way too starstruck with Syao-chan and his crew of teen idols, yo. We need someone who don't care about their celebrity status and all that!"

"Still," Tomoyo frowned. "You could've chosen someone else. I don't know… maybe bring in Dr. K or even my dad!"

Touya immediately interrupted. "Erm, I don't think recruiting our dad to spew insults at a bunch of kids is a good idea, Tomoyo-chan. Come on, he's a teacher, not a bully." Sakura agreed with her brother with a nod.

"No worries, seriously," Yamazaki grinned. "This is all for us winning that special trip that Syao-chan and them teen idols are gonna pay and treat us out when we win, remember?"

The older Kinomoto immediately glared at Yamazaki. "You sure had the guts to bring the losers in to our team, Yamazaki. But if we don't got a choice then whatever."

"Yeah, I agree with Touya," Yukito shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, let's talk about the strategies that we're gonna do later when the game stars tonight."

Right then, the stage manager appeared to them. "Cool Rascals, it's almost your turn."

"Thanks," Tomoyo said. She then turned to Sakura. "Are you sure you're not gonna do your solo on this performance?"

Sakura shook her head. "I want this song to be the second part of my gift to him, Tomoyo. And in case you haven't noticed, Syaoran never opens his gifts in front of everybody."

"Oh I get it," Tomoyo giggled. "You're gonna sing your song to him when it's just the two of you, ne?" Sakura nodded happily.

"I can't believe you're actually having the guts to go through all this, Sakura," Touya gave another suspicious glare. "You singing a song to that brat without anyone watching? Do you know what happens when a girl sings some sweet song to some goon she ends up falling in love with? First comes the song, then comes the bed!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Oniichan," Sakura returned the glare. "I can take care of myself, thank you. And Syaoran's not that type of person. Just because, like you said, he's dangerously hot and good-looking, doesn't mean he'd end up luring some pretty girl he sees in his bed just like that."

"Hmph. Well you better be careful with him at that Mochiron game later tonight, Sakura. I know those types."

"Oh I know those types also," Yukito joined in the conversation. "You actually remind me of one of them, Touya."

"Shut up, Yukito." Touya glared at his best friend while Yukito simply gave him a grin.

The band finally finished their performance as Tomoyo gave the rest of The Cool Rascals their cue to finally perform.

#

Moving along the agenda, the 10 Questions segment came. Eriol and Meiling, being the MCs of the birthday bash, picked ten random Wolfpups fangirls to ask Syaoran ten questions. They were able to compile a list of them, with Meiling writing each and every one of them. When they called Syaoran up on stage and provided him a seat and a microphone.

"And now, we will be having our 10 Questions Session with Xiaolang! During dinner and live performance, Eriol and I went around the guests and picked random guests who consider themselves as Wolfpups. As many of you know, a wolfpup is a fan of Li Xiaolang— girl or guy. Because we are celebrating his birthday, we also have to set some limits on the types of questions that they picked. Because of that, we picked ten Wolfpups who will be asking him a question we all feel are the proper questions that Xiaolang should answer in front of everyone." She turned towards Syaoran, who was already sitting comfortably in the lounge chair. "Are you ready, Xiaolang?"

"Ready when everyone else are," Syaoran answered.

"Alright then! Let's now turn to Eriol, who is now on the floor pointing out the ten lucky Wolfpups we have chosen to ask you ten questions! The floor's yours, Eriol!"

Eriol lifted his thumb up and spoke on his mic. "Our first lucky Wolfpup for today is the young Momoko-chan from Tomoeda. Momoko-chan, just tell us a bit about yourself and then ask your question."

A bespectacled young lady named Momoko took the mic that Eriol was offering to her. He convinced the shy girl in white cotton pajamas to stand up before she spoke to the mic.

"Hello, Li-kun. My name is Momoko Ichida, fifteen-years-old and I'm actually a closet Wolfpup from Tomoeda. My older brother Takara Ichida was actually in your homeroom class back in second grade, so he actually remembers you. He's currently attending a summer program in Tokyo right now so he's not here."

Syaoran answered her. "Nice meeting you, Momoko-chan. I actually remember Ichida-kun. He sat three seats ahead of me back in second grade, so thanks for letting me know. When you see him, tell him I said hello." The guests applauded as Momoko bowed to show her thanks.

"Thank you so much, Li-kun! I think Oniichan would really appreciate to learn that you still remember him."

"So, what's your question?"

"Well, my question is this. Would you still be able to continue your showbiz career while attending college?"

The idol nodded and then answered her. "To answer your question, I do plan on continuing my career in showbiz, but I have to be realistic at the same time. I would not be as active in showbiz when the time comes as I am now because I plan to double-major in college: actuarial science and anthropology. I haven't decided which college I would be attending as of now or whether I decided to stay here in Japan or go back to Hong Kong. That'll be determined probably before the end of the year so I can prepare myself for college entrance exams when it hits February. Hope that answers your question."

"It has, Li-kun. Thank you very much." Everyone applauded as Momoko handed the microphone back to Eriol and took back her seat.

"Alright, let's go to the second question, provided to you by Mika-chan of Nijibe, a town just West of Tomoeda. It's your turn now, Mika-chan!"

A simple-looking girl in pink silk teddy top and shorts and Eriol had her stand up, handing her the mic. "Happy Birthday again, Li-kun! Thank you for giving us Wolfpups the opportunity to celebrate this birthday bash with you and all your other friends and distinguished guests. It's really refreshing to know that you happen to be a local around these grounds as well, which makes me, a long-time Wolfpup, respect you even more!"

Syaoran nodded and answered. "Thank you for coming, Mika-chan. I've been to Nijibe several times, mainly during sports competitions, back at elementary. I think it was for soccer."

Mika nodded quickly. "That's right. Tomoeda Elementary and Nijibe Elementary have been long-time rivals in soccer. We already knew that you played soccer before but it was only the first time that we learned that you actually were a member of the Tomoeda Elementary soccer team and did play our team back in the days as well. We may be rivals but we have really high respects for each other."

"Absolutely. Thank you, Mika-chan. So, tell me more about yourself and then you may ask your question."

Mika bowed and continued. "I'm Mika Koike from Nijibe, just a town next door to Tomoeda, and I'm a sixteen-year-old junior in Nijibe High School. I actually a fan of Hong Kong films and that's where I first discovered you. I guess you could say that I've been a Wolfpup ever since your debut in those Hong Kong martial arts and wuxia films when I was around age eleven. Nijibe is way too small to have its own branch of the Wolfpups, so many of us Nijibe Wolfpups join the Tomoeda branch instead."

"Thank you for sharing your interest. I'm happy to hear that you've been a long-time fan yourself. So, your question?"

"Right. I'll make this very quick and simple so my fellow Wolfpups would have their chance to ask you. Being in a rather high-demanding position that you are now within the Li Family Clan, you must have had received so many gifts from your family, friends, admirers, fans, and a whole lot more in every little occasion from your birthday to Christmas to even winning your first award in film. Now, among all the gifts that you have received in your life, what was your favorite gift you've ever received in your entire life thus far?"

Syaoran became silent at first, then gave a slight grin. At that point, he found Sakura at her table with her family and Tomoyo's family, then gazed back right towards Mika. "A simple question and a simple answer to you. No one's asked me that question before in an interview at all so it's a privilege for me to answer." He paused again for a few seconds and gazed right at Sakura again. "I know, being the future heir of one of Hong Kong's most powerful families, I could pretty much get what I want and it'll seem that whatever gift I received I most likely have it already. However, there was only one gift that I found the most precious to me and I still hold it so dear to me that I bring it around with me wherever I went to places, whether for work or for pleasure. At first I didn't care for it during my suffering from amnesia, but now that I have recovered most of them, I finally realized why.

"My favorite gift would be something unimaginable for everyone except for one particular person. That gift would be a wool-fabric handmade sewn pink teddy bear with white wings in which I named it Ying Fa. I received it from a very precious childhood friend for a gift of remembrance. I got it when my family and I had to move back to Hong Kong at age eleven. Sure, it's silly for someone to give a pink stuffed animal to an eleven-year-old boy like myself then, but the stuffed animal was what we call in Tomoeda as the Tomoeda Stuffed Animal. There's a story behind all that but I won't have time to explain it. I suggest you should just go to your local bookstore and purchase _The Visitor's Guide to the Book of Keroberos_ by our local historian, Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto, who by the way, is currently sitting at the table to my left with his family and the Daidouji Family, so let's all welcome the award-winning author and his family to the bash." Immediately, the spotlight moved towards Sakura's table, where everyone applauded for them, even though the applause was mainly aiming towards her father.

"Thank you, everyone," Fujitaka nodded humbly while giving a wave to his fellow guests.

"So, if you do buy a copy, I could even have Dr. Kinomoto sign an autograph for you if you like." Right then, everyone broke in to laughter including Fujitaka himself.

"I'm also a professor of anthropology here at Clow Reed University, so if I'm not in Tomoeda, I'm most likely be here," Fujitaka reminded the young Wolfpup girl.

Mika chuckled. "Thank you for the suggestion, Li-kun. I will check the book out. Thank you very much also, Dr. Kinomoto. It's a pleasure to meet you." Fujitaka nodded in acknowledgment. "And to you again, Li-kun, thank you for answering my question. I really appreciate it." She sat down on her seat as everyone applauded again.

"Next we've got Arisa-senpai, a mathematics freshman right here at Clow Reed University. One of the more mature and the smarter Wolfpups around! Please, introduce yourself, Arisa-senpai!"

The rather tall, slender young lady who may pass on as a model stood up and spoke through Eriol's mic. "Good evening and a happy birthday to you, Li-kun!"

"Good to meet you, Senpai," Syaoran greeted her. "Thank you for coming to the party!"

Arisa gave a soft shy chuckle. "My name is Arisa Yanagi, age nineteen. I'm originally from Sendai, so I'm pretty much a city girl, but I started attending Clow Reed University last April as a freshman majoring in math and I heard that you will be having your birthday bash here on campus."

"Whoa, math major! Math is actually one of my favorite school subjects along with P.E. and history. Maybe if I do decide to attend college here you're definitely going to become my senpai for sure."

"I'd be honored, Li-kun! My younger sister Ruka-chan is actually more of a Wolfpup than I am but she's currently vacationing in America with my parents right now, so I'm here in her place. I actually became a Wolfpup not too long ago and I even got more interested in you after hearing your personal goals once you reached adulthood, so to speak."

"I'm appalled. That's the first time that a Wolfpup has ever become more interested in me based on my personal goals. Since you mentioned that, I have a feeling that your question may have something to do with school and studying, isn't it?"

Arisa giggled again. "I'm a bit more of a realist than your typical teenager. Anyway, my question to you, Li-kun. I've read and informed by my fellow Wolfpup friend that you home schooled pretty much your entire life. I was also a home school student back in Sendai, taught and trained by my mother, who is now working as a teacher at one of Sendai's most prestigious private schools, but back when I was still at a high school level, both my parents were unemployed and had no means of paying for my schooling, not even a scholarship, so mom taught me all the way through and was able to obtain a high school diploma after taking a series of tests at a local school. But anyway, coming from a fellow home schooler, how do you prepare yourself for college when you've never experienced being in a classroom setting with other students before?"

Syaoran chuckled. "I knew your question had something to do with school!" The other guests also gave their laughter, as everyone hushed. "Well, you're partly right and partly wrong there, Senpai. I did go through home schooling for my last six months of fifth grade, my entire sixth grade level and all through middle school and currently in high school. The interesting part in this was that my parents hired private teachers and tutors who followed the Japanese school system. Hong Kong, despite that it's now part of China again, still follows the British system and the huge differences between the Japanese system and the British system was way too complicated for convertion so the family decided that I remain my home schooling under the Japanese system."

"Oh my, that must have been real tough!" Arisa exclaimed.

"But the part where you're wrong at was that I actually have long-time experience in a classroom setting. When I was growing up in Tomoeda, I was like any other genuine Tomoedan kid. I still had tutors at home, but that was only for other subjects not included in the curriculum and for Japanese language so I can learn how to speak like a local. I started attending Tomoeda Elementary School in first grade. Most of the Tomoedan kids start attending Tomoeda Elementary at kindergarten, but I home schooled my kindergarten all the way through. Around that time I started making new friends— which by the way, are also here at the party, so shoutouts to all the graduates of Tomoeda Elementary out there!" Immediately, all of the seventeen-year-old teens who went to school with Syaoran stood up (Sakura, Tomoyo, Yamazaki, and all the familiar names we all knew included, of course!), cheered, and applauded until everyone fell silent again.

"To continue on, when I started making new friends starting in my neighborhood, that's when the parents were finally convinced that it would be best if I start going to school just like any other kid. I started fifth grade and only finished the first trimester of fifth grade because we had to move back to Hong Kong. Because of the complications of converting me from the Japanese system to the British system, we decided we'd just stick to the Japanese system." He then gazed out to the audience. "Two weeks before we embarked on our movie shooting in Tomoeda, I already took— and passed— the university entrance test. Since I won't be having a high school diploma because of my home-based education, I had to take the test. Since I already passed it, the only next step that I had to do is choose the universities that I'm interested in attending and then take their entrance exams. I assumed that's what you did also, Senpai?"

Arisa nodded. "Yes, I did exactly that, Li-kun. I had to take the university entrance exam since I'm not attending an actual high school. I passed also, obviously."

"Then, maybe you can help me out in… surviving higher ed here in Japan… hopefully."

"Will do, Li-kun! Well, I think you've revealed enough and with that, I already believe that you're very well prepared for college next year. I wish you well with your higher education goals, also."

"Thank you." Everyone applauded as Arisa sat down.

Meanwhile, Sakura started to contemplate again after the discussion they just had. _I seriously need to stop being an airhead thinking about Syaoran all the time and start thinking about college!_

Next, Eriol moved to another table, where another lucky Wolfpup was already waiting. "Our next lucky Wolfpup is one of the very few male Wolfpups out there. Let's all welcome seventeen-year-old Endo-kun of Tomoeda!"

A slim-looking, plain-looking bespectacled young man stood up. "Please, tell us more about yourself, Shigeaki-kun."

Endo took the mic from Eriol and began to speak. "Thank you for opening your birthday bash to the community here in this small coastal area, and of course, on behalf of the Tomoeda youth, we're definitely honored!"

"Thanks for coming, Endo-kun. I… don't think… I'm familiar with your name… but Eriol says you're from Tomoeda?"

"Actually I originally lived in Nijibe also, but due to… unfortunate circumstances… my parents decided to move me to Tomoeda for middle school and high school. I'm actually a huge fan of Chinese martial arts and wuxia stories and through watching those Hong Kong wuxia movies, that's when I discovered you, Li-kun. I didn't care much for actors, but when it came to martial arts, you really are the real deal."

"Thank you for the compliment, Endo-kun. So, tell me more about yourself and then you can ask me your question."

"Well, as Hiiragizawa-kun said, I'm Endo… Shigeaki Endo. Third year high school student at Tomoeda High. I'm interested in attending Todai, Kyoto University, Waseda, Keio, or Clow Reed University and enter their behavioral sciences program. I aim to become a psychologist one day."

"Ah, good for you, Endo-kun!"

"And because of my huge interest in the behavioral sciences, this is where my question will be revealed…"

"Hm," Syaoran snickered, "I'm getting the feeling I know what this question may be about…"

Endo cleared his throat. "You can easily read my mind, Li-kun. Yes, you're right. It's about your amnesia. Nothing too personal, but…"

"Just ask the question, Endo-kun."

"Alright then." He paused, then asked his question. "Now that you're beginning to recover many of your lost memories and nearing your victory over your amnesia, what are some of the lost memories you were happy to recover and the memories you wished you would have rather forgotten for good?"

Syaoran gave a nod and then began to answer through his mic. "That's actually a good question, Endo-kun. Actually, the lost memories that I was content and happy to recover were those of my childhood years in Tomoeda. In fact, just remembering my strong connections to Tomoeda already made me feel happy. Right now, there have been many familiar faces who are not from showbiz or from the elite. These familiar faces were the faces I have met and grown to cherish growing up as a kid in Tomoeda. So, a special shoutout to all the people of Tomoeda… thank you for welcoming us back home with open arms." Everyone applauded with the same enthusiasm and happiness.

"As for the ones that I felt that should have been lost for good… well, that's a bit personal, so I won't talk about it. I hope you understand, Endo-kun."

"I definitely understand, Li-kun. I got nothing but respect for you. Thank you for answering my question."

"Thank you for asking." Applause followed and Eriol moved to another table to meet the next lucky person in the 10 Questions session.

"Next, we have another Clow Reed University student, nineteen-year-old Karen-senpai, a liberal arts sophomore and a new Wolfpup. Please introduce yourself and ask your question."

"Another CRU student? This should be fun?" Syaoran made a comment as everyone laughed, including Karen herself. She stood up and took the mic from Eriol.

"First of all, Happy eighteenth birthday, Li-kun!"

"Thank you. Thanks for coming to the party!"

"I'm Karen Iwanagi, age nineteen, liberal arts student here at CRU. I'm originally from Hokkaido but I'm attending college here and living at the local dorms, so that's why I'm here. Just like the previous CRU student, my question would be about your schooling as well."

"Alright. The more, the better. What would that be, Senpai?"

"When I first entered college, I also thought about double-majoring, but I got intimidated at all the requirements that I needed to do, so obviously, my question will be about my interest in your decision to double-major when you enter college. Why did you decide to choose to double-major in actuarial science and anthropology?"

"Well, I wanted to get in to actuarial science for obvious reasons. I love math, I love puzzles, and I love solving challenges and play with danger. In case some of you don't know what actuarial science is, it's a discipline in which mathematical and statistical methods are applied to assess risk in business— most especially in insurance and finance industries. Considering of my family's decades long-running Li Enterprises, I'm more of an analytical person who would use the proper methods of conducting business instead of using words that got nothing but theories. My father also studied actuarial science and he used his knowledge frequently when he's conducting business. I want to go on the same path as him. Anthropology intermingles with history, but a bit whole further than just reading from history textbooks. I guess you can say that as a future clan leader that I would like to compile and uncover many of the secrets and lost history that my ancestors have been involved with. There's just way too many things within the clan that had been kept secret that are worth sharing to the general public and I would like to bring some of the best out in the open and get rid of the ones that I feel is on longer appropriate for the stability of the clan."

With the latter, Syaoran already noticed a number of the elders at the Li Family table were already showing their expressions of dissatisfaction towards him for making the statement. Syaoran knew there will be mixed reactions coming from his family's side, but decided to ignore it.

"And the obvious other reason is that I like history and I'm inspired with some of the works that Dr. Kinomoto had written from his book to his scholarly journals…"

Meanwhile, Touya leaned over to Sakura's ear. "What's up with that kid mentioning about Dad's name all the time?"

"He likes Dad, so he's got mad props for him."

"Whatever."

Right then, Eriol moved to another table where he stood right next to a purely Caucasian blonde. Eriol wondered of this girl's Japanese fluency so he bent down and whispered to her a question. The girl replied to him in a whisper as Eriol nodded. He then turned to the stage where Syaoran was waiting. "You'll have to reply to this lucky fan in English, Xiao. She's still brand-new in Japan so to speak."

"Sure. You do the translation in Japanese to the everyone here," Syaoran answered.

"I'll do the translating," Meiling said. "I'm sure Eriol's been itching to speak in his native language again… _isn't that right, Eriol?_" Meiling spoke the latter question in Chinese-accented English.

"Right, Meiling," Eriol smirked. At the same time, he took a deep sigh of relief that he can finally speak his native language in this situation. He turned to the girl and then began to speak.

"_Welcome to Japan, Miss Gretel Dau! In case you're wondering, I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa— a completely-mixed British lad who got lucky with—_"

"Eriol, get on with it, please! This is a ten questions segment, not a dating game!" Syaoran warned his cousin.

"Alright, alright, I'll move along now," Eriol grinned. "_Next, we have a high school foreign exchange student here named Gretel Dau, a Canadian-born German lass with a huge interest in Japanese culture and history. Please tell us more about yourself, Miss Dau."_

Meiling translated Eriol's words in Japanese as the segment went on. The fashion model-like blonde teen stood up and took the microphone from Eriol. _"Pardon me for not speaking in Japanese, I still feel rusty, so I hope you don't mind."_

Syaoran answered, likewise, in English. _"I'm from Hong Kong. English is one of the official languages over there, so I'll just treat this as if we're in business. Please proceed."_

"_My name is Gretel Dau, a Canadian born of German immigrants, and I'm a foreign exchange student at Tomoeda High School, age sixteen. My question to you has something to do with the diversity among the people here in Tomoeda. Now that many of the Wolfpups fans including myself, one of the few not from Asia, learn of your childhood origins here in Tomoeda. How do you, a Chinese growing up in an all-Japanese rural town, cope with the predominantly Japanese society? I hope this make sense because the entire town have been very friendly and open to me since I started school here and that they treat me as if I'm one of them. Well, I mean, comparing to your experiences in the past."_

Eriol looked up towards Meiling. "You get that, Meiling?"

"Yeah… kind of… I'm having a bit of a problem." Eriol decided to translate the foreign girl's words quickly in Japanese to save Meiling the trouble.

Syaoran took his mic and spoke his reply in English. _"It's really hard to describe, really. Growing up, it seemed that no one in Tomoeda really cared if I was Chinese or not, but that was when I started attending school for the first time and my Japanese was fluent enough for me to assimilate myself with the rest of the kids there. But when I was a kid— I think I was around four or five then— my first friend knew of my inability to speak Japanese and that first friend approached me as someone who would do anything to break the barriers and make me become one of them. I'm not the only foreigner living in Tomoeda back then. We also have a popular Korean idol among the guests, Oh __Yun Hwa, who moved in to Tomoeda from Korea a year later, and he easily adapted in to the Tomoeda society. But from what I learned over there, not all places in Japan are welcoming to foreigners but many are already adopting the idea of diversity among their cities and towns and of course, their own society."_

After Eriol translated the long answers in Japanese, everyone applauded, praising both the Canadian girl and Syaoran for their views on diversity in Japan.

"_In short, what I'm trying to say here, Miss Dau, as long as you find yourself getting adapted in to the ways of the people in the place you're staying without complaints, you'll be fine. Sure, not all Japanese are fluent in English, but they're really good at finding other ways to break those language barriers and finally communicate with you. The Tomoedan people have been very open and friendly to my family and myself, they were also the same with Oh Yun Hwa's family as well. I'm sure you're no different from the rest of the foreigners living in town. Thank you for asking a thought-provoking question, Miss Dau, and please enjoy the rest of the party."_

"_Thank you for your reply, Li-kun. I really do appreciate it! Now I don't feel so awkward around my classmates in Tomoeda anymore just because I'm not Japanese."_

Applause came from the guests right after Eriol ran out of breath taking over the translation for Meiling. "You're too slow, Meiling!"

"Hmph!" Meiling glared towards Eriol. "Japanese isn't exactly my native language, you know. You're better at it!" Eriol simply shook his head and then turned to the Canadian girl again and whispered to her.

"_After this, should you and I get more acquainted a little bit more?"_

Gretel gave a soft chuckle. _"I'd have to ask my Japanese boyfriend if he's okay with it first…"_

"_Oh! Um… by all means… ask him! He can come along too, heheheh…"_ Knowing he was obviously rejected by this rather pretty Caucasian girl, he decided to leave the table and move on to the next fan.

"Speaking of diversity, we have yet another non-Japanese Wolfpup here, ready to ask you a question. This is Fong Chinse from China, another foreign exchange student from Tomoeda High like Miss Dau. Although her Japanese is pretty proficient, she also mentioned that she's more comfortable talking in Chinese to a fellow Chinese. Is that alright with you, Xiao?"

Right then, Syaoran began to speak in Mandarin Chinese, his third language, just in case. _"Can you speak Cantonese?"_

The slightly stout Chinese girl, answered immediately in Cantonese. _"I'm from Guangzhou."_

Syaoran immediately switched to his first language, Cantonese. _"Good to know a fellow Cantonese. Please proceed." _Right then, Meiling decided to take over the translation, knowing she would be better translating Cantonese to Japanese than she was with English.

"_I'm like Gretel Dau, another foreign exchange student at Tomoeda High School. I'm sixteen and have been a long-time native Wolfpup since you debuted at age twelve or thirteen, I think. Speaking on behalf of all the Chinese Wolfpups here, we all would like to know one thing. Back in China, at least in Guangzhou, a lot of the Wolfpups over there have been wondering about your standards of the ideal girl. So many girls have gone through extreme measures, so to speak, to fit society's ideal girl. So my question being is this. What is your definition of beauty, or rather, what is your definition of an ideal girl?" _

After Meiling translated the Cantonese in to Japanese, many of the guests gave surprising reactions. Syaoran cleared his throat as he took a glance towards the family table, where he found his parents giving him a nod to proceed and a few of the elders looking rather curious gazes towards him. He glanced right back at Fong Chinse and began his answer.

"_That's a rather difficult question to answer. I don't know if you'd be able to understand me or if any of your fellow Wolfpups would understand me with what I'm about to say. I may be Chinese, but my morals and values are strictly Tomoeda-based. There is a book only exclusive to Tomoeda known as The Book of Keroberos, and not realizing it until now, a lot of my personal views and values are pretty much derived from that book. With that being said, according to the book, a real man's ideal girl cannot not be described by mere words and preferences alone. The girl becomes ideal when love decides to come and trickle down on us. So, in other words, a girl I see in front of me no matter what her looks or background may be is just another girl to me. The only time that I find my mind and my heart decide that particular girl is the one for me is when fate decides to let love rain all over us. So, even though you stay yourself or go to the extreme measures such as plastic surgery, you're still just another girl to me. Does that make sense to you?"_

Chinse then nodded with an enthusiastic smile on her face. _"Yes, it makes perfect sense, Li. I completely understand. Thank you so much for your answer!"_

While the guests applauded after Meiling's translation, Sakura began to contemplate to herself. _So, if that were true… did love finally come when Syaoran and I first met when we were still little…? Maybe…? Or am I just another girl to him, like he said?_

Eriol then approached a table closer to the Li Family table. Much to a surprise, Rika, the president of the Eriol Hiiragizawa Moonies Fanclub Tomoeda Branch, would be the one to answer the next question.

"Now, Xiao, you already know this girl, and she's a Moonie, not a Wolfpup, but she's also interested in getting to know you more as well. To everyone, I'd like to introduce the Tomoeda Branch president of the Moonies Fanclub— my fanclub, of course. This is Rika Sasaki, seventeen-year-old high school student from Tomoeda, so please, welcome her." Everyone applauded as Rika stood up and bowed to everyone. "Even though you and Xiao already know each other, so to speak, just tell us more about yourself."

Rika nodded and took the mic. "Well, to majority of the guests at the party, I'm Rika Sasaki, age seventeen, of Tomoeda. I was in the same homeroom class as Li Xiaolang at Tomoeda Elementary for five years straight until he and his family had to move back to Hong Kong. At first I feel embarrassed that I didn't recognize him when he first came in to the Japanese limelight, but the more that he remained here in Tomoeda for the movie shoot, the more that I too was beginning to remember him." She then turned to the stage where Syaoran was sitting. "I hope you don't mind calling you by the name you used when you were still here."

"Syaoran's fine, Sasaki. What's your question?"

"Well, as your cousin's fanclub president, I also have to make sure that I keep my fellow Moonies in order and not go ballistic and be a rabid fangirl whenever they see their idol or hear some news about their idol. But as you know, the Japanese entertainment media is probably as aggressive as the ones in Hong Kong. I always worry whenever those nasty tabloids and other media try to intervene at the flow of Eriol's success track in showbiz, so this prompted me to ask you this question."

"Alright, go ahead."

"Are you afraid of what the tabloids may say about you should they find out about something that's very private and personal that may affect your public reputation?"

Syaoran took the mic after it took him a minute or two to contemplate. "My family, that is, the entire Li Clan, not just the immediate family, have already been exposed to the media for centuries. I'm not just talking about the tabloids, but in legit newspapers, ancient scrolls and passages, ancient literature from prose and poetry, you name it. To answer your question, Sasaki, I'm not really afraid of the tabloids or the paparazzi, personally. But at the same time, I am afraid that the tabloids may target anyone whose close to me, most especially if they're not public figures. I have plenty of relatives and friends who are private persons, so you can imagine how bad it would be if any of them get involved." He then looked up and gazed directly towards the crowd. "To the notorious tabloids out there, I know you're here. If you want to write and make up all the crap about me for money, go ahead. But get any of my loved ones involved in them and I'll make sure you'll never earn a single penny ever again, one way or the other."

The threatening tone from his voice gave the guests a rather concerning the latter. Once again, the elders at the family table gave him another dissatisfied look towards their future clan leader. At the Kinomoto-Daidouji Table, Sakura turned to Tomoyo with a worried gaze.

"I think he's really thinking about you and your safety, Sakura," Tomoyo said. "Eventually, if the tabloids find out of your relationship with him, you're gonna be in every single front page news around Japan and even in Hong Kong. He's already making a prediction at this point and that he's taking precautions already." She patted her best friend by the hand. "My family's pretty influential too, so we'll help you make sure that your privacy will be protected."

"Thanks, Tomoyo. I never really thought of that."

Meanwhile at the Li Table, the parents already made their reaction to themselves. "It looks like our son is already acting as the clan leader, Xiaojin."

Xiaojin nodded. "If he keeps that attitude up, I can finally retire early."

"Seems like the elders are not too happy with the Xiaolang's performance in this segment so far…"

"It's another test for him to see how high his bravery and authority is against the entire clan, which also includes the elders."

"I just hope he knows what he's saying, Xiaojin."

Xiaojin reached for his wife's gentle hand and held it. "He's our one and only son, Yelan. We should be grateful that we're able to produce a son who will take over the leadership seat after my time is done. Or else it'll be Taisung's problematic sons who will be running the clan and chaos will eventually arrive." Yelan nodded as the segment continued on.

"Thank you for answering, Li-kun," Rika said with a smile. "You should be an inspiration for all the leaders and public figures around the world for having a strong attitude like that. Happy Birthday again!"

"Thank you for asking that question, Sasaki. Enjoy the rest of the party." Everyone applauded while Eriol suddenly made his move towards the tables where the Kinomotos, Daidoujis, and the Tsukishiros were sitting.

"We have two more questions left, Xiao, and so we move on to two more lucky guests who will be asking your final two questions. I am now standing between two tables where the Tomoeda residents very close to the Li Family are already sitting. Let's proceed with the ninth question now. Here to my left are the Tsukishiro Family, Director Terada, the Kashii screenplay writer couple, and a few anthropology professors here at Clow Reed University. The one who will be asking a question for you would be this rather intelligent, handsome young lad in the glasses here— Yukito Tsukishiro, please stand up and introduce yourself."

_Yuki-senpai?_ Syaoran's eyes widened and found himself swallowing with nervousness.

Yukito took the mic and waved at everyone. "Hello, everyone! I'm happy to be here celebrating the birthday of our young friend along with you." He then turned to Syaoran and bowed his head. "You've gotten a lot more handsome since the last time I've seen you seven years ago, Li-kun. Happy eighteenth birthday, kid!"

"Thanks, Yuki-senpai," Syaoran chuckled, giving him a bow on the head.

"To everyone in here, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Yukito Tsukishiro, age twenty-four, and a grad student in business administration here at Clow Reed University. I also live two doors away from the Li Residence in Tomoeda, so technically, I grew up with the Li Quadruplet Sisters and hung out with them too. I was around seven or eight-years-old when the Li Children officially moved in to Tomoeda. Syaoran was only two-years-old back then, and I used to work part-time as a babysitter for Syaoran whenever their domestic staff and tutors have a day off. I taught him how to play guitar too during those days, so I'm really honored to be there for Syaoran as he was growing up."

"Thank you for being there for me, Senpai," Syaoran answered happily. "I wouldn't be the person today if it weren't for you being there." The two gave each other a thumbs up, which gave Touya a bit of a sour expression.

"Damn," Touya cursed softly.

"Don't be jealous now, Touya," Kaho warned him.

"Not that! I actually forgot that Yukito used to take a part-time job as a babysitter to that brat when we were kids…"

Kaho sighed deeply and shook his head. "Now you know why Yukito is a whole lot nicer to him than you are. If you'd only be as nice as he were towards him, then you wouldn't be feeling so bitter all the time!"

"Who the hell says I'm bitter?" Touya exploded, which made Sakura and the rest of the table hush him down. "Whoops… sorry."

Yukito then proceeded with the question. "I'm really glad to hear that you're finally conquering over your amnesia. You're not quite there but you're almost there. With that being said, you have always considered yourself a Tomoeda kid over being the son and future heir to the Li Clan. Now that you are recovering your memories, I'm sure the Tomoeda residents would like to know how much you remember of your life in our town. What part of Tomoeda do you love and cherish the most?"

Syaoran nodded and answered. "Now that I've remembered most of my life here in Tomoeda, I guess one of my favorite things I loved about Tomoeda is the people and the culture. I remember most kids get bored or don't really care much whenever someone mentions The Book of Keroberos, but I actually like what's written in that book. Back then my Japanese reading and writing wasn't quite fluent yet so my mom used to read stories and passages from the book whenever I go to bed. It's like a parent telling a child a bedtime story except it's a bit more lyrical, you know? Another thing I like about Tomoeda is the atmosphere. The town is pretty much in the middle of nowhere but it has everything— a well-run town with an eclectic population from the rich to the not-so-poor— I'm saying not-so-poor because nobody really is poor in that town— the green forests, the fresh open fields, and of course, the beaches, especially those hidden types that only a few people know how to get to. But in the beginning when I had no knowledge of Tomoeda because of amnesia a few weeks ago, I would have to say that I really like the town square, especially that central fountain with that lion guardian statue standing proudly over it. Now I know that guardian statue is named Keroberos."

"Yes, that's right. He's Tomoeda's legendary guardian deity, Keroberos," Yukito confirmed.

"And having said that, there's also quite a few places around and about Tomoeda that only I know about. I still have yet to visit those places yet to see if they still exist after my seven-year long absence, but whenever I feel down, I always go to those places just to be alone and clear my mind and you know, just feel better. When my family and I moved back to Hong Kong, it was a major culture shock for me. Hong Kong was way too urbanized, way too crowded, and way too huge if you ask me. All of a sudden I find myself a complete foreigner to the country I was originated from. I've lost so much of my childhood memories during the car accident that I finally got myself adapted to Hong Kong life so easily, but I still couldn't find myself assimilating with other kids like myself and decided to stay at home to continue my schooling. So I guess, I'm saying that in Hong Kong, I was completely alone. In Tomoeda, I feel free, I was never alone when I needed someone to talk to, and always surrounded by the people that made this town a wonderful place to live."

"That's what our aim is being locals of Tomoeda. I'm happy you still retained what you learned and grew up with here and made you a better person than expected. Thank you for the answer and Happy Birthday once again!"

The guests applauded as Yukito sat back down. Eriol still remained in the same spot. "Finally, we got our last question from the other table. This time, the final question will be coming from the best friend!"

_Best friend? Did he mean Sakura?_ Syaoran's voice spoke in his mind, looking rather curious.

"The floor is now yours— Kinomoto-senpai!" Eriol gave a huge grin, with Touya staring at Eriol with uncertainty on his head.

_What? Him? Oh, he meant Yuki-senpai's best friend, not my best friend. Damn you, Eriol…_ Syaoran gave a slight glare, but at the same time he needed to prepare for what was to come from his on and off rival next door.

Touya stood up and took the mic from Eriol. "So, I'm Yukito Tsukishiro's best friend, Touya Kinomoto. I'm also the only son of Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto, the local historian and renowned archaeologist. I'm also the older brother of that bra— Li-kun's childhood best friend and in addition, I also live next door to the Li Family in our neighborhood in Tomoeda…" Right then, he noticed of the sudden silence that the entire party was giving, as well as the birthday boy on stage watching him directly with indifferent reaction on his face. He then cleared his throat and continued on.

"Li-kun and I… well… we weren't exactly the best of friends. In fact, we weren't exactly friends at all. I guess I have this… problem that I have… whenever I see a boy and a girl being best friends and… well… considering that Li-kun's childhood best friend here in Tomoeda happens to be my little sister, I've gotten very weary about it. I'm not exactly a likable person in Tomoeda either, especially with guys in Li-kun's age… always scaring them and beating them up for the safety of my sister… I would have done the same thing to Li-kun but because my sister likes him so much that I really couldn't do anything… so… I… I'm sorry if I have such a not-so-nice introduction." He then turned to Syaoran and spoke to him. "But happy birthday to you anyway, kid."

"Er, thanks… I think…" Syaoran muttered his words. "So, what do you want to know… Touya-senpai?"

"I wanna know this, kid. Why you?"

Syaoran gave him a confused look. "Why me? What do you mean?"

"I mean… why does it have to be you? Of all the people that…" Just as he was about to continue, he noticed the angry glares given to him by both his father and his sister. He then decided to change the tone. "Okay, let me reword this. What makes you think that you're better any other guy around Tomoeda? What makes you such a likable guy regardless of your… arrogant and cocky nature?"

"Oniichan!" Sakura shrieked in shock. "That's just plain rude and you're addressing the birthday boy! I can't believe you'd go so low!"

"Touya!" Fujitaka stormed sternly while the rest suddenly gave mixed reactions to Touya's approach. "Give me that microphone and sit down!"

Somehow the microphone caught Fujitaka's concerned voice and Syaoran answered: "It's alright, Dr. Kinomoto. I think I know exactly where your son is aiming at."

Right then, everyone fell silent after hearing the birthday boy speak those words. Syaoran cleared his throat and began to answer. "I don't have the answer to your question, Touya-senpai. I've been away for seven years and you still couldn't get over our… little… rivalry. But all I know for sure is that I never really hated you, Touya-senpai. In fact, I got nothing but strictly respect for you. I know what you and your family have gone through those times and I know it's difficult having so much responsibility being a replacement mother and a big brother for Sakura all at the same time. You may probably say that I wouldn't know what you're going through, but on the contrary, I have. Did you even remember that I first got to know you and Sakura at the hospital when your mother was on the bed during her last few moments of her life? Everyone was there! All of your mother's best friends and their families were there. I was there at four-years-old and now that I've recovered many of my lost memories, I actually did meet your mother when she was still alive. Sure, it's too bad that I wasn't able to communicate with her properly because I couldn't speak Japanese at that time. But your mother did tell me something in a whisper. I couldn't exactly remember what those words were just yet, but somehow it was those words that made me feel that I have to get attached somehow to your family. Your mom and my mom were best friends since high school. Your father and my father were college roomies. These last few days I've been doing a lot of thinking as I began to recall the memories I lost and I have been asking myself why you and I couldn't get along. The only thing I can recall that probably became the root of my… disgust… against you… was that you were a bully and used to beat up random kids in Tomoeda Elementary for some reason— and you were a middle schooler at that time for goodness sakes! I learned about what you've been up to from my loud and chatty older sisters and it wasn't until Sakura herself and some of the kids you beat up came up to me about the situation that I finally decided to take the situation in my hands to stop you. I'm sure most of the Tomoeda guys my age who's present in this party can't forget that, especially the ones you been beating up at random!"

Touya then dropped the mic when he noticed that many of the teenage local boys including Yamazaki suddenly glared right at him. A few of them even backed up Syaoran's latter statements regarding Touya's rather rocky childhood behavior.

"Me? A bully? I only did what I had to do to protect my sister from anyone who tried to bully her! If you were in my shoes, Li-kun, you would do the same thing!"

"I would but not by ganging up on some random kid who looks like someone who would bully your sister, Senpai. I only stepped up against you because I wanted you to stop, not to humiliate you and hurt your pride. Even Sakura even begged you to stop what you're doing because you're hurting a lot of the kids in our generation, but did you even listen to her? You may think that you're doing something good for her, but your ego is what's making her lifestyle miserable. Whenever you see Sakura cry, you just run off and blame someone else for it."

Silence fell throughout the entire scene while Touya swallowed. He could already see everyone already gazing at him. He knew he had a way to get himself out from being cornered and then took a deep breath. Rather than seeing himself failing, he heard Syaoran bailing him out immediately.

"Look, this is a rather sensitive subject on your behalf, Touya-senpai, not mine. We're here to celebrate together even if you don't like me that much. The question you asked me isn't about me, but this is more about you. I'd be glad to talk to you in private about this issue if you want, but I think it would be best if you talk to Sakura first directly before you decide to face me. We'll talk at the right time, just not tonight."

Touya sighed. "You're right, Li-kun. I'm sorry for disrupting the mood of this party." He then turned to the guests on the floor. "I'm sorry, everyone."

"I have to thank you for asking that question though, Touya-senpai. I'm also sorry that I didn't give you the answer that you wanted to hear."

Touya remained silent and sat down. His entire table were already staring at him, already upset at his behavior he displayed in front of everyone during a birthday party of an important public figure. He then gazed at everyone in return.

"What? Look, I'm sorry for acting such a total ass at that time, alright?" Touya complained.

"You should've let Tomoyo-chan ask the final question when Eriol and Meiling were walking around during dinner, Touya. I knew you would ruin the entire mood with that ego of yours," Kaho said, shaking her head at him.

"What are you saying? That kid isn't as cool as everyone thinks he is, alright?"

"There you go again blaming someone else for your flaws, Touya," Kaho sighed. "Li-kun is right about you, you know?"

"Wait a minute, Kaho—"

"Touya," Fujitaka suddenly interrupted the couple's conversation. "Tomorrow, the four of us are going to have a long talk about your personal issues. I'm not even going to allow you to go through this wedding with an attitude like that. You can't be a good parent if you're gonna continue babying Sakura like that. I'm already worried on what type of father you would turn out to be when you and Kaho start to have children…"

"Dad?" Touya gritted his teeth, while Sakura turned her head away, preferring not to speak a single word to her brother.

"You're twenty-four-years-old, Touya and you still act like you're ten! Do you think you're the only one who knows the hardships we went through as a family? You've brought enough trouble to the family with that behavior of yours. Luckily Kaho-chan here is very patient with you, otherwise you would die a loveless single man."

"Oh my," Sonomi interrupted, "that has got to be the harshest thing I've ever heard coming out from you, Fuji. And this is towards your son?"

"I'm usually patient when it comes to my temper, Sonomi, but tonight is an exception."

Right then, Eriol concluded the session. "Well then, it looks like Xiao is ready to move on to our next segment of the bash! Our 10 Questions with Li Xiaolang session is now concluded! We will be having a really cool treat for you all with Xiao being at the center stage, but for the moment, please take a break and enjoy yourselves. Thank you!"

While Syaoran already stood up from the seat and heading backstage, Tomoyo turned to Sakura, who had been sulking all this time since her brother's humiliation earlier today. "Hey Sakura, it's your turn now! Better get to backstage to get ready!"

"Oh, right," Sakura nodded. "Sorry about that. I'll go get ready now." She stood up from her seat and was about to head off.

"Hey, where are you going?" Touya demanded.

"Backstage to do our dance routine. Duh!" Sakura blurted in sarcasm and ran off from their table.

"Great. Even Sakura hates me now…" Touya rolled his eyes as he leaned back on his seat, continuing to sulk.

* * *

**A/N:** I know, another chapter long overdue, but like I said in the previous chapter, I have been working full-time, with one weekend and I only have Sundays and Mondays as my free days off. I have also been working overtime almost everyday as well. Luckily the workplace is only a few blocks from my house so it wasn't that big of a deal for me to take an hour overtime. With the overtime, I get off at 5:30 pm and I'd arrive home before 6:00 pm. And then on Tuesdays, Wednedays, and Thursdays, I have workout sessions at the gym and choir practice at nights, so you can imagine how exhausted I would be that I didn't even have the time to write. So, in short, I only had Friday nights, Saturday nights, Sundays, and Mondays to write. Yup.

The whole "Mochiron Game" idea I stemmed this from an old Korean variety show known as "X-Man." I used to be a fan of early K-Pop (as in late 1990s-early 2000s K-Pop. I'm not really in to the K-Pop today, sorry LOL) and there were fun variety shows such as X-Man that were really entertaining. The segment within X-Man is called "Dangyunhaji," which the English subtitles stated that it means "Of course." And naturally, the Japanese term for "of course" is "mochiron," so there you go. I suggest watching videos of "Dangyunhaji" on YouTube and I can guarantee you'd end up laughing silly. Sadly, X-Man was already canceled back in 2006 and is no longer on air in Korea. So anyway, that's the origin of the "Mochiron" game I made up in this chapter. The real thing, of course, will be in the next chapter. ^_~

Next thing I want to point out, lately I've also been reading more CCS fanfics wrote by other writers. I've noticed another common trait that many writers use that irked me, personally. I think the one I mentioned before was the portrayal of Sakura being the helpless and at times a type of girl who was always gloomy and negative over the most trivial things and situations. We all know that as a kid, watching CCS anime and reading the manga, that Sakura has always been an optimistic, active girl, who never backs out on a challenge and always stays on her firm ground, but lately a lot of fanfics portraying her as an older girl from her teens to adulthood made her look like a miserable loser. In short, out of character. Now I want to talk about another trait- portraying Syaoran in these fics. Okay, for sure, he's got a heavy burden within his very elite and powerful ruling family, but with that destiny and responsibility, I simply don't understand how he would end up being an arrogant player when we have seen him being raised in a strict and disciplined environment. In addition, Syaoran didn't show any stress and he actually accepted his destiny like a real responsible individual should. Trained in martial arts (and magic), Syaoran seriously takes pride with what he has and what he had learned from his strict and disciplined training. Along with the martial arts training (and magic) also included character building from being responsible in using using what you learned for the sake of good and not for personal gain to knowing how to prioritize carefully. Now, with all the training and his stern attitude, how on earth did he become a player? Because if it were me, if Syaoran suddenly became a player, that only tells me that he became an irresponsible slacker who had no care for his destiny or for the name of his family. Sure, I can see Syaoran being portrayed as a prince, a popular idol, the school's most popular boy, but NEVER, under in any circumstances, a player who sleeps around with other girls just for fun. No way in hell.

As you can see, this has got to be one of the longest chapters I've written. I tried to make it short, but you know how it goes. That's all I gotta say for this chapter's author's notes.

Once again, shoutouts to the new followers and those who made "Stuff Animal" a favorite in their fave stories list. Thank you very much for reading and please continue to read as I go along!

Finally, replies to the latest reviews:

**Narquissa – **Hehe, sorry for the long wait. Been busy as you can see. Hope you're happy with this new chapter. :)

**SakuSyaoLvr- **Always welcome! I actually wanted to skip the limo scene but I decided to just add it in for a bit of a head start of a particular scenario. Sorry there's no mushy scenes or anything like that LOL.

**youngjustice14** and **cfmonkey15- **I decided to answer both of you at the same time since you guys pretty much the same thing. I don't know if you read the summary clearly, but this is a Sakura and Syaoran- centered story after all. And because of that primary emphasis, I don't put that much focus towards the other characters in depth, mainly Tomoyo and Eriol, because it will only distract the flow of the original plotline that I already wrote up in my mind and that will cause MAJOR writer's block on my part. If you're not happy with my response to you guys regarding Eriol and Tomoyo, then I'm sorry. "Stuffed Animal" is first and foremost a Sakura x Syaoran- centered fic and I'm not gonna change that. Hope you understand. I try to include moments of other characters here and there but nothing more in depth than that.

** .3363- **With very little free time I have to write, you know I'll be slow, so please be patient. XD

**agate-iiie- **Hello there! Thanks for leaving a review for every chapter LOL. I won't answer every single one of them, but I will answer this one. Meiling isn't quite one of my favorite characters either in the beginning, but she did change for the better, and like you said, also schemed with Tomoyo to get Sakura and Syaoran together, which was a major factor for Meiling to be a character worth forgiving, but not to forget, so to speak. In my original draft, I actually had Meiling be the antagonist girl here instead of Mai Hirashiki, but the turnout was a total epic fail from my part, so I decided to create a new antagonist girl instead. As for the "culture" of Tomoeda, I always use real-life experiences, and the whole "whisperjay" name, let me explain:

A **jay** is a species of medium-sized colorful and noisy bird that belogn to the crow family. There are several species of jays, with the ever popular bluejay and grey jay included, all around the world. I've read the Hunger Games trilogy some years ago and I know what a "mockingjay" is, but I did NOT get inspired of the name "whisperjay" from mockingjay at all. The author (Suzanne Collins) must have mixed the two types of birds, mockingbird and jay, to form "mockingjay," and it's probably a hybrid species of bird from those two birds. On the other hand, a "whisperjay" in this fic is not a type of bird at all. It's just a name I made up to name a specific stew (not made by "whisperjay" birds, by the way). Hope that makes sense.

As far as the other scenes go, I try not to emphasize/focus on them so much as to fear of making the story way too long that I may suffer writer's block from it and then suddenly I lose interest in the fic and ending up abandoning it. I've already done this some 10 years ago and I'm not gonna make the same mistake again. Sorry for all this, but hope you understand. ^_^;

Well, it's 1:00 am where I am now. Luckily I have a day off on Monday. Goodnight all! ^_^


	17. 16: Pajama Party (Part Two)

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 16: PAJAMA PARTY (Part Two)**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

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_**A neighborhood in Tomoeda (June, 10 years ago)**_

_Seven-year-old Sakura, complete with the signature white beret, short-sleeved white button top with red and white stripes on the sleeves and on the hem, and navy blue skirt, exited her home with her head low after she said her goodbyes to her father, who will be cleaning up the kitchen before he catches the bus to his workplace, Clow Reed University. Her older brother, fourteen-year-old Touya Kinomoto, already went ahead to school with his best friend from next door to the left, fourteen-year-old Yukito Tsukishiro, and the famous Li Quadruplet Sisters, who lived next door to the right. When she exited the white picket fence, she caught Tomoyo, Yamazaki, Chiharu, and Syaoran, wearing similar school uniforms as her, in front of the gateway of the Li Residence. The Lis' long-time butler, Wei Wang, was supposed to drive Syaoran to school in the family limousine as always, but Syaoran changed his mind with the transportation and decided to walk to school with the rest of the neighborhood kids._

_When Sakura arrived, Tomoyo and Chiharu gave their biggest wave towards her. "There she is— our soccer sweetheart of the Tomoeda soccer team— Sakura Kinomoto!" Tomoyo announced loudly._

"_Good morning, guys!" Sakura gave a faint smile while she waved in return. "Oh Tomoyo, not riding your family car today?"_

_Tomoyo shook her head. "Nah. I wanna walk with you guys today. It's the least I could do to support you and Li-kun and Yamazaki-kun later today!"_

"_Ne, ne!" Chiharu ran excitedly next to her. "Sakura, aren't you excited for today's soccer match against Nijibe Elementary? I can't believe that this will be your first match as a first-stringer of the Tomoeda Elementary soccer team! The first girl striker in the history of our school's soccer team, to be exact too! You seriously are just way too cool for words!"_

"_I am," Sakura nodded in a soft voice. "I really am! Now I really get to play a real game with Syaoran and Tak and even Yun-kun!"_

_At that point, the boys noticed Sakura's rather soft expression on her face. Yamazaki began to wonder but Syaoran immediately knew that something was definitely wrong with her. Nevertheless, Yamazaki called out: "Come on, ladies, let's head to school or we'll be late!"_

_While Tomoyo, Chiharu, and Yamazaki went ahead and on about with their usual chatter, Syaoran walked along with Sakura, gazing at her curiously. He then cleared his throat softly and spoke: "Are you alright… Sakura?" His Japanese fluency had improved since his first exposure to the Japanese language at age four, but his Cantonese accent was still very much present as it always was._

_Sakura gave a deep sigh. "I'm that obvious, huh?"_

"_No smile, no squeaky and cheerful 'ohayo gozaimasu!', and no rollerblades on feet… yup, something's wrong," Syaoran blurted._

"_I'm… I'm scared going to school today. I was even thinking of skipping school today too… but my dad said that there are at times where girls have to act like men, so… I'll just have to face my fears and go along with it."_

"_Eh? I don't understand…"_

_Sakura swallowed. "Did you hear about what happened to Midorikawa-kun yesterday? He got beat up by a middle schooler from out of the blue at the Penguin Park while he was practicing soccer by himself. He said that older kid was yelling something about 'leave my sister alone or I'll kill you'…"_

_Syaoran gave a sigh. "Let me guess… your brother, right?"_

"_Hoe…" She dropped her head in shame. "Poor Midorikawa-kun. He hasn't done anything wrong that would make Oniichan mad. I mean he's one of our best midfielders in the team. Because of his injury he might not even get to play later today against Nijibe and it's all Oniichan's fault."_

"_I've heard about Midorikawa from the other kids in the library yesterday, but I heard it wasn't that serious. He just had a few bruises here and there but not to affect his abilities to play. So, he'll be okay. He'll play. Don't worry."_

_Sakura buried herself within her face. "Hoe… I really don't wanna show my face to everyone now. People are gonna say things about me that aren't true…"_

_At that moment, Syaoran placed his arm around her. "Don't think about that. If it happens, I'll make sure that I'm here with you. If they start talking bad about you, then they might as well talk bad about the entire soccer team. They can't do such a thing. We got a big game against Nijibe Elementary later today and if they want us to win, they're gonna have to shut up."_

_She gazed right at him and found herself blushing. "Thanks so much, Syaoran. You always know how to make me feel better, you know?"_

"_That's what friends are for, Sakura." He released her and they proceeded their way towards school, rejoining Tomoyo, Yamazaki, and Chiharu on their stroll._

_On the way, just three more blocks until school, they spotted a commotion going on ahead of them. Judging from where they were standing, the crowd ahead of them consisted of their own schoolmates, older kids from Tomoeda Middle School, which was just a few blocks away from their own school, and another group of kids wearing maroon red and dark blue. That can only mean one thing._

"_Those are Nijibe Elementary uniforms!" Yamazaki exclaimed._

"_But what are they doing here in Tomoeda?" Tomoyo asked curiously. "The game isn't even on until after school today!"_

"_I don't know, but it does look suspicious," Syaoran muttered._

_Sakura suddenly ran forward. "Come on, let's see what's going on over there!" Just as the five kids were getting closer, they were immediately encountered by the four Li Sisters, where they spotted both Sakura and Syaoran in the group._

"_Sakura-chan, Xiaolang, this is really bad— and I mean bad!" Shiefa, donning a white with blue and maroon red striped Tomoeda Middle School uniform top and navy blue skirt, exclaimed._

"_Shiefa-neechan, what's going on?" Syaoran asked curiously._

"_It's your brother, Sakura-chan!" Fanren exclaimed. "He's getting himself in to another fight again!"_

"_What? Why?" Sakura exclaimed in shock._

"_I have no idea, it's just that we overheard a bunch of kids talking about how they're gonna rig your soccer game later today and Tou-chan just ran away from our group and started picking on them!" Feimei rolled her eyes._

"_I swear, this is like the fifth time your brother gets in to another brawl this week and if someone decides to snitch at the mayor, we're all gonna be in trouble!" Fuutie warned._

_Right then, a rather diminutive, cute-looking little boy, also donning a Tomoeda Elementary school uniform, dashed right in front of them with worried eyes. "Sakura-chan, Xiao-kun, Yamazaki-kun, good thing you guys arrived!"_

"_Yun-kun!" Sakura exclaimed towards the little cute Korean boy, seven-year-old Oh Yun Hwa. "You've been here the entire time?"_

"_I overheard the entire thing," Yun began to explain. "I was just heading to school myself in the other direction. Those Nijibe Elementary kids are the team that we're gonna be playing later today! They're here to have warmups at the soccer field at Penguin Park before the game. I heard that they were just gonna head over to our school to… 'check out the competition'… then someone even suggested that they should sabotage our team before the game starts and apparently… Kinomoto-senpai, Tsukishiro-senpai, the Li Sisters, and a few of the middle schoolers were just passing by and overheard them… and yeah… that's what happened."_

"_Hoe?!" Sakura shrieked. "So Oniichan is now picking a fight with them?"_

"_He's trying to get them to talk but those Nijibe kids refused so your brother's threatening them. I just ran quickly to school to look for Captain Aino and the senior players to stop— Sakura-chan?"_

_Quickly, Sakura ran ahead to get herself in the center of the crowd, where she found Touya already mouthing his hostility towards a group of seven elementary school boys from Nijibe Elementary, Tomoeda Elementary's rivals and opponents for today's soccer match. What they were doing in Tomoeda at this early hour is the question everyone at Tomoeda present had been wondering just now._

"_Dumb middle schoolers, picking on poor, defenseless, and weak elementary schoolers like us?" One of the Nijibe students taunted the older Kinomoto. "Is this how you Tomoeda kids being raised?"_

"_And you Nijibe twerps were raised to cheat on the opponent before an upcoming soccer game? You kids are pathetic!"_

"_So what if one of us said we were gonna sabotage your little team! It's all words, man! Not like we're really gonna do it!" Another one of the Nijibe kids said._

"_I ain't playing games with you, brat! You losers just crossed in to Tomoeda territory and we all heard you!" Fourteen-year-old Touya already had his fists tightened while his best friend, Yukito Tsukishiro, had his arm around his waist, holding him back. "You better start talkin' and tell everyone the truth about your motives here in our turf or else I'm gonna have to make you talk the hard way—"_

"_Oniichan!" Sakura finally found her way at the center and stood between Touya and the Nijibe kids. "What the heck are you doing, Oniichan? Shouldn't you be in school right now?"_

"_Out of the way, Sakura!" Touya commanded her. "Girls shouldn't be getting in the way of a man-to-man fight!"_

"_What the heck are you talking about, Oniichan? It's more like man-to-hordes of kids fight! You know you shouldn't be snooping in to other people's business!"_

"_Hey, I was team captain of the Tomoeda Elementary soccer team when I was a student there and seeing other teams trying to mess with my former team makes it my business!"_

_Meanwhile, Yukito continued to pull Touya back. "Look, she's right, Touya, for once, listen to your sister. And we should get going, we only got ten minutes left!"_

"_So you're gonna let these cheapskates get away with sabotaging you and your team before today's game?"_

"_Just go to school already, Oniichan! We can handle things here!" She reminded him._

_From out of the blue, one of the Nijibe boys stepped up. "Hey, little girls should be listening to their big brothers, so get out of the way, girl!"_

_With the tone of that voice, Sakura turned away from her brother and faced the opponent. "Oh yeah? And little boys should be listening to their senpais, so back off!" She retorted immediately, which gave mixed reactions of oohs and ahhs from the rest of the students witnessing the event. "Besides, even if you haven't done anything to our team, you're already breaking the rules!"_

_The Nijibe boys broke in to laughter, which made the hotheaded Touya force himself forward. Once again, Yukito dragged him backward again to keep him calm. "Oh please, like you would know what rules you're talking about!"_

"_Heh," Sakura snickered and then recited one rule regarding the Sendai Regional Elementary School Soccer Regulations. "It's in the Sendai Regional Elementary School Soccer Handbook, page 10, section 3, number 2— no visiting team is allowed to visit and evaluate the opposing team more than an hour before the game stars. It's really early morning and school hasn't started yet and the game doesn't start until 4:30 p.m. this afternoon. Since you're already here to practice for today's game, you should be heading your way towards Penguin Park, not at our school."_

"_Hah!" One of the boys smirked. "If you think you're so smart, then guess what! There's no regulation where the visiting team can beat up nosy little girls like you and try to screw up our plans!" Right then, the boy attempted to throw a single punch at Sakura._

"_Hoe!" She wasn't quick enough to dodge that punch, however someone else was quicker to block the punch that was meant for her when Syaoran immediately stepped in front of Sakura and blocked the Nijibe boy's punch with his firm left arm._

"_What the— who the hell are you?" The Nijibe boy gasped after rubbing his first from the pain felt on Syaoran's arm._

"_You forget that there's a regulation for a visiting team member attacking an opposing team member too," Syaoran warned the Nijibe boys._

"_Syaoran…" Sakura gasped as she remained standing behind Syaoran._

"_You're just about to hit an opposing team member, dude. Sakura-chan here has the right to step in the way because you're messing with the soccer team she plays for. Why don't you save your inflated egos for the game and let's see which one of us actually rules the Sendai Region, shall we?"_

_Another one of the Nijibe boys stepped up with a bewildered expression. "Hey, I know you! You're the star striker of the Tomoeda team— Syaoran Li, right?"_

"_Heh," Syaoran smirked, as he placed his arm down. "You losers sure got the nerve to even sneak in to our school just to watch our practice and then even talk about sabotaging us. Too bad you got caught by a bunch of middle schoolers who's ready to turn you in to the authorities for cheating and breaking the rules… that's what Kinomoto-senpai was trying to warn you about!"_

"_What the— hey, who asked you—" Immediately, one of the Li Sisters quickly covered Touya's mouth._

"_Now now, Xiao-chan, don't be cocky now," Shiefa warned her little brother with a wink while covering Touya's mouth at the same time._

"_Hmph, whatever!" One of the Nijibe boys said. "This ain't over yet, Li— and the rest of you Tomoeda lame-os! Let's see which one of us truly rules the Sendai Region and have the bragging rights!"_

"_Yeah? Bring it on, Nijibe!" Syaoran snickered. "Don't blame us that you peepsqueaks are a bunch of chickens against us if you can't even play fair on the field!"_

"_What the— we ain't afraid of you! You sure are one cocky little creep, aren't you Li?" One of the Nijibe boys retorted._

"_Oh yeah?" Suddenly, Sakura stood in front of them. "You even got some nerve to look down on me just because I'm a girl! I'll see you jerks on the field and watch me pass by your sorry little butts and kill your goalie with one sweep!"_

"_Hmph!" One of the boys then turned to his fellow team players. "Come on, let's head back to that stupid park of theirs… we're wasting our time…"_

_Once the Nijibe soccer players left the scene, the rest of the students witnessing the scene also made their way to school. At this point, Touya couldn't help himself but to grit his teeth in anger while Yukito and the Li Sisters continued to drag him away. Sakura turned to her brother and yelled at him. "Stop it already, Oniichan! The fight's over!"_

"_Why the hell are you and that brat gotta have to get in between us? I can take all of them in one punch!" The hotheaded Touya screamed out his frustration._

"_Hey, relax, Senpai, I just saved your butt from getting busted by the mayor!" Syaoran warned him. "For sure at that point someone was already running to the city hall to report your public recklessness against a bunch of out-of-town kids just because they want to play dirty against us! You wouldn't want to upset your father now because of this, won't you, Senpai?"_

"_Why you little brat! You sure talk too much for an annoying little brat, don't you?"_

"_Hey, that's our little brother you're talking to, Tou-chan! Just calm down!" Feimei shrieked at Touya._

"_Come on now, everyone!" Yukito hushed to keep everyone silent. "We got an exciting soccer game to look forward to later today! Let's not ruin our excitement with something trivial like this, alright?"_

"_Tch. Fine," Touya released himself from his friends' grips and began to fix his middle school uniform. "You better watch yourself and stay healthy before the game, Sakura— and don't do anything stupid!"_

"_I can take care of myself, Oniichan! I got my friends and my teammates to back me up if I get in trouble, so you don't have to worry!"_

_The Li Sisters suddenly dragged Touya away out of frustration while Yukito waved at the elementary kids. "I'll be at your school early to help your coach, so I'll see you kids at the field!"_

"_Thanks so much, Yuki-niichan!" Sakura waved happily. Just as the middle schoolers disappeared from the scene, she gave a deep sigh of relief._

"_Well, that's that," Syaoran said._

"_My brother is a total idiot," Sakura frowned. "Why can't I have Yuki-niichan as my brother instead?"_

"_Me too, Sakura," Syaoran frowned. "I'd trade all my sisters for Yuki-senpai so I don't have to hear their annoying giggles every single damn day at home…"_

_Right then, Tomoyo, Chiharu, Yamazaki, and Yun caught up to them. "You guys okay?" Tomoyo asked curiously._

"_Yeah, we're fine, Tomoyo," Sakura smiled. "Those Nijibe kids sure are mean and cocky!"_

"_They can be mean and cocky as much as they want," Yamazaki frowned. "It's right at the field that'll determine which one of us can get the bragging rights."_

"_We'll do our best cheerleading routines during the game, Sakura, and we've got special cheers for you and Li-kun whenever you guys score a goal!" Chiharu exclaimed happily._

"_Huh?" Yamazaki frowned. "How come Sakura and Syao-chan get their own cheers and I got none?"_

"_You're only a midfielder so you're not that important!" Chiharu stuck her tongue at him._

"_Aww… but Chiharu-chan…"_

_Right then, little Yun began to rub his chin. "Hm, what happened to Captain Aino and the senior players? They never showed up…"_

_Just as he mentioned about the older soccer players, five of the ten to eleven-year-old Tomoeda soccer players, lead by ten-year-old team captain, Izumi Aino, arrived on the scene with worried faces. Apparently, they were too late. "What the— where are those Nijibe creeps?" Aino exclaimed._

"_You're too late, Captain," Yun said. "Sakura-chan and Xiao-kun already scared them off."_

"_What? Just the two of you? Man, we missed the action," one of the ten-year-old boys frowned._

"_Was it because you guys were busy spying over the fence just to watch middle school girls?" Yun asked curiously. Quickly Aino hushed the little Korean boy._

"_Don't tell the coach, okay? We can't help it, you know? The Tomoeda middle school girls are so darn cute!"_

_Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Come on, let's head to school before the bell rings…"_

_As the group of Tomoeda elementary school kids arrived through the gates of Tomoeda Elementary School, as always, they were met by their fellow crowding schoolmates. Tomoeda Elementary has one of the strongest athletic teams throughout the Sendai Region,with their soccer team being the strongest. The first-stringer players such as Syaoran, Yamazaki, Yun, and even their team captain Izumi Aino were a few of the school's most popular boys. Sakura joined the soccer team as a first grader last year but was only a second-string backup. Her efforts during the final trimester of their first grade year earned her an open spot as one of the first-stringer strikers for the second grade year and the match against Nijibe Elementary later today would be Sakura's debut on the field._

_As they entered the school building, team captain Aino caught up to Syaoran and Sakura, with him nudging Syaoran on the side. "What is it, Captain Aino?"_

"_Were you sisters there also during the fight? I didn't see them through the fence at their school earlier today…"_

_Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "Why?"_

"_Oh… I was just wondering. I kinda want to meet them, you know? Hook me up!"_

"_Dude, I'm your teammate, not a matchmaker! If you wanna meet them, go up to them yourself. After all, you're a man!" Right then, Syaoran moved on ahead, leaving him and Sakura behind._

"_Jeez," Aino frowned. "That Li sure is grumpy when it comes to his sisters…"_

"_The pressures of being the only boy of the family, you know?" Sakura giggled._

"_Hey, listen, Kinomoto," Aino said as he walked with her down the hallways. "Whatever those Nijibe losers said about you, I know you'll prove them wrong later at the field. You're probably the only player in the team who can match up to Li's striker skills, so with you over there at the same time as Li can give us the double threat against Nijibe. You're really living up to the legendary status of your brother, you know? When I was playing in the team with Kinomoto-senpai as team captain, I thought he would become the greatest soccer player in all of Japan and I wanted to follow his footsteps. You, you're a complete natural."_

"_Thanks, Captain Aino."_

"_I know it's just our third game of the year but you know, I'm in the fifth grade and this will be my last year as team captain. I have to concentrate on my studies next year and prepare myself for middle school entrance exam too. I know it's a little too early but I'm already leaning towards Li being the new team captain. He handled the situation earlier pretty well without me and the older players. I feel really bad that you guys have to go through all that."_

"_It's best that you didn't get involved earlier, Aino-senpai. I mean it involved my brother for one thing and you don't know my brother well enough to handle him as much as Syaoran does."_

"_Haha, I guess you're right about that. Glad you guys didn't get in to more heaps or trouble or else you guys would be suspended. But anyway, I'll get the full report from Oh-kun once we get to the team meeting later." Sakura nodded in agreement. "Well, I turn to the next corner now. See you at the field, Kinomoto!" Aino waved as he made his way to his classroom._

"_See you at the field, Captain Aino!" She continued on forward where Syaoran, along with Yamazaki and Yun, were leaning against the wall and then met up with her._

_Sakura waved at them. "Hey guys! Where's Tomoyo and Chiharu?"_

"_They went ahead," Yamazaki said. She joined the boys as they walked down the hallway together._

"_I overheard what Captain Aino said to you just now," Syaoran said. "He's right, you know."_

"_You really think that I'd do great out there? I'm a little nervous, to tell you the truth," Sakura smiled._

"_You'll be fine. You got me and the rest of the team with you. The game tonight will be ours. Just you wait and see." With that, both Yamazaki and Yun gave her a thumbs up to acknowledge Syaoran's confidence._

"_I believe it, Syaoran. Thanks, you guys!"_

"_You bet! We're gonna rule the field today!" Yun cheered happily._

"_Hey, speaking of what Aino-senpai said earlier, I think he really is right," Sakura giggled. "I think you'd make a good team captain, Syaoran!"_

_Syaoran blinked in confusion. "Me? Team captain?"_

"_Yup! Although voting for the next team captain will be decided by player votes, he's already leaning towards you. And besides, region rules said that you have to be at least eight-years-old to be team captain. You got my vote for sure!" Sakura giggled._

"_Oh that's right!" Yun gasped. "You'll be turning eight next month! Perfect!"_

"_Dude, for sure you got my vote too, Syao-chan!" Yamazaki patted him on the shoulder._

"_I don't know… well, let's just see what the rest of the team think…" Syaoran shrugged. "But it's too early anyway. We don't get to do the team captain voting until next year anyway."_

"_Yeah."_

_They finally reached their classroom, where they see Tomoyo, Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko already at their seats. As Syaoran and the boys went ahead, Sakura immediately found herself blushing at that point._

Gosh, Syaoran… why do I find you so… cute… all of a sudden…? _Sakura chuckled to herself and proceeded to her seat, right in front of Syaoran. Yamazaki and Yun decided to hang out with Syaoran at his seat for a bit until their homeroom teacher arrived. Tomoyo was already chatting with Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko on her other side and decided not to bother them for a bit. She reached for her notebook and her math textbook and then took out her math homework she almost stayed up to finish last night and handed it to the amber-eyed boy behind her._

"_Hey Syaoran, I know math isn't until in third period, but can you go check my homework to see if I did everything correctly?" Sakura asked with sparkling emerald eyes directed at him._

Damn, how does she do it? Her and those damn green eyes…_ Syaoran's voice moaned as he gulped nervously. "Sure, Sakura. Hold on a sec, let me bring out my homework…"_

_Just as he already placed his notebook on his desk, they were immediately interrupted by a small group of uninvited guests. Just the shrill of that particular girl's voice was more than enough to drive Tomoeda Elementary's wealthiest boy up the wall._

"_Li-kun! Li-kun!"_

Great…_ Syaoran moaned to himself as three rather refinely-dressed sophisticated girls come up to him. Though they were nowhere as elegant as Tomoyo, Sakura already recognized the leader of these girls._

Maiko Horibe…? What is she doing here? I thought she hates us because Tomoyo ditched her and her clique for us last year?_ Sakura frowned to herself but decided to keep cool and watch the scene that was about to unfold._

"_What do you want, Horibe?" Syaoran immediately glared at the dolled-up second grader._

"_Guess what!" The princess-like long dark-haired Maiko Horibe exclaimed happily. "Guess!"_

"_What?" Syaoran wondered. "You finally learned how to get a life?"_

"_Hahahahahaha!" After hearing Syaoran's remark, Yamazaki and Yun immediately broke in to laughter while exchanging each other hi-fives. Sakura was also tempted to laugh, but decided to stay quiet._

_Maiko frowned and crossed her arms. "Hmph! Laugh all you want, losers, this don't concern you!"_

"_Sorry Horibe," Yamazaki calmed himself down. "But what Li said was really funny!"_

"_Save it for all your pointless story making, Yamazaki!" Maiko shouted at him and then turned to Syaoran. "Anyway, Li-kun, this week is the Tomoeda Country Club's Little Princess Pageant! And as always, I'm one of the nominees to become this year's Tomoeda Little Princess, but you know, I really need an escort to walk me down the aisle, you know…?"_

_Syaoran stared at her blankly while Yamazaki, Yun, and Sakura remained silent. Maiko felt herself rather annoyed with the handsome second grader. "Don't tell me you've never heard of the upcoming Tomoeda Little Princess Pageant, Li-kun! I mean your family's one of the sponsors of that pageant!"_

"_So?" Syaoran shrugged his shoulders, then crossed his arms. "My parents are the ones sponsoring. My name isn't in there, so whatever pageant thing you throw at me is none of my concern."_

_Just as Yamazaki and Yun were about to break in to laughter again, the spoiled princess immediately glared at the two. "Look, I seriously need this, Li-kun. I mean all of us contestants really need an escort to walk us down the aisle in all categories and… well… you see, since we're all from the elite class, we can only choose escorts from the elite class…"_

"_Jeez, that's easy! Since you're the… quote-unquote… the prettiest girl in all of the Tomoeda Elementary second grade class, you shouldn't be having problems with all the boys dropping on their knees, begging you to be their escort—"_

"_Ugh, Li-kun! I know that and I've rejected all of them. You see, the escort the candidate chooses also plays an impact on how well we'll do and our chances of winning the pageant, so I got no choice but to get picky."_

"_Well then go ask Bunchin or Sakamoto or even Michishige— hell, you can even ask Aino-senpai if you're in to the older kids. He's rich and he's ten and he's the captain of our soccer team. They're all rich and lots of girls like them— jeez, who on earth gets in to this stuff at age seven anyway— and those dudes like you."_

"_Are you dense, Li-kun? I meant you! I mean… I want you to be my escort for the pageant! Otherwise I wouldn't be bugging you about this!"_

_Syaoran rolled his eyes. "You bug me every single day for no reason anyway so this isn't anything new."_

"_So let me guess— you're rejecting this pretty young thing?"_

"_I'm busy on Saturdays. I have kung fu and tai chi training and my parents are really strict. They're not gonna let me go to some lame pageant like that you know?"_

"_Ugh, why do you keep on resisting, Li-kun?" Maiko demanded. "Don't tell me that you'd only go with the richest girl in all of Tomoeda— and if that's the case, that would be Daidouji. But she's not even a contestant, so you don't have a choice!"_

_Right then, Tomoyo overheard the conversation. "Um, why am I included in this conversation…?"_

"_Please don't pretend that you've got no interest in me, Syaoran Li and then declare that you and Daidouji are an item! I'll show the entire world your true colors and your deepest secret on which girl you really like the most in all of Tomoeda. You just watch me, Li!"_

_Without even expecting anything, even Sakura was also picked on. "And as for you, Kinomoto, do something with that hair of yours! It's bad enough that no one can tell if you're a real girl or not because you act so much like a boy and if you keep this up, no boy will ever like you! Just a friendly advice!" She winked right at Sakura as she and her friends left their area, leaving the entire group looking more confused than ever._

"_What was that… about…?" Tomoyo wondered curiously, then she turned to Syaoran. "Li-kun, does Maiko-chan actually think that you and I are… you know…?"_

"_Her brain hasn't sprouted yet, Daidouji, that's for sure," Syaoran made his comment. "But she's always bitter everyday anyway. Just ignore her."_

"_Right," Tomoyo nodded in agreement. Just as things were just about to go back to normal, Sakura gave a soft sigh. "Hm? What's the matter, Sakura?"_

_Sakura then showed a worried face. "Is it true?"_

"_What's true?"_

"_Is it true what Maiko-chan said about me? If I keep this up, no boy will ever like me?"_

"_What?" Yun exclaimed. "That's not true, Sakura-chan! She only said that because she's mad that Li-kun wouldn't be her escort at that pageant thing this weekend!"_

"_Yeah, Oh-kun's right," Yamazaki said. "You may be really good in sports and you can beat almost every single guy in track and field, but you're very much a very girly girl— like every single girl in this town!"_

"_And I like you, Sakura…" From out of the blue, Syaoran blurted, which made Sakura and the others freeze in surprise._

"_Hoe…?" As always, Sakura would give her signature confused expression as her answer._

"_I mean… what Horibe said," Syaoran continued. "What she said about no boy will like you if you keep on being yourself. I'm a boy and I like you."_

"_Aww," Sakura smiled happily. "Thanks so much, Syaoran!"_

"_Me too! I like you too, Sakura-chan!" Yun gave his thumbs up._

"_Yeah, same here!" Yamazaki grinned. "Well, not that way, but I like you!"_

"_Hehe, thanks guys!" Sakura cheered happily._

"_Well, let's check your math homework now before the teacher arrives…" Going back as students, Syaoran took out his math homework and began to compare and contrast his answers with Sakura's, while at the same time, giving her tips on the problems she got wrong. Sakura simply listened to his smarts, as she found herself drowning in to his natural charm more and more._

I like Tak and Yun-kun too… but I like Syaoran the best…

#

Sakura grinned to herself when she began to recall the first day she started playing officially as a first string striker. They won that game against Nijibe Elementary, for one thing. Realizing her budding crush on Syaoran on that same day was another. It even grew stronger right after they won the game 3-0 when the first two goals she helped assisted Syaoran in scoring them. The third and final goal they scored was done by Sakura herself by head-butting the ball directly towards the unguarded space of the opponent's goal. What memories, she thought.

She finally finished tying her sneakers while sitting down on the waiting bench, now looking more of a hip-hop dancer in long white t-shirt and long baggy black shorts with a huge pink cherry blossom motif on one pant and a black baseball cap worn backwards. She couldn't help herself but to giggle regarding that one special memory.

_We sure make a good team, ne? Syaoran and me, that is. We do real well in school together when we do group projects and we also do well in sports too when we work together as a team. Hm, I wonder if we would make a good team as a married couple?_

Without realizing it, she blurted her blushing thoughts aloud. "Hooooeeee… I can't think of that stuff right now… it's too early!"

"Eh? What stuff?" From out of the blue, Syaoran broke her imaginative flow by throwing out a curious question.

"Hoe!" Sakura shrieked when she spotted Syaoran standing behind her. He gave a snicker and a wave. "Mou, don't scare me like that, Syaoran!"

"Sorry, can't help it," Syaoran grinned. "What are you giggling about anyway?"

"Nuh… nothing! I was just remembering things!"

"Hm? Like what?"

"Oh… I remembered second grade… the first time I started playing in first string in our school soccer team, back in elementary…"

Syaoran gave her a curious look and began to contemplate. "Hm… lemme see if I can remember now…"

She scooted closer to him, still with the huge grin on her face. "I just thought that… we really made a good team together at that time."

He nodded slowly. "Was this during our first game against Nijibe Elementary for that school year? It was the time when those Nijibe dudes tried to spy on us and then even talked about sabotaging us and then your brother caught them and wanted to kick their asses at that time?" Sakura chuckled while nodding at the same time. "Yup. I remember that now."

"We showed them, Syaoran. We really did showed them who gets to have the bragging rights in the Sendai Regionals, ne?"

"Heh, yeah, except we weren't exactly bragging. The others who knew how awesome our team were did all the bragging for us."

"Yeah, hahahaha…" The two teens laughed. Right then, their laughter faded and Sakura turned her face away from him.

"You're right, you know, Sakura," he began his answer. "We really do make a good team. Not just in sports, but in school projcts and… we're the only ones in The IllTrix who can do acrobatic stunts and all that and… and…"

"I know, Sakura," Syaoran chuckled. "We seem to be always in sync with each other when it comes to everything."

Sakura placed her hands on to her cheeks, knowing they were beginning to blush again. "Yup. That's right!"

Right then, the amber-eyed, mocha-haired idol gave a low sigh. "That's why back then I thought you knew what I was up to that I assumed… ugh, assumed…" Quickly he shook his head, not wanting to think about it. "Dammit… I wish that part of those lost memories should've remained lost forever…"

"Syaoran…" Sakura gave a slight pout, knowing where he was aiming at once more. Right then, their short moment was interrupted by Naoko, who was already signaling them that it was their time to take the stage.

"Alright, you two," Naoko chuckled. "Ready to get your swag mode on?"

Sakura giggled. "Yup. We're ready!" She turned to Syaoran and simply changed her expression to her usual smile. "Let's go, Syaoran! Everyone can't wait to see you!"

"Coming!" He followed the girls from behind and waited until the hosts, Eriol and Meiling, called for them to come out on stage and perform.

#

The IllTrix dance performance reprise of their award-winning routine that earned them first place at the regionals some ten years ago had a bit of additions in them that made the routine a whole lot more complex than their "elementary"-level back in the years. The small trampolines that helped Sakura and Syaoran do their flawless somersaults gave a bit of a boom in their routine that even got many of the guests get up and dance. At the end, the newly-reunited hip-hop dance crew still proved to the world that they still got the juice.

After the performance, Eriol and Meiling did not even give Syaoran the time to change back to his Chinese-style pajamas. Instead, the rich and distinctive Tomoeda chocolate marble cake especially baked by Soun and Yukito Tsukishiro from earlier was brought out, with lighted candles and everything. Everyone sung "Happy Birthday" as the cake made its way up the stage. Once it did, the singing ended and Eriol called out through the mic.

"Don't forget to make a wish, Xiao. Make sure you make a powerful, memorable, and meaningful wish now."

Syaoran simply smiled and then gazed at everyone who gathered tonight. Just seeing the old and new faces smiling brightly at him, as well as more of his lost memories continued to return to him, was everything he needed the most for this year. And then, that bright-smiled green-eyed girl whom he thought was his best buddy but beginning to turn out more than he expected stood near him, and immediately his heart began to pound. After realizing what his motives were for being sweet on Sakura back in the childhood days that made her think that they were actually boyfriend and girlfriend in secret, he regretted it and now was the time for him to make things right.

_No more pretending. This is for real now…_

Few seconds later, he bent towards the cake and blew out the candles. Everyone applauded once he succeeded in blowing them out.

"And now," Eriol continued to announce, "we will be slicing the cake so everyone can have a piece while you drop on your presents at the side of the stage right there. Xiaolang, apparently, never really likes opening his gifts in front of the public and would rather open them in private so he can enjoy it a whole lot further. You've only got an hour to eat your cake and drop your gifts because the next big thing is about to begin right after this. Enjoy now!"

The caterers served the slices of cake to all their guests. At the Kinomoto-Daidouji table, Sakura gazed at Syaoran, whom she felt had gotten a whole lot more handsome right after their performance. The bit of sweat dripping from his head to his body had gotten him a whole lot more attractive. It was the type of attraction that gave a whole new definition of hot and sexy. Syaoran indeed was no longer a teenager. He definitely became a real man.

While everyone was nibbling on their cake, Syaoran, escorted by his parents and Wei, went by each and every one of the tables to greet their guests, simply thanking them for attending. With the direction they were heading, it looked like they will be going to the tables of the ones they're close with last. Sakura found herself blushing again with Tomoyo already noticing her reaction.

"I have to admit, for some reason, Syaoran got really manly tonight. He's no longer a kid, ne?" Tomoyo chuckled.

"He's eighteen now… and no longer a minor…"

"We'll get to that age real soon, Sakura. Just you wait."

She then gave a soft sigh. "Yeah…" Immediately, just by tone alone, Tomoyo began to ask her.

"What's the matter, Sakura?"

She turned to her friend and gave her a sad sigh. "All this time I thought Syaoran loved me…"

"Eh? Of course he loves you! What's wrong now?"

"Hoe…" she cried softly. "Yesterday, he admitted to me that as he was regaining his lost memories back little by little, he then remembered everything about how we ended up… you know… close… in the first place. He didn't really like me… like that…"

"Eh?" Tomoyo gasped in shock. "That doesn't sound like him…"

"He only used me so that all the other girls who were chasing after him would leave him alone… He only kissed me because he thinks that I would be able to read his mind and play along and pretend to be his girlfriend so other girls won't bug him anymore…."

Tomoyo chuckled. "Well, let me ask you this, Sakura. Does he still feel the same way for you as he did seven years ago? You know, does he see you and him as being 'pretend' boyfriend and girlfriend? I mean if he still does then that doesn't make sense. He wouldn't be a popular teen idol if he still sees you and him that way. And besides, he admitted it to you, didn't he? That only meant that he really cares for you for him to admit it to you…"

"Hoe… I don't know how I should react, Tomoyo… I mean, we were getting all sweet on each other for over a year and… and when I made him a Tomoeda stuffed animal for him as his farewell gift, he gave me Chiirou in exchange for it. That even made me convinced even more that what we have was really real… and now… I don't know anymore…"

"Don't be so doubtful, Sakura. He gave you Chiirou in exchange for your pink winged stuffed animal to him seven years ago. And remember what he said earlier during the 10 Questions segment. He said his favorite gift he's ever received was a pink winged teddy bear. Obviously he was talking about your Tomoeda stuffed animal! That means that back then may be pretend, but today, his feelings for you are real!"

"But how can I know that, Tomoyo? I hate it when I have to try to read his mind and see what he's thinking. Sure, we feel like we're in sync with almost everything but there are a lot of things that he can be so secretive about, like his feelings and such."

Tomoyo fell silent and began to contemplate. Sakura waited for her to say something and then began to contemplate herself too. Moments later, Tomoyo shrieked. "Ah!"

"Hoe? What is it?"

"Guess what's right after we're done with the cake and the gifts!" Tomoyo giggled.

Sakura began to think. "Well, we'll be playing the Mochiron game right after this."

"Exactly!" Tomoyo snickered. "Remember how Eriol sort of… trapped me… last night? During our demo of the game?"

"Yeah?"

"This is your opportunity to trap Syaoran! You can use this situation to get him speechless and then victory will belong to Team Tomoeda and then we can win an all-expenses trip to wherever we want!"

Sakura gave a frown. "I don't know if I want to use that tactic on him, Tomoyo. I mean, this is really personal and… I don't wanna humiliate him in front of everyone… and… you know…"

"You don't have to be literal at everything. You can be creative. Remember what Oh-kun said. You have to be really witty and creative do play your game and be really tricky for your opponent not to be able to say 'mochiron' in return. Maybe that would trigger Syaoran to finally have a nice talk with you alone and fess up!"

"Well… I'll do what I can, Tomoyo… hope you're right about this…"

Tomoyo embraced her best friend. "It's better than being slaves of the stars for the entire week, that's for sure!"

"Well, since it was all his idea, then okay. I'll go for it."

"That's the spirit, Sakura!" The two girls hi-fived with each other along with their giggles.

By that time, Syaoran and family were already nearing their area. Eventually, their table was the last one for the Lis to visit. Rather than saying the usual "thank you for coming to the party," they went along with the usual buddy-buddy relationship as always.

"What's this about this 'mochiron' bet I hear?" From out of the blue, Xiaojin broke the shell.

"Ehhhhh?!" Almost everyone at the table exclaimed.

"So, it looks like the brat— I mean the birthday boy has a big mouth after all," Touya made his remark.

"On the contrary, Touya-kun," Xiaojin said, "the quadruplets overheard Xiaolang here talking about it to Eriol and Meiling and all those other young stars about forming a team against the locals such as yourself."

"Damn nosy sisters…" Syaoran muttered angrily to himself.

"Whoa, I haven't seen the quadruplets for seven years now and they still haven't changed," Touya shrugged his shoulders.

"Now now," Fujitaka chuckled, "it's only a game and another addition to making this party fun after all."

"Yup!" Sakura cheered. "If we locals win, Syaoran and the stars would treat us to an all-expenses paid trip to wherever destination we decide to go— with them coming along, of course."

"And if you lose, Sakura?" Fujitaka asked curiously.

"Oh, they get to be our slaves for a week," Syaoran immediately grinned.

"Slaves, huh?" Fujitaka became curious.

"And what exactly do you mean by 'slaves,' Xiaolang?" Yelan suddenly asked with a rather stern tone.

"Um…" Syaoran gulped, slowly backing away from his mother. "It's nothing bad, Mother… it's just gonna be them doing some favors for us… that's all…"

"Xiaolang, just because you are being prepared to take over the leadership seat in the near future, doesn't mean you need to start abusing your own power by making your childhood friends in to slaves!"

"It's nothing like that, Mother! Trust me on this one!"

"Oh you better be telling the truth, boy. I can't imagine seeing poor Sakura-chan and Tomoyo-chan doing all the dirty work for you!"

Syaoran quickly shook his head. "I can assure you, Mother, it's nothing like that. I promise…"

Just as the conversation was about to continue, Eriol and Meiling arrive on the spot. "Xiao, better go get changed back to your PJs. We're almost finished with the cake eating and we're ready for our special final feature of the party!"

"Thanks for reminding me, Eriol." He then turned to Sakura. "You're still in your hip-hop gear, better get changed back to your sleepwear."

"I'm on it!" Sakura grinned.

#

_**THE MOCHIRON SHOWDOWN **__(a special game presented by the Li Xiaolang Birthday Pajama Party Bash Committee)_

_**Host/Mediator:**__ Oh Yun Hwa_

_**THE TEAMS:**_

_**All-Star Sweethearts:**_

_Li Xiaolang_

_Eriol Hiiragizawa_

_Ryuichi Kanzaki_

_Sakuya Tendou_

_Kotaro Ninomiya_

_Mai Hirashiki_

_Meiling Li_

_Aya Teramura_

_Erika Handa_

_Michiyo Kuno_

_**Tomoeda Troopers**_

_Sakura Kinomoto_

_Tomoyo Daidouji_

_Chiharu Mihara_

_Rika Sasaki_

_Naoko Yanagisawa_

_Touya Kinomoto_

_Yukito Tsukishiro_

_Takashi Yamazaki_

_Takuya Sakamoto_

_Ken Bunchin_

**SHOWDOWN #1: Ryuichi Kanzaki vs. Yukito Tsukishiro**

Some moments later, the caterers were able to clean up the tables quickly and the facilities workers efficiently removed all the tables, leaving the guests sitting down on the floor with their futons and sleeping bags laid out. They were definitely ready to go to sleep at this point, books and teddy bears and pillows and all, but of course, what would a pajama party be without some sort of long-running games?

The long-awaited "Mochiron Showdown" was finally about to commence, with Oh Yun Hwa, the adorably handsome idol dancer from Korea, taking the stage this time. The two teams quickly formed were also on the stage, with each team on each side, facing each other. Yun was at the center in between of the two teams.

"Looks like everyone's settle down!" Yun expressed happily. "Did everyone enjoy the cake?" Everyone cheered and applauded as their responses. "Good! Now that we're all done, all brushed up and washed up and ready to go to bed, it's time for the final item in the agenda of this bash— The Mochiron Showdown!" Everyone cheered and applauded again. "This new game was inspired by an old Korean variety show in which this game was being played and it became a favorite among the viewers over there. Xiao wanted something new for the party so I brought this idea along. We had a demo on how the game goes and because of that, it's been approved and here we are, presenting it to Japan for the very first time!" Applause followed until everyone became silent.

"First, let's introduce the two teams: All-Star Sweethearts consisting of the birthday boy and his fellow co-stars in the upcoming movie _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf _and the Tomoeda Troopers consisting of the birthday boy's childhood friends and neighbors from Tomoeda. Right now, they're at their designated sides discussing what tactics and tips they need to approach when they face their opponent. Next, I'm introducing myself now. I'm Oh Yun Hwa, an idol myself and a choreographer from Korea. Xiao and I grew up together in Tomoeda and we've been friends since childhood. Xiao moved back to Hong Kong at age eleven. I moved back to Korea at age fourteen. And here we are now, reunited back in our home sweet home. I'm happy to host this segment of the party, so let's get started, shall we?" Everyone cheered and applauded again until they fell silent.

"Here are the basic rules. This is a turn-based game where each person would say a particular statement about the opponent that may be true or close to the truth. The opponent must be gutsy enough to admit to that statement by saying 'mochiron,' or 'of course,' to the non-Japanese speakers there. Right then, the opponent will do the same thing to the first person and so on and so forth. In between statements, the player has a ten-second wait limit for him to come up with the next comeback by responding with 'mochiron' first. The player will win if the opponent couldn't get him or herself to admit to the latter statement or just couldn't think of a good comeback in ten seconds to that player. The players may take their game through compliments, praises, insults, and even suck-ups or a combination of all, but just to keep in mind that players shouldn't take this entire game seriously. After all, it's only a game. Now, each member of the team will get their turn at least once, depending on the team leader's choice, however, whoever has the most wins on this game wins. And of course, the team that has the most wins will win a prize, sponsored by Li Enterprises. So, everyone get ready!"

Everyone cheered and applauded as the two teams come closer to where Yun was standing. "If a player will go to the insult method, make sure that this so-called insult doesn't, in any way, intend to do any harm, whether physically or emotionally, to the opponent, or otherwise, that player will be eliminated out of the game. Other than that, everything's fine. In addition to that, there is one more little perk for each team. Team leaders, on any time during the duration of the game, may replace their current winner player with another player from their team. They can only change players twice. For example, if a team chooses one team player, the other may replace the current winner of the previous showdown with another player. Once again, team leaders can only change their players twice."

"On my left are the All-Star Sweethearts. On my right are the Tomoeda Troopers. The All-Star Sweethearts are lead by our own birthday boy, Li Xiaolang, while the Tomoeda Troopers are lead by Xiao's best friend forever, the sweet and lovely Sakura Kinomoto. Now, leaders, choose your first players and have them step up front. All-stars?"

"Ryuichi Kanzaki," Syaoran said.

"And Troopers?"

"Yukito Tsukishiro," Sakura grinned.

"Alright, both of you please stand across from each other, just a few inches before me." Everyone applauded as both Yukito and Ryuichi stepped forward. The two shook hands first before the game begins.

"Well then, let's see which one of the two will get knocked down first! Let's have a coin toss. Kanzaki-kun, call it!"

Yun tossed the coin on air as Ryuichi called out: "Heads." The coin landed on Yun's hand and then placed it on the back of his other hand.

"Heads it is. You're first, Kanzaki. On three— one… two… three… start!"

Yun backed away as Ryuichi cleared his throat. "Tsukishiro-senpai, it's an honor working with you through the movie shoot so far. Now I see where Li Xiaolang got his natural charm from."

Yukito replied with a grin. "Mochiron!" He paused for a few seconds and began his retort. "I also have to give you props for being so faithful to Teramura-san even though you actually got a girlfriend in real life. Isn't Teramura-san your girlfriend in the _reel_ life?"

"Oh damn…" Ryuichi cursed to himself and almost burst in to laughter himself. _How on earth does Tsukishiro-senpai know that? He can't possibly know that!_

Immediately, everyone present showed their loud reactions, with many of them laughing and jeering. At that point, his partner in the movie and girlfriend, Aya Teramura, crossed her arms, glaring at him. While everyone was laughing while waiting for Ryuichi to retort, the ten-second wait already ran out, making him the loser and Yukito the victor.

"Sorry Kanzaki, your ten second wait is up. You lose!" Yun announced while Ryuichi frowned in disappointment. "Score so far: All-Stars - 0, Troopers - 1."

Right then, the Tomoeda team exchanged hi-fives with Yukito as he and Ryuichi step back down from the center. However, Yun quickly halted Yukito. "Don't step back just yet, Yukito. I forgot to mention that the winner will be playing the next opponent too and will rotate until you are defeated." Yukito nodded and remained on his spot as always.

Yun turned to the all-stars, where everyone can see the couple already arguing after Yukito's first and final attack. Meanwhile, Syaoran got in the middle of the two to stop the fight. "Alright, Teramura, the rules said not to take it seriously. It's only a game. For all we know Yukito-senpai may be bluffing and Kanzaki can't find a good comeback after that."

"That's what I was trying to say…" Kanzaki sighed sadly. "You gotta believe me, Aya!"

"As for you, Kanzaki," Syaoran said, "you were pathetic at your first try."

"I didn't even expect Tsukishiro-senpai to say something like that! It threw me off-guard!" Ryuichi frowned. "I mean, Tsukishiro-senpai is such a nice guy and all…"

"When you're in the game, you can't expect the nice people to remain nice. You gotta be careful with people like him next time."

Ryuichi sighed. "Alright, Li-kun. I'll be careful next time."

#

**SHOWDOWN #2: Aya Teramura vs. Yukito Tsukishiro**

After the discussion, Yun finally interrupted them. "Alright, Team Leader Xiao, do you have your next player to face the current winner?"

"Yup," Syaoran nodded. "Teramura, you're up next."

"Eh?!" Aya gasped in a startle. "But I'm not ready yet!"

"What? You don't wanna redeem your man's loss to him? Go!"

"Mou…" Aya pouted and reluctantly walked forward, facing Yukito. Right then, the older player offered a handshake, as Aya slowly shook it. "Um… go easy on me… please Senpai?"

"I don't think that's in the rules, Aya-chan," Yukito shrugged with his usual humble grin.

"Alright then. We got Aya Teramura playing for the All-Stars facing the current winner, Yukito Tsukishiro of the Troopers!" Everyone applauded while Yukito remained his usual calm, enthusiastic self and Aya already looking nervous. "According to rules, the current winner automatically goes first with the opening of the showdown, so you're going first this time, Tsukishiro-senpai."

"Alright," Yukito nodded.

"Here we go! On three! One… two… three… Start!" Yun released his hand as he backed away from the two.

Yukito suddenly flashed his humble grin at Aya. "You're looking rather lovely tonight, Aya-chan! Well, too lovely for someone who's only going to bed soon, ne?" A few giggles and chortles here and there were heard.

"Mo-mochiron!" Aya snapped her fingers, then replied. "I hope you'd go easy on me tonight because I'm not really good at… confrontations… I promise I'll be your slave for the rest of the week regardless of whether our team wins or not!"

Right then, Ryuichi gave his reaction: "What the heck is she talking about? She's quitting like that?" Syaoran immediately hushed him. "Oh, right."

"Mochiron!" Yukito softly chuckled. "But then Nakuru-chan wouldn't like it. If you want to be my slave, you'll have to answer to her most of the time. It's an engaged couple thing…" Different reactions were heard once more while Aya was about to giggle, however she realized that the ten-second wait was already ticking. She knew she had to act fast.

"Mochiron!" Aya answered. "As a matter of fact, I already met Nakuru-neechan on the set! She really is a beautiful and sweet oneechan, like a sister I never had. She said that you have a habit of being a slave driver to any younger kid you come across and said that I'll have to tell on you if you try to make me become your slave and abuse your power on me…"

"What?" Yukito broke in to laughter as well as everyone else present. Quickly he stopped and continued on. "Mochiron!" After the latter word, everyone fell silent. "Speaking of what I mentioned to your boyfriend earlier, I heard from the grapevine that before you and Kanzaki-kun started dating, you were also one of the competitive teen idol girls who tried to have contests with others just to get Li-kun's attention. Seems like by the way you swayed your hand right at your leader earlier while you were berating Kanzaki-kun was already proof enough… jeez, what kind of a couple are you?" More laughter came that even Yun decided to make a side comment.

"How on earth do you know all these things, Senpai? It's not like you read the tabloids or watch TV or anything like that!" Yukito remained silent as the ten-second wait began to do its countdown.

"Mochiron!" Aya smiled happily. "Nakuru-neechan also said that after your marriage and then you go to your dream honeymoon in Europe, she said that I can buy Mooncastle Diner from your family and change it to Aya-chan's Castle Diner instead!"

Yukito was taken aback, wondering where that random statement come from. While everyone ended up laughing, Yukito did not realize that his ten-second wait was already up and loses the game.

"Time's up, Senpai. Aya-chan wins!" Everyone applauded as Yukito accepted the loss with a nod and headed back to his team. "Score so far now are as follows: All-stars - 1, Troopers - 1!"

The bespectacled young adult returned to his team, only to be met by pats and praises for surviving that long. "I know I shouldn't take things seriously in this game but I can't allow some celebrity buy off Mooncastle Diner from my family…" Yukito frowned.

"Don't worry about it, Yukito-niichan," Sakura grinned, patting him on the shoulder. "You did real well. But now it's time to choose our next player to face Aya-chan."

Right then, Yun called out towards the Tomoeda Troopers. "Team leader Sakura-chan, have you chosen your next player to take on Aya-chan?"

Sakura saluted. "I have. Naoko Yanagisawa, you're on!"

"Right!" Naoko saluted at Sakura in return as she stepped forward across from Aya.

#

**SHOWDOWN #3: Aya Teramura vs. Naoko Yanagisawa**

As Naoko stepped forward, the two girls shook hands as Yun positioned himself at the center. "Now girls, you know the rules now. Be creative and witty because that's the entertaining part of this game. As the rules go, the current winner goes first, so Aya-chan, your turn to open the showdown."

"Okay Oh-kun!" Aya winked.

"Now, not being biased or anything, Aya-chan, just some friendly tip from a neutral party," Yun suddenly blushed while facing his bespectacled girlfriend. "Naoko-chan is one of Tomoeda's brainiest girls in high school. Be sure you know what you're saying to her or else she can turn your own words against you."

"Um… thanks for the warning, Oh-kun!"

"Well then! Good luck to you ladies!" Yun slowly backed away from the pair. "On three… one… two… three… Start!"

After the host stepped back, the showdown began with Aya's opening statement towards Naoko. "So, I only heard recently that you're the mysterious rumored girlfriend that a lot of K-Pop tabloids have been mentioning about! Maybe all of Oh-kun's fans back in Korea already know about you but must probably be ashamed because you're Japanese."

Naoko found herself giggling softly. "Mochiron!" She quickly replied, then she began her counter. "Eventually I'm gonna be coming out in those K-Pop tabloids anyway, but even so, there's nothing bad they can say about me. Even Yun-chan knows that!"

Aya nodded. "Mochiron!" She then returned her counter. "Being a close idol friend of your boyfriend himself, I do know a lot of tidbits about you. For one thing, you seem to be more obsessed with books than with your boyfriend!"

A few of the guests softly laughed, but most wondered where Aya was trying to approach in this showdown. "Mochiron! But that's because it was through books that Yun-chan and I got to know each other more. We connect more through our love of our books than through our love of our dance, even though we're both in The IllTrix several years ago. And besides, I think the ongoing love story of Naoko Yanagisawa and Oh Yun Hwa should only be written in a novel rather than making a movie adaptation of it. At least I think so!"

Aya ended up laughing. "Mochiron! Oh, but see, I think your love story would make a wonderful movie adaptation! I think Ryuichi-chan and myself would be perfect portraying you and Oh-kun. In fact, our portrayal of you two would make you two more popular than you are now. At least I think so!"

Right then, the guests reacted with ooohs, now thinking that Aya was giving a bit of an insult towards the local glasses girl. "Mochiron! But Kanzaki-kun is nowhere as handsome as Yun-chan, so he's not qualified to portray him," Naoko snickered, which more oohs arose from majority of the guests.

Right then, Ryuichi crossed his arms. "What the heck does that supposed to mean, Yanagisawa?"

Yun suddenly stood next to Ryuichi. "Oh, she's just saying that I'm better looking than you…"

"What the— you're the mediator of this game! You can't take sides!" Ryuichi complained. Meanwhile, Yun turned back to the showdown.

"Ten seconds, Aya-cha—"

"Mochiron!" Aya suddenly exclaimed. Looks like this teen actress isn't going to give up that easily. "I agree that… um… Oh-kun is a lot more handsome than Ryuichi-chan and maybe there's no other actor who can play Oh-kun except Oh-kun himself. But I'd still make a really good you!"

Naoko chuckled while the others laughed along as well. "Mochiron! So you're still insisting that you should portray me so you and Yun-chan can be together?"

"Wha—" The crowd roared with laughter and oohs when she found herself completely lost at words. As warned by the host, she needed to take heed of Naoko's wits. With that, her ten seconds of waiting ran out. "Oh no…"

"Your ten seconds are up, Aya-chan! Sorry, but this win belongs to Nao-chan!" The crowd cheered and applauded as Naoko bowed as her thanks. In the end, she and Aya still shook hands as the idol girl exited back to her team.

Naoko stood calmly while staring right at her boyfriend. "I'm proud of you today, my love," Yun gave a little flirtation towards the bookish Tomoeda girl.

"Your flattery doesn't work on me right now, Yun Hwa, so let's get the game going."

"Aww…" Yun gave a slight adorable pout that made Naoko giggle a bit. He then proceeded with the game. "Well then, Tomoeda's really rolling, now with the score: All-Stars - 1, Troopers - 2. Leader Xiao, who's your next player?"

"Erika Handa," Syaoran mentioned his next player to face Naoko.

"Well then, come up here and play, Erika-chan!" Yun invited the tall and pretty idol girl as she stepped forward, facing Naoko. The two girls shook hands and waited for Yun to give them the signal.

#

**SHOWDOWN #4: Erika Handa vs. Naoko Yanagisawa**

"Because Naoko won the last showdown, it's her turn to give out the opening statement towards the rather tall and lovely Erika-chan! Are you girls ready?"

"Ready," Naoko said.

"I'm ready," Erika nodded.

"Good! On three now… one… two… three… start!" Yun backed away as Naoko smiled at the taller idol girl.

"I have to admit that I don't go out of Tomoeda as much, let alone the Sendai area, but I seriously have never seen a Japanese girl so slim and… so tall! You're definitely one of the rare Japanese girls that no one should ignore!"

"Mochiron!" Erika swayed her hands in front. "It's the reason why I entered showbiz in the first place so everyone would notice me!"

Naoko and the crowd found themselves chuckling. "Mochiron! So, does that mean that the Japanese government should save some of the government funding or start taxing the people some more so they can rise up the roofs of all the public transportation so you won't have to break your back bending down every time you enter the bus or the train?"

Erika burst in to laughter while the crowd also gave the same reactions. "Mochiron! That's why I take a taxi instead from home to school and then work. In that way I can sit down!"

Naoko nodded. "Mochiron! So you pay the taxi driver thousands of yen just to get his taxi stretch out the size of a limousine so you can have room for your freakishly long legs?"

Everyone on the floor ended up laughing while Erika found herself laughing some more. Jeez, this Naoko sure knows how to use her words. "Mochiron!" Erika finally refrained from laughing. "Naoko-chan, I don't blame you for being in this game. You're a local blogger after all. You need ideas and a good subject to write your stories. Tell me, do you plan to write a book about your boyfriend Oh Yun Hwa's female conquests while he was growing up in Korea as a budding idol?"

"What the—" Yun's eyes widened in shock while everyone laughed.

"Mochiron!" Naoko snickered.

"Nao-chan?!" Yun gasped in surprise. "Are you for real?"

"I'm familiar with Yun-chan's adventures with other girls while he was still living in Korea," Naoko nodded. "Apparently, it seems that all the girls he went around with all had the names 'Nao-Ko' in them. Point taken." Immediately, this particular match suddenly turned from a showdown in to a stand-up comedy fest.

"Mochiron! I don't blame you, most idol boys are a bunch of players anyway!" At this point, it seems the two girls were agreeing with each other while the idol boys looked rather shocked or offended. The birthday boy, on the other hand, just remained calm and laughed at the parts he found funny.

"Mochiron! So Erika-chan, I heard that you will be promoting a new product soon and it'll be on national TV."

"Oh?" Erika wondered in curiosity.

"Yeah. You've seen other celebrities endorse and promote some weight loss product. You, on the other hand, will be endorsing and promoting some height loss product so you can be as cute and petite like a typical Japanese girl." The level of hilariousness immediately caught Erika off-guard that she lost all her ten seconds of wait."

"Sorry Erika-chan, I know this is just funny as hell but you lost your ten-second wait to retort back. Nao-chan wins again!"

"Sorry Oh-kun," Erika laughed. "Your girlfriend's just funny, okay? She'd be a really good comedian one day!" Right then, she and Naoko shook hands as the idol girl headed back to hear team.

"Well, that was a fun showdown now, wasn't it?" Yun laughed as the crowd applauded in acknowledgment. "But the game must go on!" He turned to the All-Stars again. "What's the matter with you guys? You're the all-stars here. You're letting the locals step all over you!"

"Hey, it's not us!" Ryuichi complained. "It's just that Yanagisawa girl!"

"Stop complaining, Kanzaki," Syaoran rolled his eyes. "I'm bringing in Erika's partner, Sakura Tendou."

"Alright then, let's keep the game rolling! Score so far: All-Stars - 1, Troopers - 3! Come on over, Tendou-kun!"

Once the rather handsome and dashing Sakuya Tendou stepped up, he and Naoko shook hands.

#

**SHOWDOWN #5: Sakuya Tendou vs. Naoko Yanagisawa**

Yun got himself at the center of the stage again and turned to Sakuya. "So, after my Nao-chan's defeat against your girl, what are your final words before you embark on this showdown?"

"Psh, let's just play!" Sakura snickered. The crowd cheered and applauded while Yun nodded in agreement.

"Well then, Nao-chan gets to do the opening statement again. Here we go! One… two… three… start!"

Naoko cleared her throat first then made her opening. "You know, I get confused which one of you main couples are actual couples in real life. You and Erika-chan are one of those who are only a couple for reel, right?"

Sakuya found himself chuckling and turned to see Erika staring at him. He turned back to Naoko again. "Mochiron! My opinion— it's a really bad idea for a popular idol to date a common girl like yourself. It can bring a major downfall on that poor idol's career once his fans and the entire world find out about this. Aren't you concerned about Oh-kun's career?"

"Mochiron! But you see, it's Yun-chan's choice to be with me instead of following orders from a bunch of strangers."

Sakuya gave a slight chuckle. "Mochiron! But if Oh-kun chose you, how come Korean fangirls still chase after him? Shouldn't they already know that you're his girl and that they'd rather just respect him as an individual and an artist at the same time? Those fangirls don't know about you, girl."

Naoko and the rest of the crowd broke in to laughter that the current winner even forgot about the ten-second wait. Before she realized it, time was up.

"You laugh too much, Nao-chan!" Yun shook his head while chuckling. "Go back to your team, please!"

"I'm sorry… I forgot about the ten-second wait, Yun-chan," Naoko still laughed. She then turned to Sakuya and the two shook hands again.

"Well, the All-Stars have finally gained one more point. All-Stars - 2, Troopers - 3! Let's take a five-minute break for now so we can give both teams a chance to talk about their next strategy."

#

**SHOWDOWN INTERMISSION**

Right then, Syaoran called for Sakuya to huddle up at their side of the team. When Sakuya reached the All-Stars, he flashed a grin on his face.

"Girls got nuthin against me when it comes to words," he said. "I guess I can read their little weaknesses, so to speak."

"Don't be too cocky, Tendou," Syaoran warned him. "You're lucky that Yanagisawa is one of the coolest girls I've met in the past and knows when to take things seriously and not. Anyway, regarding the remaining members of the Tomoeda team… they may look like small-town nobodies but they're some of the craftiest people I've ever known." He then lifted his head to face the rest of his all-star team. "I grew up with them, so don't be thinking I'm lying about this."

"We're listening now, leader!" Ryuichi exclaimed. "Oh please, tell us more about our worthy opponents!"

"Alright. I'm talking about the remaining members of the Tomoeda Troopers, alright?" Syaoran reminded them.

"Anyway, I hope their team leader isn't as smart as you," Sakuya grinned. "See, when it comes to girls, I'm a natural with words!"

Syaoran gave a glare towards his fellow co-star. "And why?"

"Because for some reason, she seems to have more faith with the girls in her team than with the guys. See, I'm an expert with girls. I know she's going to choose another girl. It could probably be that Mihara girl or that president of the Moonies Fanclub! Either way I can take either one of them!"

Erika snickered. "Oh please, as if you actually know a lot about what girls normally think. Get real, Tendou!"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow at Sakuya's confidence and decided not to argue anymore. "Anyway, the remaining members of the Troopers. First, let's talk about Takashi Yamazaki. He was my very first male friend growing up in Tomoeda. He's known around school as the biggest compulsive liar, but he's very good at fabricating a lot of stories that make them seem real. How do I know? I'm one of the idiots back then who actually believed in his stories. Even though I hate liars, I forgive him, because I know his friendship with me is very real. So, if Sakura chooses him, you better be seriously prepared with what you're gonna say next or he'll catch you in his trap."

Sakuya gave a nervous swallow. "Okay…"

Syaoran continued on. "His girlfriend and the president of the Wolfpups Fanclub Tomoeda Branch, Chiharu Mihara, may seem like a girl no one would take seriously, but she's the only one who can actually see through Yamazaki's compulsive lying habits. If you end up facing Mihara, Tendou, then you have to be a really good and convincing liar with a level higher than Yamazaki to topple her. Flattery is not gonna work on her considering she's very loyal to Yamazaki and even with me being her idol, Yamazaki is still her number one. You'll have to give her positive compliments or insults. She's a very sensitive girl whenever someone judges her, especially if he was a guy."

"Hm… sounds easy enough, Li."

"The one next to Mihara is Rika Sasaki, the president of the Tomoeda Branch of the Moonies Fanclub. It was a good thing that I remembered her and what she's known for at the last minute… damn this amnesia… Tomoeda boys seem to be the most romantic boys in all of Japan, already treating girls with respect rather than insulting them for having girl germs like most kids do. To cut the story short, a lot of the boys think she's some kind of a man-hater because she snubs all the boys, including the rich and handsome ones when in reality, she just has a fetish towards older guys…"

Eriol almost broke in to laughter. "Wait… come again? She's in to older guys? Then why is she the president of my fanclub then? I think she and I are about the same age…"

"Who knows…" Syaoran shrugged his shoulders. "So, Tendou, if Sakura chooses her to be your next opponent, you may use her fetish for older boys as your weapon against her."

"Dang… older guys, huh…?" Sakuya snickered.

"Those two other guys, Ken Bunchin and Takuya Sakamoto. They belong to the elite class of Tomoedans, same class as my family and Daidouji's family, but they're not really that important if you're talking about school popularity. Those guys, they never really liked me much. I always thought that it was because I was Chinese, but from everyone else, it was because I got everything that they wanted to get girls to notice them. I'm surprised Bunchin was able to charm Daidouji in to making her his girlfriend. Sakamoto has personal issues, so… uh… don't try to piss him off."

"Er… okay…"

"Next is Daidouji herself. Behind that doll-faced angel is actually a crafty demon in disguise. She may approach you with her usual sweet and gentle approach but will get really fierce as the flow goes on. Don't fall for her charms no matter what, but since I don't trust most of you in this team anyway, I think Eriol or Meiling would be able to take her down."

"What?" Aya gasped. "But why only Eriol and Meiling?"

"Well, because those are the two stars who got close to Daidouji," Syaoran answered. "Lastly, we got the older Kinomoto, Touya Kinomoto. He's the big bully of the entire town and he still acts like a bully. It's too bad he's got such a nasty attitude when he's got that darn handsome face. Anyway, I may be able to take him on if the rest of you can't. The younger Kinomoto, Sakura, their leader, well… just leave her to me. Just make sure you find a way to take down the rest of the locals team, but leave Sakura to me."

"Whoa…" Sakuya chuckled. "Thanks for the tips, Li! Now I think I know how to play my game next!"

"Don't be too overconfident, Tendou, like I said before. Just be prepared and don't expect anything…"

"I really do have a feeling that the other team will choose another girl to face me!" Syaoran shook his head at his answer, right after he just gave him a repeated warning.

#

**SHOWDOWN #6: Sakuya Tendou vs. Takashi Yamazaki**

Immediately, Yun called out the end of the intermission. "Alright, times up! Let's get back to the game now!" He turned to the All-Stars. "Sakuya Tendou, please take your place right here."

After Sakuya headed back to his spot, Yun gave attention to the Tomoeda locals. "Leader Sakura-chan, are you ready to choose your next player?"

Sakura nodded. "Yup! Ready!"

_Come on… it's gotta be Mihara or Sasaki… it's gotta be one of the two… _Sakuya smirked as he let his thoughts murmur those words inside of him.

"Your turn to face Tendou-kun— Takashi Yamazaki!" Sakura cheered.

_What the— she chose a guy?! And of all people, that lying SOB Yamazaki?! Oh great…_ Sakuya then cleared his throat as Yamazaki happily stood at his spot across from him.

"Let's do our best together, Tendou-san!" Yamazaki offered his handshake with his eyes happily closed.

"Um… right… let's do our best… Yamazaki!" He took Yamazaki's hand and gently shook it.

Yun stepped forward. "You already know the rules, and with Tendou being the current winner, he gets to go first. On three… one… two… three… start!" He lifted his hand out and backed away as Sakuya makes his first move towards Tomoeda's biggest liar.

"So, just you know," Sakuya began. "I'm known among my star colleagues as being a human lie detector. With just a look, I can tell when a person is telling the truth and a person who is a complete liar through and through. And right now, just by looking at you, you're definitely a habitual compulsive liar!"

Yamazaki did not give a single flinch on his face and simply proceeded with the game. "Mochiron!" He fell silent at first by scratching the side of his temple with a finger. "So, if you're a human lie detector, that should also mean that just by looking at yourself in the mirror, you can also tell that you're lying, right?"

Immediately, everyone on the scene broke in to laughter that also made Sakuya laugh endlessly, forgetting about the ten-second wait. Yun already stood in between them. "Sorry, your ten-second wait is up, Tendou!"

Right then, Sakuya refrained from his laughter and showed a late reaction. "What? My ten seconds is up? That's like ten milliseconds, man, not ten seconds!"

"You laugh too much, dude. Go back to your side, Tendou." Yun pointed his finger towards the All-Stars team as Sakuya pouted, making his way back to the team.

Meanwhile, as Sakuya reached the team, Syaoran simply shook his head. Sakuya gave a sad moan. "Aww… I didn't expect that…"

"Whatever your plan was, Tendou, it backfired," Syaoran glared. "I warned you about Yamazaki, didn't I?"

"I didn't expect that Kinomoto girl picking him as her next player, Li…"

"And I warned you not to expect anything from the locals, idiot!"

"Sorry, Li… I'll listen to you next time…" Sakuya sighed.

"Alright, never mind. I need to choose the next person to face Yamazaki…" Syaoran began to gaze at his remaining players. He considered Eriol at first, but then decided to change his mind.

"All-Stars - 2, Troopers - 4! Bring in your next player, leader Xiao!" Yun announced.

Syaoran nodded. "Ninomiya, you're up!"

Kotaro Ninomiya, the final idol before Eriol and Syaoran, suddenly pointed at himself. "Me? Face that liar?"

"You're much of a liar as he is— now go!"

"Fine." Kotaro frowned and then took his place across from Yamazaki. The two shook hands before Yun starts the next showdown.

#

**SHOWDOWN #7: Kotaro Ninomiya vs. Takashi Yamazaki**

Yun stepped up on the center and decided to take a short breather. "So, before we begin this next showdown, I just want to make sure that everyone on stage are having fun right now. Nothing personal, right?" Everyone applauded, including the ones on stage. "So, Ninomiya-kun, you're the next hope waiting for the All-Stars to catch up to the locals, ne?"

"Well, Li has put his faith on me so I have to honor that faith," Kotaro grinned.

"Wow, such loyalty! You're like a subordinate of the Li Clan already, hehehehe," Yun laughed. "And how about you, Yamazaki? How are you feeling?"

"I just started, so of course, still excited!" Yamazaki chuckled then clapped his hands twice.

"Alright then! You already know the rules. Yamazaki's the current winner, so he gets to go first" He placed his hand upright between the two contenders. "Get ready now on three… one… two… three… fight!" He released his hand and stepped back for the showdown to begin.

Yamazaki began to gaze right at Ninomiya's face and then trailed his eyes to his feet and then back to him again. Then from out of the blue, Yamazaki makes his first statement. "Did you know that in ancient Mongolia, guys with a good face, lean build, and feet smaller than your average sized male feet say that you're some kind of a nymphomaniac?"

"What?" Ninomiya exclaimed as everyone on the scene broke in to laughter. He almost fell for the overwhelming laughter and that he had to retort immediately before the ten seconds were up. "Mochiron! The problem is, my feet isn't as small as yours." Once again, more laughter came about.

Yamazaki began to fix his hair to get back his composure. "Mochiron! Did you know that most little boys who started off being ugly actually grow up to be really handsome, angel-faced idol boys? I bet you started off being ugly but look at you now!"

Ninomiya gave a slight snicker. "Mochiron! I heard from your girlfriend that you started off being cute but now you look like a disaster!"

As more laughter came, Yun makes his side comment. "Whoa, looks like this would be the first showdown leading to the insult approach! Watch out, everyone! It's getting hot in here!"

"Mochiron!" Yamazaki exclaimed before his ten second wait was almost up. "At least I still have my girlfriend, who loves me very much. How about you, Ninomiya-kun? Your girlfriend must have dumped you after you decided to go public by being an idol right?" Mixed reactions were heard throughout the scenery, mixed with laughter and more laughter.

"Mochiron! I'm not falling for that, Yamazaki!" The laughter roared non-stop until Yun hushed everyone. "It's a good thing that your girlfriend is loyal to you, but because you're well-known for being such a compulsive liar, then you're probably lying about this whole romance thing with her just so you can get popular, am I right?"

Yamazaki then burst in to laughter, but at the same time he knew he dared not to say "of course" just to continue. After all, even though the game is simply the game, he knew Chiharu more than anyone else and one single slip can make a girl like her crazy. He decided to let the ten seconds run out just to protect his girlfriend from the potential dangers of this game.

"Your ten seconds are up, Yamazaki. Sorry dude!" Yamazaki applauded in response as he and Kotaro shook hands. He exited the center and returned to his side.

"Good job, Tak," Sakura patted him on the shoulder. "I think I know the reason why you decided not to go on."

Right then, Chiharu glared at her boyfriend. "Why'd you stop there? I know you can give a good comeback against that!"

"I'm not gonna go on about humiliating us in public just for that game, Chiharu," Yamazaki said in a serious tone.

"But it's only a game, Taka-chan!" Chiharu then embraced her boyfriend. This gave Sakura a good idea.

"Well then, Chiharu," Sakura gently patted her friend on the shoulder. "Ready to avenge your darling love?"

Chiharu's eyes lighted and gazed at Sakura, nodding. "Ready, Sakura!"

"Good."

Right then, Yun made the next announcement. "The scoreboard so far— All-Stars - 3, Troopers - 4! Leader Sakura, your next player?"

"For the sake of true love, I'm bringing in Chiharu Mihara to face Ninomiya-kun," Sakura announced. Chiharu joyfully took her spot, facing Kotaro. The two quickly shook hands.

#

**SHOWDOWN #8: Kotaro Ninomiya vs. Chiharu Mihara**

Yun stood at the center and as always, began his opening speech. "Now, Ninomiya, you're facing the girlfriend now, who was chosen for the sake of true love." He turned to Chiharu. "So, if it's for the sake of true love, in other words, revenge?"

"My boyfriend may be a compulsive liar and an idiot but there are a lot of things about him that are no lie!" Chiharu answered, crossing her arms and flashing a proud grin.

"You sure about that?" From out of the blue, Kotaro interrupted. "How do you know that even this relationship of yours is even true? I mean, an idol fanclub president who has a boyfriend? That's just unheard of!"

"Why? What's wrong with having a boyfriend, huh?" Chiharu immediately gave a glare as Yun stepped in between them.

"Alright, alright. Save it for the showdown. Let's get the game started. Kotaro, you're the current winner, so you start the opening." He placed his hand in between. "On three… one… two… three… start!" He released his hand out and stepped back.

Kotaro cleared his throat and made his opening statement. "If Yamazaki started feeling left out because you're prioritizing Li-kun over him— being his fanclub president of Tomoeda, that is— for the sake of true love, you'd resign, right?"

Chiharu immediately gave her reply. "Mochiron! You can be my replacement when I do resign." The crowd on the scene broke in to laughter, while Kotaro simply shook his head with a slight smile on his face.

"Mochiron! See, if I became your replacement, Mihara, and since I'm already a hot star, I would seriously make the entire Tomoeda branch of Wolfpups in to hot stars too! Then we'd be the hottest Li Xiaolang Fanclub all of Asia has ever seen!"

Chiharu simply applauded while the others laughed. "Mochiron! But since you mentioned that, wouldn't that be whoring fame from Li-kun himself?"

Kotaro burst in to laughter, followed by everyone else while Chiharu stood with her arms crossed, staring directly at the young star. The laughter went on so long that the ten second wait immediately ran out.

"Sorry Ninomiya-kun," Yun stepped in, patting him on the shoulder. "But dude, you got outsmarted by the girlfriend. Go back to your team, please!" The two players shook hands as Kotaro stepped back to his team again.

When he reached his team, Syaoran made his reply. "'Whoring fame.' That was a good comeback."

"Oh come on, which side are you on, Li?" Kotaro gave a sad frown.

"She does have a point, you know."

"Aww… I guess you're right… that was my mistake…" Kotaro remained frowning while Syaoran nodded at him in agreement.

Yun approached the team, with his mic ready. "Leader Xiao, your fanclub president is now the current champion. Who is your next player to face against the mighty president?"

Syaoran began to contemplate to himself. _I'm running out of players. It's just Kuno, Meiling, Eriol, and myself left. Looks like I underestimated Sakura…_

Right then, he turned to Yun. "I'm calling out Michiyo Kuno to face Mihara, Yun."

"Alright then! Michiyo-chan, come up come up!"

Before Michiyo could step up, she turned to Syaoran immediately. "Don't panic, Li-kun. I'll do whatever I can for us to catch up to them!"

"Who says I'm worried?" Syaoran gave a slight smirk, but at the same time, his mind was thinking something else. _Actually, I am worried…_

"Right!" She giggled and ran to the stage and shook hands with Chiharu

"Well then, we now have our second to the last girl idol stepping up, Michiyo Kuno! Prior to the begining of this next showdown, the score are as follows: All-Stars - 3, Troopers - 5. Kuno better be really witty on this one if she wants her fellow All-Stars to catch up to the mighty troopers of Tomoeda!"

#

**SHOWDOWN #9: Michiyo Kuno vs. Chiharu Mihara**

"Mihara, you're the current winner, so you're the one who will be opening this showdown. On three… one… two… three… start!"

Right as Yun backed away, Chiharu began her opening statement. "I have to admit that I used to hate idol girls because I know they would be going after my favorite idol boys behind the scenes even if it's work. But now I met many of you girls, especially Meiling Li, I'm not that worried anymore, so thank you for visiting our little town and getting to know us little people more!"

"Mochiron!" Michiyo laughed. "But don't call yourselves 'little people.' We're just everyday kids like you guys, except we have more work outside school. But anyway, if you're so worried about idol girls going after your idol boys, does that mean you'd dump poor Yamazaki-kun if you find out that Li-kun started dating one of us idol girls?"

Laughter came while Chiharu also broke in to laughter, so much that it took more than the ten second wait to finally end. Yun came up and patted Chiharu on the shoulder. "It was a short reign, but you know, rules are rules."

"My fault…" Chiharu sighed. "But it was an honor playing with you!" She and Michiyo shook hands.

"Don't take it personal!" Michiyo laughed. "It's only a game!"

"I know," Chiharu smiled and waved at her, heading back to the game. When she arrived at their team, Yamazaki broke in to panic.

"They're catching up!" Yamazaki sighed.

"There's still plenty of us left, Yamazaki," Sakura assured him. "We still got Rika, Oniichan, Bunchin, Sakamoto, Tomoyo, and myself left."

"Don't be too confident just yet, Sakura," Tomoyo interrupted them. "I heard Michiyo's really good at comebacks and insults, plus I know that Meiling and Eriol are way better too."

"Just be confident, Tomoyo," Sakura smiled. "We win if everyone in the opposing team finally gets their chance and we defeat all of them, so some of you guys may not have to play."

"What?" From out of the blue, Sakamoto interrupted. "Then that's a waste of time then! I only agreed to play because I can finally get back at that bastard Li for humiliating me!"

"Jeez, lay your ego low for once, Sakamoto," Chiharu rolled her eyes. "Besides, the rules actually go is that everyone gets a chance to play, meaning that there will be other players who may even get to play twice!"

"Oh… is that how it goes…?" Sakura blinked and began to think to herself.

Right then, Yun came up to them. "Leader Sakura, do you have a new player?"

"I sure do!" Sakura smiled. "Rika Sasaki, you're up!"

"I'll continue our domination, Sakura!" Rika gave a peace sign.

Yun announced her name. "Rika Sasaki, Tomoeda branch president of the Moonies, please come up!" Rika followed him and shook hands with Michiyo once she reached her spot.

"Our scoreboard so far, the All-Stars are catching up! All-Stars - 4, Troopers - 5. Will Sasaki continue the Troopers' dominance or will our smart and sassy idol cutie Michiyo Kuno would bring the All-Stars dead even? Let's see how our next showdown goes! Kuno, you're the current winner, so you go first!"

#

**SHOWDOWN #10: Michiyo Kuno vs. Rika Sasaki**

"On three… one… two… three… start!"

The showdown began once Yun released his hand and stepped back from the center. Michiyo begins her opening statement. "Nice meeting you, Sasaki-san! I was told that you're probably the most efficient, most loyal Moonie president among all the Moonie preseidents that Hiiragizawa-kun has ever known, so congratulations."

"Mochiron!" Rika smiled happily. "There's no one else who has class and supreme maturity than that of the great Eriol Hiiragizawa. He, overall, really inspires me to give him my support and also, make myself better for the sake of the future!"

"Mochiron," Michiyo nodded. "I think the same for Hiiragizawa-kun too. But you know, I think he won't match up against Director Terada in terms of hotness and maturity. I for one think that our director is definitely hot and mature, wouldn't you agree?"

"Eh?" Rika suddenly gave a blank look towards her. Although there weren't any funny moments at that point, she forgot that she still had the ten second wait to worry about. Before she realized it, it was too late. "Mochi—"

"Time's up, Rika-chan," Yun chuckled. "The correct term to answer is 'mochiron,' not 'eh?'"

"Sorry… she got me all… confused there…" Rika swallowed nervously. "Yeah… that was really bad…" She sighed, as she and Michiyo shook hands. "That was a good one, Kuno-san!"

"Hehe, I didn't really expect you'd go blank at that statement. Well, good luck with your team!" Rika waved and made back to her side.

When she arrived back at the Troopers, Chiharu suddenly faced her with curiosity. "What, Chiharu?"

"What's that about Director Terada?"

Immediately, Rika gave a slight blush. "Nothing, okay? She threw me off right there!"

"You and the director barely even know each other, let alone talk!" Chiharu crossed her arms.

"Then again, the director is still young… and quite good-looking…" Naoko snickered. "I wonder if he's single or not…"

"Waaah… stop mentioning his name!" Rika suddenly shouted.

Meanwhile, Yun began the announcements: "And with that, the score's tied up with five all! Still, pretty girl Kuno is still on the roll! We've already reached ten showdowns, so let's have another intermission break! Leader Sakura will have to find the right player to face the ever-mighty Michiyo-chan!"

Once again, the teams regroup and discuss about their next tactics before they continue on with the game.

* * *

**A/N:** I think the last time I uploaded a new chapter was sometime in the middle of last month, so I apologize for the major delay LOL. The job that I had on April was a seasonal temp job, meaning that the season is over and the project is over. In short, I'm unemployed again. But bear in mind, while I was working, I reunited with one of my old best friends from high school, whom I haven't seen in almost 20 years. She was already in these federally-funded training program for long-term unemployed individuals and I decided to enroll in the program myself. And of course, I'm using majority of my time job hunting, making contacts with employment agency account managers, and of course, schooling myself. Regarding the latter, I meant to say that I'm taking online classes to update/refresh my web development skills so that I can finally add something to my resume and boost myself up. For those of you who haven't graduated from college/university, or rather reached college/university level yet, you still got a lot of things to do for you to settle yourself down in the real world. It used to be a little easier before, but with the economy and unemployment rate, it's become a whole lot more difficult. Anyway, enough with real-life stuff.

This chapter is quite short, simply because I know that you readers may probably be growing impatient. I had to put something up for you guys and also find a way to make a note regarding what I've been up to as of late. Next time, hopefully, longer chapter! ^_^

There's another thing that I want to point out. No criticisms on other fanfics this time, but this is more in regards to myself and "Stuffed Animal" and all the other fics/fanfics that I began writing. I know each and every person has their own tastes and apparently I'm not very good at writing summaries. I'm writing these fics the way I write them because I write them for myself and for fellow fans who love to read fanfics. I appreciate reviews and constructive criticism, but leaving some kind of sarcasm remarks isn't going to make me change the way I write this fic or any other fic. I've already structured the basic plot in my mind and the only thing that needs to be done in this story is how to get to that particular ending. It's not as easy as you think. Also, there's a little acronym of "DNA" (do not assume). The story isn't finished yet, so as a reader, just stick to how the plot is written and then you can make your own assumptions to yourself. You can assume, but don't get any high hopes that your assumptions are correct.

Well then, moving on now! It's been 2-3 weeks, I know, and I'm happy I get new reviews now! Shoutouts to the new followers and readers who added "Stuffed Animal" in to your favorites. Thank you for your continued support! And finally, replies to the reviewers!

**Narquissa –** Hello again! ^_^ Again, I apologize for the long wait. If your creative juices is just overflowing with so much ideas, then writing long chapters should be a bit of a cinch. Of course, there will be some typical grammatical/spelling/punctuation errors here and there but that's why we have the revision and the proofreading steps right after the first draft is written LOL. Thanks for your continued support!

**DALUNA** – Yes, I know, you want to know what happens next. Everyone else wants to know what happens next too. Even I also want to know what happens next (if that makes any sense). It'll come. Just gimme some time and please be patient. ^_^

**aly-chan –** If only my new job was a long-term job LOL, but thanks. I did get a hefty pay but sadly, not enough to support me and my needs even if I'm still living with family LOL. I need the money to repair/upgrade my laptop and pay for online classes/training and all of that good stuff. As far as the story goes, well, we were all young and definitely stupid once LOL. ^_^

**Aizawa LSV**- Long time no see! Where have you been these past few chapters? LOL jk. In terms of Syaoran, I actually enjoy reading about cold and stern but responsible Syaoran rather than heartless player Syaoran, no doubt about that. For those who prefer the heartless player Syaoran and isn't really pleased with the Syaoran portrayed in this story, then they shouldn't be reading LOL. As far as the whisperjay vs. whistlejay issue, I had another fic (original fiction) that has the name "whistlejay" in them and I guess back then it got me all confused between the two, so I apologize for that. On the other hand, glad to see you leaving reviews again! ^_^

**SakuSyaoLvr**- Yup, you're right about that. The rather serious conversation between the two hasn't finished yet This chapter still kept that situation hanging, but still, it's fun to stretch things out a little, even if it leaves some readers grow more impatient and dragging, I guess. Well, thanks for your continued reading!

**DualStarduster**- I needed a "comical relief" somewhere in the story and I had to pick Touya. His overprotective demeanor for Sakura makes it an easy target for gags, jokes, and other comical scenes. To answer your question, this fic is based towards the anime. For those who have read the manga and watched the anime at the same time already know that this fic is based off of the CCS anime easily. The character Meiling only appears in the anime. She's not anywhere in the manga at all, so technically Sakura did not have any "rivals" towards Syaoran (probably except Yukito) and Syaoran only had Eriol as the "rival" for Sakura, so to speak. In a way, some could say that Meiling is a character created by the producers/screenwriters of the anime, not CLAMP themselves, but who knows. Maybe Meiling was already a character created by CLAMP but then decided to write her off of the manga. We'll never know.

**Emilybooth3363**- (sorry I got rid of the periods as FFnet kept deleting your entire username because of the periods) Sorry for the long wait, but here it is!

**Krtlivetoplay**- Hello and welcome! Some people (including my parents) say that I'm suffering in a form of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) where I want everything to be "crystal clear," so to speak, and that actually shows with my writing weakness of writing pretty much everything in to heavy detail. Some readers appreciate it but some readers get annoyed. I do plan on revising this story later on when the entire story's finished, so in that way I don't suffer writer's block on the way. I'm not very good at focusing on too many things at one point when it comes to writing, so writing out the entire story first regardless of the mistakes and errors and then revising and proofreading later once the draft's finished. Hope that clears things up for you. ^_^

**casie200-** Hello and welcome to Stuffed Animal! Everything you said is pretty much my beliefs as well. I read other people's fics too and majority of them does leave me disappointed, primarily because they were rushed and not fully in-depth, so to speak. I guess that means that you don't mind me taking my time in writing the next chapter even if it'd take a month, right? LOL jk. ^_^

**shadow74196-** Actually, I got the name Pei Pei Nai Nai from two sources. "Pei Pei" is actually the first name of some famous Chinese actress from a movie I forget the title, but I did remember her first name. "Nai nai" is Chinese for "grandmother." I'm not quite sure how the Chinese language call out their individuals with honorific titles but I assumed it'd be the same with the Japanese and Korean ("-san" and "-ssi" (Korean), for example). Thanks for the word of mouth to your friends about the fic, really do appreciate it! **P.S. **- aly-chan is one of the readers/reviewers here. I am not aly-chan LOL. (I'm Adri, but Adri Mars is my pen name/username ^_^)

**kiran-** Hello and thank you for reading. There are a few things that you said in your reviews that bothered me a lot. I'll just break my replies to all the statements you've written:

"_isn't li xiao lang shaoron's chinese name? "_

Maybe you should start reading the author notes at the end of every chapter before you start leaving statements that already has answers in those author notes. Every CCS fan knows that Li Xiaolang/Xiao Lang is Syaoran's Chinese name, but in the CCS universe, or rather, at least in the AU world of "Stuffed Animal," none of the characters know of that fact until later on. Read the chapters first before you start making assumptions.

"_your story's ending is obvious. if i were you i would change the ending"_

The story hasn't ended yet, in case you haven't noticed, and sadly for you, you are not me and I am not you. In short, you DONT KNOW what the ending is, so please stop assuming. Even if the ending may turn out to be obvious, I would NOT change the ending just because YOU want it changed. I only go with the majority and so far everyone seems pleased with where this story is heading. If you're not happy , then I'm sorry. But thank you for reading anyway.

"_i know she makes him remember the past and then they both are so happy and then they get married."_

And again, you're assuming. Maybe it's advisable that you read ALL THE CHAPTERS uploaded so far first BEFORE you leave a review. Most of the readers here did that anyway because unlike you, they don't assume. They go with how the story goes and then they can make assumptions of their own AFTER they read all the chapters.

"_Nice going!"_

… on what part?

"_why is it that i am able to see everything that is going to happen in this story? "_

Why is it that you assume too much? You don't have that much imagination, don't you? Why not just place yourself in the story and live in that world and see it through the characters' eyes before you start leaving sarcastic remarks such as that? Like I mentioned before, I don't mind constructive criticism, but if you're leaving sarcastic remarks such as these then I won't even bother responding to you. You may probably not like the story, but please have some respect towards the writer who've worked so hard since the beginning of this year to come up and write this story in the first place. If you think you're a better writer than I am, then prove it by writing your own and upload it here in FFnet. Just make sure it's your original idea and not plagiarizing other people's ideas and then write your own version of it.

In regards to the latest replies, we writers work real hard to please readers as well as to please ourselves. There will be critics here and there, but the biggest critic is actually ourselves. Some people will like the story and some don't. For those who don't, then I apologize, but thank you for giving me a chance and read the story from the beginning. Maybe one day you may decide to come back and read again, but I'm not gonna assume. As for those who do like it, thank you very much! ^_^

And that's it for the latest author's notes! This is Adri signing off!


	18. 17: Pajama Party (Part Three)

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 17: PAJAMA PARTY (Part Three)**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

**QUICK NOTE:** I write all my author notes at the end of each chapter, so please, don't forget to read them once you reach the end of this page. I'm putting this "quick note" back on because some of the reviewers don't read the author notes below- **_My replies to the reviewers are included in the author notes below!_**

* * *

**SHOWDOWN INTERMISSION 2**

**Scoreboard:**

CBLW All-Stars - 5

Tomoeda Troopers - 5

**Players Active:**

_**CBLW All-Stars:**_

Li Xiaolang (team leader)

Eriol Hiiragizawa

Meiling Li

Mai Hirashiki

Michiyo Kuno (current winner)

_**Tomoeda Troopers:**_

Sakura Kinomoto (team leader)

Touya Kinomoto

Tomoyo Daidouji

Ken Bunchin

Takuya Sakamoto

**Players Eliminated:**

_**CBLW All-Stars:**_

Ryuichi Kanzaki

Aya Teramura

Erika Handa

Sakuya Tendou

Kotaro Ninomiya

_**Tomoeda Troopers:**_

Yukito Tsukishiro

Naoko Yanagisawa

Takashi Yamazaki

Chiharu Mihara

Rika Sasaki

**Chances Left to Change Players During the Showdown:**

CBLW All-Stars - 2

Tomoeda Troopers - 2

Meanwhile at the audience, where everyone was already sitting on sleeping bags and thick blankets, the notable adults situated themselves right at the front and center of the open floor just so they can have a closer look at their children in action on stage. Both Fujitaka and the Daidoujis, along with the Mongolian Dig Team, joined the Lis at their giant futon already laid out for them before the Mochiron Showdown game began. So far the guests were completely entertained and no one cared about the statements thrown at the opponents during the game. After all, the words that the host Yun did say to not take the game personally. After all, it was only a game.

During the second intermission, Fujitaka blindly patted Chiirou, the dark-colored stuffed bear Sakura received from Syaoran seven years ago. Like the way Sakura would care for the stuffed animal, the father was treating it the same. It wasn't until now that one of them even took notice of the mysterious, rather old, but still firm and well-sewn stuffed toy in his hands.

"Awww, what a cute little teddy bear!" Yelan squealed happily while she found herself sitting between Fujitaka and her husband, Xiaojin.

"Of course it's a cute teddy bear, Yelan," Xiaojin answered in slight annoyance. "Women…"

"It definitely is a cute little teddy bear," Fujitaka chuckled softly.

"Must be Sakura's, ne?" Yelan gave a chuckle. Fujitaka nodded. "Any girl would stick to a stuffed animal as cute as this one even if they're in their late teens!"

"You're right about that also, Yelan," Fujitaka nodded. "Your son made this for her."

Right then, Xiaojin almost jumped up from his wheelchair after hearing what his next-door neighbor stated. "Wait. My Xiaolang?"

"Do you have any other sons I haven't met yet, Xiaojin?" Fujitaka gave his usual humble grin.

"Xiaolang has been properly trained to be what real Li men should be, Fujitaka. I never figured he would also learn how to sew girly things like that—"

"Ahem," Yelan interrupted. "He made that cute little thing for Sakura-chan! You should be grateful your son has learned the meaning of humility when it came to gifts. That teddy bear means so much to Sakura! Just like how this little winged pink bear meant so much for Xiaolang!" Right then, she lifted a pink teddy bear with white wings and revealed it to him.

"Oh!" Xiaojin gasped and gently took the pink bear from his wife. "It's all in the Book of Keroberos, ne? The legendary Tomoeda stuffed animals. A stuffed animal cannot be a Tomoeda stuffed animal unless if it was handmade by a Tomoeda local in Tomoeda. Does that make sense?" He blinked his eyes, looking curious than ever.

"It makes perfect sense, Xiaojin," Fujitaka replied.

"Well then, now that we're in the subject of our children," Yelan changed the subject, "how do you guys feel about this… showdown… so far…?"

"It's… erm… creative… I guess…" Fujitaka shrugged his shoulders. "It's genius but in a way, it's a test of one's own wit. Or… maybe I'm wording that wrong."

"This game is too long," Xiaojin frowned. "I still have yet to witness a powerful wit from kids today and so far neither side has shown natural wit. I'm waiting for my son to finally come up on stage and finally show off his natural wit!"

"Natural wit… right…" Yelan shook her head. "I would be happy if Xiaolang does demonstrate his natural wit, but when he does, I give Xiaolang credit, not you or those pesky elders."

"I know, my dear, I know…"

Yelan turned her head towards Fujitaka. "How's Sakura-chan with this… game…?"

"Actually, I have no idea," Fujitaka sighed.

"I mean, with the whole… test of wits bit…?"

The archaeologist combed his fingers through his hair. "Well… Sakura… isn't exactly as bright and witty as your son, but… you may never know… she may surprise us…"

"I love surprises," Yelan grinned. "That girl is always filled with energy that can even blow the elders of the Li Clan out of the window, I wouldn't be surprised if she surprises us with her own brand of natural wit."

"How can she surprise us with her own brand of natural wit when she already surprised us with everything else," Xiaojin made his statement. "You know who Sakura-chan reminds me of?"

"Oh? Who?" Fujitaka and Yelan asked curiously.

"You, Yelan… except she's a lot sweeter and nicer—" Just as he was about to continue, he already noticed his wife's sharp eyes staring at him. "Just an opinion… nothing personal!"

"Good thing it's just Sakura-chan and not some random pretty woman who just happened to pass you by, Xiaojin. Don't forget that I own part of the Li Clan's assets in my own right, you know."

"Erm, can we… talk about… something else… please…?" Fujitaka interrupted the couple before they end up bickering. "After all… the party's still on and… the game's not finished… let's not think of ourselves tonight but think of our children instead."

The couple sighed. "You're right, Fuji-kun," Yelan nodded. "Let's all be happy for our children." Fujitaka nodded in agreement.

Right then, Xiaojin gasped once he noticed that Yun was already approaching both teams and whispered to them about something. "Looks like the game is about to continue!"

"Have fun and good luck, kids," Fujitaka muttered. _I just hope Sakura and Touya know what they're getting in to…_

#

**SHOWDOWN #11: Michiyo Kuno vs. Takuya Sakamoto**

The second intermission is over and the game was ready to continue. Yun stood at the center and then began his announcements. "And we're back to the Mochiron Showdown! I promise you all, this will be the final intermission that we'll be having and that we will finally finish this game up until we have our two strong and proud team leaders left standing! Once again, the team with the most wins throughout the series of showdowns wins a special prize courtesy of Li Enterprises. This special prize applies to the entire team, so let's all give our praises and well-wishes to both teams."

So far, so good, Sakura thought. Yun hasn't mentioned anything about the bet she and Syaoran made earlier today. Maybe he was trying to make both of them forget about the bet, however, with Syaoran's confident look in his eyes, Sakura knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Alright then! Current winner Michiyo Kuno, please take your spot."

"I'm ready!" Michiyo cheered and skipped to her spot.

Yun turned his head directly towards the locals. "Leader Sakura, please send forth your new player to face our current winner!"

"Right!" Sakura cheered. "Takuya Sakamoto, you're up!"

"What?" Sakamoto began to exclaim. "I thought you're saving me up for that bastard Li?"

"Sorry, but I never said anything about that," Sakura glared at him. "You wanna be his slave for the entire week? Then I'll let you match up with him, but since I don't want to be a slave for the entire week, you're gonna have to face Michiyo Kuno. Now go!"

"Fine…" The boy reluctantly got up and stood with his pouting face, not even giving Michiyo a chance to shake hands. Michiyo decided not to bother with it.

Yun began to give a quick introduction about this rather not-too-known player from the Tomoeda side. "Now, Takuya Sakamoto is the only child and heir to the Sakamoto Miyagi Tea Company, which recently became a subsidiary of the mighty Li Enterprises—"

"What?!" Sakamoto immediately exclaimed in shock. "Since when did my family company become a subsidiary?" Immediately he glared right at the opposing team. "You're gonna regret this, Li! You better watch your back 'cause one day it will be _your family _who will become _my _family's subsidiary!"

Syaoran gave a slight snicker, but shrugged his shoulders. "I got nothing to do with that. If you're so mad, go blame my parents!"

"Grrr… I'll make sure I'd defeat everyone in your team until you end up facing me!"

"Good luck then!" Syaoran called while they wait for Yun's signal.

"Michiyo-chan, are you ready?"

"I've been ready before the second intermission, Oh-kun!" Michiyo exclaimed happily.

"Well then! Let's get started! On three— one… two… three… start!"

Michiyo began her opening statement after Yun stepped back. "Sakamoto-kun, first of all, thank you for being one of the local extras in the movie. You know I started off as an extra before I went full-time in showbiz. But you know… I've never seen an extra during the shooting weeks ago who tries to be the main character of the scene."

"Heh… mochiron!" Sakamoto snickered. "You gotta admit my good looks do match up to the rest of these loser idol dudes in the industry!"

Michiyo chuckled. "Mochiron. But if you're so good-looking, how come there weren't any girls crowding around the sets squealing for your name?" At that point, some laughter softly broke out.

"What? Er, I mean mochiron! That's because my fangirls are of the elite class! They won't waste their time joining in a bunch of loser extras just for the sake of fame or even try to get close to me. They're a whole lot more classy than that!"

"Mochiron," Michiyo grinned. "Then how come you joined the extras then? You saying your fangirls got class because they didn't join the extras, so does that mean that you got no class because you did join the extras?" Laughter broke out, even from the ones at Sakamoto's own team.

"Feh! Mochiron! Because males are a lot classier when they step up right at everyone's faces. Because if a man doesn't step up, he ain't a man— even all the guys here would agree with me!" Right then, majority of the boys stood up and applauded at his statement while Michiyo crossed her arms, shaking her head. "I can even step up to you if I wanted to."

"Really? Mochiron!" Michiyo exclaimed. "You tried stepping up to Kinomoto-senpai that one day but he really creamed you big time that day for humiliating his precious sister in front of your loser elite friends the day before. How would you know that you won't get creamed if you step up to me then?"

"Heh, mochiron! That's because you'll be the one crawling all over me instead of creaming me, you know?"

"Ew, hell no!" Michiyo suddenly showed her disgust while laughter broke out. Not being able to bring herself in to responding with the magic word, she decided to concede defeat.

"Your ten second wait is up, Kuno!" Yun reminded her.

"He's disgusting! A pig!" Michiyo exclaimed angrily and walked away from the stage.

"Although Sakamoto's method is… erm… questionable," Yun continued through his mic, "he just broke the tie and now the Tomoeda Troopers are leading by one. All-Stars - 5, Troopers - 6."

Meanwhile at the All-Stars' side, Michiyo showed her disgust towards the entire team. "So that's the bastard who humiliated that poor girl just because of some stuffed animal?" She then gazed right towards Syaoran. "I seriously wish you would step up to the center now and face him! Why on earth did Sakura-chan choose him to be on her team anyway?"

Syaoran shook his head. "I don't think she had a choice when she was choosing her five guys. Damn, if he's that disrespectful towards girls, then I can't bring Meiling up to the showdown—"

Right then, Meiling interrupted. "Don't worry about me, Xiaolang, I've dealt with arrogant losers like him before! Just leave him to me!"

The leader gave a sigh. "Alright, Meiling. I know you've dealt with the worst before, so… get ready."

"Thanks!"

Right then, Yun came up to them. "You have a player to replace Kuno, Leader Xiao?"

"Yup. Meiling Li will be stepping up."

Meanwhile, Sakamoto broke in to laughter. "What the hell, Li? You're bringing another girl up— and of all people, your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Sakura gasped in confusion. _They're together again…? Wait, wait, what am I thinking? _Quickly she shook her head and then called out: "Just shut up already and start playing the game in a more respectable way, Sakamoto!"

Sakamoto suddenly turned to his team. "Why don't you shut up, you little—" Just as he was about to curse, he noticed Sakura's towering older brother glaring at him immediately. "… Fine! I'll be nicer this time!"

"If you don't shut your mouth up that'd make us look really bad, I'll make sure that _I'm _the one who's gonna shut you up!" Touya finally gave his warning.

"Hmph…" Right then, Yun called out the usual words as he commenced the start of the next showdown.

#

**SHOWDOWN #12: Meiling Li vs. Takuya Sakamoto**

Sakamoto stretched his arms after he heard Yun's word to start while Meiling stood with her arms crossed, glaring at the rich boy. Right then, he made his opening statement. "Just seeing you and your dollface, it now makes me wonder why sweet girls such as yourself would go for such cocky bastards like Li. Jeez, the tastes of Japanese girls towards guys had gone cheap!"

"Mochiron!" Meiling snickered. "Unfortunately for you, I'm Chinese." Laughter broke while she gave a sarcastic yawn. "So you don't like girls with stuffed animals, huh?"

"Mochiron! I don't date babies, that's why! I'm a man, dammit, and a man should only be with real women. You know how it goes, it is by nature after all."

"Mochiron! For someone who's a man you get scared easily by other real men. You had the guts to make Sakura look bad in front of your so-called 'elite' friends and yet you can't even step up to her brother who I was pretty sure was out for blood that day. Hell, if you can't even take down Touya-senpai, I wonder how you would be if you finally face Xiaolang. You do know that even the one who creamed you hasn't even laid a finger on Xiaolang since childhood. For sure you're gonna be pounded in to dust by Xiaolang faster than Touya-senpai creaming you!"

"What the—?" Just as Touya was about to step forward, he was quickly pulled back by Yukito.

"Calm down, Touya… remember… it's only a game…"

"Oh she's tempting me, Yukito!"

"Oniichan, calm down, please!" Sakura pleaded.

At this point, Sakamoto gritted his teeth knowing Meiling trapped him where she wanted him to be. With that, the teeth-grinding cost him his ten-second wait.

"Ten seconds are up, Sakamoto. Sorry dude, but you're done."

"Grr… dammit!"

"That's what you get for disrespecting my friend Michiyo-chan, you conceited jerk!" Meiling quickly stuck her tongue. Sakamoto could not say any more words and left the stage.

"And with that, the lovely Meiling Li has lifted the All-Stars in to a tie game again, six per team! Let's see what the Troopers are thinking of next!"

"Nah," Sakura chuckled. "I'm bringing in Ken Bunchin to face Meiling, Yun."

"Oh, with no second thoughts! Alright then, Bunchin. Come up here!"

Ken shrugged his shoulders and stepped up to the front, where he approached Meiling with a more friendly demeanor. The two players shook hands and waited for Yun to commence the new showdown.

#

**SHOWDOWN #13: Meiling Li vs. Ken Bunchin**

"On three, Meiling… one… two… three… start!"

Meiling batted her eyelashes. "So, you're the somewhat infamous Ken Bunchin. At long last, we finally meet!"

"Mo… mochiron…" Ken muttered as he bowed down, with Meiling bowing down in return. Once both stood up, he continued. "Really? You're looking forward to meeting me? But I don't know you, Li-san, sorry…"

Meiling almost burst in to laughter while the others followed suit. "Mochiron! That's because I happen to be the ex-girlfriend of the boy whom your current girlfriend has been crushing with behind your back all this time! Um, what was her name again? Maiko Horibe, I believe…?"

"Ouch…" Yamazaki muttered, shaking his head while witnessing the match. "So the chick whom he ditched you for still has got the hots for Syao-chan, Tomoyo?"

"I don't want to hear it…" Tomoyo rolled her eyes and continued to watch.

"Mo-mochiron…" Ken cleared his throat. "That's why I vow to make things right and return to the first girl whom I ever loved… and she's standing right next to our team's leader right now!"

"Aww…" The audience reacted in awe, however Tomoyo wasn't quite impressed and remained silent.

"Mochiron," Meiling laughed. "But how come you haven't broken up with that Horibe golddigger yet?"

From the audience, one of the guests, Maiko Horibe, jumped up from her spot and yelled out: "How dare you try to humiliate me in front of everybody, Meiling Li? You're gonna seriously pay for that!"

Meiling rolled her eyes while Ken retorted. "Mochiron. But why do you care, Li-san? Is it because even though you and Li-kun are no longer together, you still find other girls who also pine for Li-kun your rivals and actually plan on getting back together again?"

"Huh?" Just like what happened to Sakamoto earlier, she too had fallen in to this young man's trap.

"Time's up, Meiling. Boy, he got you there!"

"Whatever, nothing personal," Meiling snickered. "Good game, Bunchin."

"Same to you, Li-san!" The two shook hands as Meiling walked out of the spot with her head high.

"And just like that, the tie has been broken again— All-Stars - 6, Troopers - 7!" Yun turned to the All-Stars group. "Well, you got no one else left except Hiiragizawa, Leader Xiao."

"Yup. I know. Go do your thing, Eriol." Eriol gave Syaoran a thumbs up and then took the spot where Meiling stood.

"It looks like the All-Stars' fate in this game now lies in Hiiragizawa-kun. Let's start this new showdown!"

"Wait!" A high-pitched female voice shouted from the side of the stage right behind the All-Stars team. All eyes turned to Mai Hirashiki, who was climbing up the stairs. "You forgot about me, Xiao-chan!"

"It's Li, Hirashiki!" Syaoran replied with a rather upset tone. "If you're gonna sneak away like a chicken behind our backs, you shouldn't have come back up here! Everyone here actually forgot or didn't notice that you're one of our players! No wonder this team felt like it was missing something…"

Mai began combing her fingers through her long hair and batted her eyelashes. "Aww… sorry about that, Xiao— Li-kun… sorry, everyone! But my cellphone was ringing several times so I had to take the call and then I had to go to the bathroom and—"

"I don't wanna hear your dumb excuses and just shut up, alright?" Syaoran shook his head, then turned towards Yun. "I change my mind. I'm changing Eriol for Hirashiki."

"Eh?" Mai gasped in shock. "But… I just got here! I'm not ready!"

"I'm only having you up there so you can make up for those missing times that we've been playing." He turned towards the stage. "Get back here, Eriol."

Yun cleared his throat. "And because the showdown hasn't started yet, the All-Stars get to keep their two chances to change their players. Sorry Eriol, looks like it's not your turn yet."

Eriol shrugged his shoulders as he headed back towards the team. The reluctant Mai pouted and walked up on stage to face Ken Bunchin, who had been waiting patiently for the next showdown to begin.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Xiao," Eriol whispered to his cousin. "Hirashiki is… well… she's…"

"I know. You're my last backup before I get to be on stage myself, Eriol, so bare with me…"

"Okay, leader."

Meiling sneaked between the boys' conversation. "That Hirashiki is such an airhead. A long phone call during your party? How rude! I wonder what that phone call was about…"

"Beats me…" Eriol shrugged his shoulders. "But anyway, let the games continue."

#

**SHOWDOWN #14: Mai Hirashiki vs. Ken Bunchin**

"As the rules go," Yun began, "Ken Bunchin is the current winner, so he gets to go first."

"Huh?" Mai gave a perplexed reaction. "How come he gets to go first?"

Yun gave her a slight glare. "Well… I did say 'as the rules go' in the beginning. Don't tell me you haven't been here since the beginning of the game…"

"Um… sorry, I forgot…" She gave a giggle while Yun rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, Bunchin will make his opening statement. Let's go on three… one… two… three… start!"

Ken began to scratch his head. "You're a new face around here… are you a noob?"

"What? How dare you call me a—" Just as she was about to continue, she can see Yun giving that same glare towards her. "Er, right. Mochiron."

She coughed softly and continued. "Mochiron! Noob to Tomoeda but a long-term veteran to showbiz!"

"Mochiron," Ken shrugged. "Actually I never really seen you before. Lots of people say you're famous but I don't know who you really are."

"Mochiron! Because you're a boring, uptight loser who has no social life and probably don't even know what a TV and a silver screen is at the same time!"

Ken simply shook his head. "Mochiron, because I've been working real hard to do better and be better than people like you. Simple as that."

"What?! Grrr…" Mai tightened her fist. "Mochiron! If you're already working real hard to do better and be better than people like me, then why are you and your family still the fourth richest family in all of Tomoeda? That doesn't sound like progress to me!"

"Wait a min—" Right then, Ken knew immediately that he didn't have anything else insulting to say about the pretty actress. Unlike Sakamoto, he actually has respect for the female gender.

"Your ten seconds are up, Bunchin! I gotta admit, you're a bit more respectable to girls than the previous one…" Yun made his statement.

"The name's Sakamoto, foo!" Sakamoto yelled back. "Get the damn name right!"

"Right," Yun coughed. "Well then, I know it's soon, but we'll be having another intermission— a short one!"

"What the hell?" Syaoran reacted. "We just barely started! Another one?"

"Well, um," Yun cleared his throat. "It's just that… I need to go to the bathroom— and this game can't start without me, so yeah!" Syaoran rolled his eyes while shaking his head. "So, we'll be having a short bathroom break, so sit tight, we'll be right back!" He placed the mic on to the stand and then quickly dashed to the side of the stage towards the locals.

"Oi! I'm gonna go with you, Yun!" Yamazaki called. "Wait for me!" He followed him from behind while the girls in the Tomoeda team turned to each other.

"Well, I could use a bit of a bathroom break," Sakura smiled.

"Yeah, me too," Tomoyo nodded. "I mean, it's only me and your brother left and most likely you might pick me first before Touya-niichan."

"Well, let's freshen up!" Sakura turned to Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko, who all said that they're fine without the bathroom break. The two best friends made their way to the girls' restroom.

#

**At the boys' restroom…**

Yamazaki and Yun, with Yamazaki leading the way, made their way towards the boys' restroom at the side hall from the stage. When they got to the door, there were other boys exiting, which only meant that there was no waiting line. The two sighed in relief.

"What gives, Yun? Why didn't you go to the restroom during the second intermission earlier?" Yamazaki asked curiously.

"Well, I had to time the intermission to make sure that it's ten minutes, you know," Yun shrugged.

"Alright, fair enough. Let's get in." Right as Yamazaki opened the door, a very heavy force barged on to him, forcing Yamazaki to fall backward and right on to Yun, who also fell back as well.

Just as the three were on the floor, the one who barged in to Yamazaki quickly stood up as Yamazaki opened his eyes wide.

"Eh? Syao-chan?" Yamazaki gasped once he caught the face and a rather unusual-looking appearance. Red Chinese-style pajamas with his top still have yet to be buttoned, exposing his bare chest. In addition to that, Yamazaki also detected a particular cologne scent he was unfamiliar with.

"I thought you were back on… are you changing your PJs to red?"

The Chinese amber-eyed young man gasped once he spotted Yamazaki and Yun on the floor. "Sorry!" He exclaimed and immediately dashed off from the scene.

The two boys got up from the floor, with Yun helping Yamazaki up. Once they got inside the restroom, the two rested against the wall first. "Okay… that was weird…" Yamazaki blinked his eyes.

"Damn weird," Yun shook his head. "How on earth did Xiao get in to the restroom first before us when we both left at the same time from the stage and Xiao was still there standing— on green PJs!"

"Definitely weird… I wonder if this auditorium has shortcuts or something that we don't know about that he discovered and we didn't…"

"Who knows…"

"But still though. I can't help thinking the fact that… well… Syao-chan's favorite color is green. He'd refuse to wear any other color unless if there's a shade of green in them. Why the hell would he wanna change his PJs in to red? Red doesn't suit him! Plus… what's up with that strong cologne…"

Yun shook his head. "Maybe that's not Xiao. Majority of the Li Clan are present right now, so he could be some look-alike cousin or something."

"You know some of the Li Clan family members, Yun?" The Korean teen shook his head.

"Well, Xiao did warn me one time that he does have a lot of cousins, both immediate and distant, who have some resemblance to him. You may never know. But I don't even know which one of the family members he's close with aside from his parents, his sisters, his grandpa, Meiling, and Eriol."

Yamazaki began to contemplate to himself. "Well, either that or we're getting tired and sleepy that we're seeing and smelling and imagining things right now…"

"Well, we better refresh or else people will be starking mad for taking our bathroom break too long."

The two boys headed to the empty stalls to take care of their own business. Some minutes later, both exited their stalls with Yun holding a piece of ripped green cloth.

"I found this stuck at the hinges of the stall door," Yun said. "It's green and it feels like cotton…"

"Hm? What are you saying?"

"What if this was a part of Xiao's PJs that he was wearing earlier?"

Yamazaki scratched his head and took a closer look. "Cotton? I dunno man. I thought he was wearing silk or something. I mean the weather's too hot for anyone to wear anything made out of cotton."

"Hmm…" Yun gazed at it again and then placed it in his pocket of his pajamas. "I'm gonna hang on to this, just in case."

"Maybe it's just some random cloth or something, Yun."

"Maybe there was a rip on his PJs or something that's why he rushed to change his PJs to red?" Yun shrugged.

"That wouldn't be the Syao-chan I know. If he was gonna change clothes, he'd still wear green."

"Well, whatever. Let's get going." They approached the sinks where they began washing their hands before exiting the restroom. Once they were finished, they exited and were on their way back to the stage.

"Damn, I can still smell that strong cologne on my nose, man," Yamazaki frowned. "Syao-chan— or whoever that was with the red unbuttoned top who bumped in to us earlier— what's up with that cologne? I know Syao-chan wears Acqua Di Gio and this, my friend, is not Acqua Di Gio!"

Yun suddenly gazed at his friend with a perplexed look. "You know the type of cologne Xiao wears?"

"Well YEAH… I mean he's been staying in my house— technically it's his house— since the beginning of the month, man."

"You're weirding me out now, Taka… seriously…" Yamazaki frowned as they proceeded along to the stage.

#

**At the girls' restroom…**

Sakura and Tomoyo exited their stalls at the same time. They both made their way towards the sink to wash their hands and freshen up in front of the mirror.

"You know, we've only been playing the game for forty-five minutes," Tomoyo said as she began washing her hands. "The showdowns are so fast-paced!"

"Yeah," Sakura chuckled. "Well, because we're all new to the game and we're still trying to figure out how to play the game wisely, most of us were just going with the flow!"

"Well, speaking of the game," Tomoyo giggled. "Obviously you have me and your brother left for you to choose from to face Hirashiki-san."

"Yup. She wasn't very nice towards Bunchin on that last showdown."

"Sakura, I don't think being nice would help anyone win a showdown of Mochiron!"

"But there's nothing in the rules that say that you can't be nice, Tomoyo. But then again, I guess that depends on the person too."

"Anyway, I want you to pick me first before Touya-niichan."

Sakura winced. "Eh? Why? I was thinking of Oniichan already before you. You're my last resort!"

"I think Touya-niichan is better at outsmarting people than I am. And besides, Hirashiki doesn't look that tough to me anyway."

"After Hirashiki, Eriol will be next, Tomoyo."

"Exactly!" Tomoyo grinned. Sakura gave a soft gasp.

"Ohhh! I get it! You want a rematch against Eriol from that demo, ne, Tomoyo?"

"You think I'm the type of girl who'd let anyone get away with that? I'll show him charming…"

"Better be careful, Tomoyo, I mean it's Hirashiki you'll be facing."

"I know, Sakura. I'm aware. Besides, Hirashiki doesn't look that bright to me."

Immediately, they heard a loud flush of the toilet sound. At one of the stalls, speak of the devil, Mai Hirashiki appeared. She spotted the two Tomoeda girls and approached them with arms crossed. "You know, if you two are gonna talk strategy with the game, the girls' restroom is the wrong place to do that!"

"I assume you've heard every single word Sakura and I talked about," Tomoyo answered. "We are only talking about the game. Nothing personal."

Mai gave a smirk. "For someone who's the daughter of the world-renowned Sonomi Daidouji of the Daidouji Couture, you sure have a huge ego. You actually beating me in a mochiron showdown? What a laugh!"

"I can and I will!" Tomoyo returned the smirk.

"Heh, good luck with that then… I can't wait to have all of you pathetic locals in to our personal slaves for the week!" Right then, more toilet flushes were heard and two more of the girl idols, namely Erika Handa and Michiyo Kuno, exited the stalls.

"Ne, what's going on here?" Erika asked curiously. "Oh, hi Sakura-chan, Tomoyo-chan!"

Michiyo crossed her arms. "Chill, Mai-chan, it's only a game. Are we playing intimidation already? Save it for the showdown."

"Oh please, just giving these girls some friendly advice!" Mai gave a slight smirk at her two fellow idols, then turned right at the two Tomoeda best friends. "Here's a little friendly advice. Do keep in mind that wherever you may be and no matter how high or low your privacy level may be, walls have ears. I better be careful with what you say about us idols if I were you."

Sakura then gave a rather worried look but Tomoyo instead returned the snicker. "Oh definitely. Walls have ears. That doesn't just apply to us locals. You're more of a liability than we are anyway."

Just as Mai was about to retort, both idol girls gently dragged her away from the opponents. "Let's head back now, Mai-chan. This isn't a good time to start fights. We still got a game to play!"

Tomoyo grinned. "Sakura will make sure she picks me to face you, Hirashiki, so don't worry. You've got plenty of chances to get right at me." She turned to Sakura and gently grabbed her wrist. "Come on, Sakura, the rest of the team are waiting for us.

As the two girls exit, Sakura bowed politely towards the idol girls, with both Erika and Michiyo bowing to her in return. Right then, Mai growled at the two girls. "Ugh, why'd you stop me? I was almost there to intimidate them!"

"Intimidate them? Really?" Michiyo asked curiously.

"You know what I've learned from the Tomoeda elite girls about her— and Xiao-chan? Before Xiao-chan and her family had to move back to Hong Kong, everyone thought that he and that Daidouji are destined to be together. Ugh, I can't believe that Daidouji girl is prettier than the rest of us idol girls here!"

"Xiaolang and Daidouji, huh…" Michiyo muttered curiously. "Are you sure?"

"Ugh, whatever. You two are hopeless!" Mai made her own exit, leaving the two girls alone, making her way back to the stage. In the meantime, the two idol girls turned to each other.

"Ne, Michiyo-chan," Erika muttered.

"What is it?"

"I thought Xiaolang is in love with a mysterious Chinese girl named 'Ying Fa'? How come his former hometown thinks he should go out with Tomoyo-chan?"

"Funny you asked that," Michiyo smiled. "Tomoyo-chan is a very loyal friend though."

"Huh? What makes you say that?"

"This mysterious Ying Fa girl also just happens to be a Tomoeda girl. All you gotta do is look for her right in front of your nose." Right then, Michiyo made her exit, with Erika following her from behind.

"Wait a minuite, Michiyo-chan! What do you mean 'right in front of my nose'? Michiyo-chan! Who is this Ying Fa girl? Come on now, tell me!"

"Everybody thinks it's Tomoyo-chan, simply because she's the richest girl in Tomoeda and second richest overall among the elites. But take a look at the people Tomoyo-chan normally hangs out with. Which one of those girls aside from Tomoyo-chan herself stand out?"

"Hmm… good question…" Erika shrugged and began to contemplate the question.

#

**SHOWDOWN #15: Mai Hirashiki vs. Tomoyo Daidouji**

Yamazaki and Yun arrived and were greeted by the others on stage. The guests on the floor also had their own break. When the boys arrived on stage, both screamed out their shock when they spotted Syaoran at the other side of the stage talking to Eriol with his usual short-sleeved green pajama said like before.

"Ehhhhh?" Yamazaki and Yun gasped. "No way!" Immediately both boys began rubbing their eyes and then turned to each other.

"Now I think we're imagining things, dude," Yamazaki frowned. "But you were there when we saw Syao-chan in the unbuttoned red top, right?"

"Yes, I was there with you and I saw the same thing you did, so you're not imagining things," Yun frowned.

"So then we can conclude that he must be one of the look-alike cousins then?" Yamazaki shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess we can assume that now. Funny how he was on a rush and had his top opened. He looked really panicked when he saw you, Taka. Xiao never looks at you all panicked liked that."

"Well, let's just start playing the game, man." Yun nodded and then spotted Sakura, Tomoyo, and the three idol girls arriving on stage, taking their appropriate places.

The Korean idol took the mic. "Alright, we're back from our quick breather! Sorry about that! Now that we're all back now, the update so far is the scoreboard. So far, the score is as follows: All-Stars and Troopers are tied at 7. Will the Troopers do the tiebreaker this time or will the lovely Miss Hirashiki bring the All-Stars in to their first lead over the locals!" Yun turned his head towards the Troopers. "Please call out your next player, Leader Sakura!"

"Mochiron!" Sakura cheered to get the game spirit back up again. "My bestest friend in the whole wide world— it's your stage now, Tomoyo Daidouji!"

"Yup yup!" Tomoyo excitedly dashed to her spot and even offered Mai a handshake. Just like with Bunchin earlier, she refused to take it. The raven-haired heir to the Daidouji Couture slowly placed her hand behind her and began to whistle.

"So," Eriol muttered, standing next to Syaoran. "Sakura decided to choose the best friend over the brother…"

"There's only reason why she would do that," Syaoran said.

"Oh? What would that be?"

"Rematch."

"Rematch?" Eriol gave a confused look.

"It seems Tomoyo must have asked Sakura to choose her instead of the brother and is pumped up to defeat Hirashiki so you can face her."

"Ooh," Eriol grinned. "So she wants to play that way, eh? Better get my mesmerizing charms ready…" Syaoran rolled his eyes and then turned his eyes back towards the match.

Yun then turned to Mai. "Now, before you argue, you're the current winner from the last match, so that means, you're going first— on three."

"Good to hear. That's more like it!" Mai exclaimed.

"On three… one… two… three… start!"

Right then, Mai pushed her long raven hair to her back while Tomoyo placed her hands on her waist, waiting for the idol to make her opening statement. After she fixed her hair, she cleared her throat. "Thanks to all the local elites attending this party, I now know your real relationship with our darling birthday boy Li Xiaolang! You think the two of you are gonna get away with your little secret meetings away from the set? The elite kids all say that the two of you have been a total item since you were at elementary!"

Right then, Syaoran and Eriol gazed at each other. "Um, what on earth is Hirashiki going on about?"

"Let her talk whatever, Eriol," Syaoran shrugged his shoulders. _It's because that's what everyone still thinks of Daidouji and me until now…_

"Mochiron," Tomoyo giggled. "It's because Li-kun and I do share a special secret that no one, not even the elites would ever know! Besides, when we're together, there's always two more people with us— ne, Yamazaki, Sakura?" Immediately, both Sakura and Yamazaki gave her a thumbs up.

"Mochiron," Mai stuck her tongue. "Well, um, whatever that secret will be, it will no longer be a secret, because eventually, someone will eventually find out and they're going to open it up to the tabloids! Sadly, it won't be Syao-chan's reputation who will be ruined. Think about how your mother would react if that secret ever comes out!"

Tomoyo gave a soft giggle. "Mochiron! I'm not really bothered by that. Li-kun isn't bothered by that. You see, it's because that super secret that Li-kun and I share actually involves you, by the way…"

"What the— me?! You lie! I know how girls like you act— being all sneaky and manipulative and all—"

"Ahem, your ten-second wait is up, Hirashiki," Yun immediately interrupted.

"What? What are you talking about, I'm making my retort statement!" Mai exclaimed.

"Uh, yeah, but you forgot to say 'mochiron' and your nonsense babbling just cost you your ten seconds, girlfriend. Sorry!" Yun pointed his finger towards the All-Stars team, signaling her to return to her team. The idol girl reluctantly return to her team, with Syaoran and Eriol shaking their heads at her.

"What? How was I supposed to know that the super secret you and that Daidouji girl has something to do with me?" Mai pouted.

"You really are hopeless, you know that, Hirashiki?" Syaoran shook his head. "Absolutely hopeless."

"Ugh, well at least I took us to tie the score! Gimme some credit!"

"Not good enough to give you any little credit, Hirashiki!" The birthday rolled his eyes while Mai gave her hmph at him, making her way to where the other idol girls were standing.

Yun stepped up forward. "And now the Troopers broke the tie once again with the score: All-Stars - 7, Troopers - 8!" He turned his head towards Syaoran. "Leader Xiao, you'll have to give up your one and only player left before it'd be your turn!"

Syaoran nodded. "Yes. You're our one and only hope to make this game ours, cousin. Go, Eriol Hiiragizawa!"

With the sound of Syaoran's voice, the Eriol fangirls, also known as the Moonies, suddenly screamed from the floor, with the Tomoeda branch president Rika joining along with the screaming. Eriol stepped up and gave an alluring hush to keep the fangirls down.

#

**SHOWDOWN #16: Eriol Hiiragizawa vs. Tomoyo Daidouji**

Yun then gazed at Eriol right after he made his grand entrance on to the center. "Well well, the ever-so-smooth Eriol Hiiragizawa. I've been noticing that during the last showdown, you were getting yourself ready by fixing your hair and practicing your winks and smiles. Who was that for? Was it for the Moonies, your Moonies president from the other team… or could it be Tomoeda's Grand Princess herself?"

"Heh," Eriol smirked while fixing the collar of his black PJ top. "Wouldn't you like to know, Oh-kun?"

The host then turned to Tomoyo. "Are you going to let some dashing debonair ruin your game like that, Tomoyo-chan?"

"Not if a grand princess like myself ruin his game first," she winked right away.

"Whoa!" Yun chuckled. "This would have to be a test of wits and egos! Let's get this showdown on the road now!" The crowd roared with cheers, applauses, and other array of reactions as Yun began the countdown.

"Tomoyo-chan, you begin the opening statement on three— one… two… three… start!"

After Yun stepped back, Tomoyo began to caress her own strand of long wavy hair up front, batting her eyelashes at the one who trapped her during the demo version of the mochiron game yesterday. "So… I hear that you're a very high-maintenance young man. Your tastes belong to a Wolfgang Puck's and not towards McDonald's. That's gotta mean that you're also in to all girls with money."

Few laughters broke out as Eriol grinned. "Mochiron! But on the contrary, my dear Tomoyo Daidouji, I'm only in to one particular girl and she's standing right before me."

"Awwww…" Plenty of the crowd showed their giddy admiration to the situation while Yun makes his side comment.

"What's this? What's all this? So far all we hear are a mixture of compliments and insults and now we have… this?! Can a love blossom in a Mochiron Showdown? What a revelation!"

_Looks like Tomoyo's using Eriol's approach from yesterday's demo game_, Sakura's voice spoke in her mind.

_Looks like Eriol just can't help himself whenever he sees Daidouji standing right before him,_ Syaoran's voice spoke in her mind at the same time.

"Mochiron!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "That's only because I'm the only one standing here before my team leader steps up at the center, you know."

Just as more excited reactions filled the atmosphere here and there, Eriol suddenly combed through his hair. "Mochiron. But let's talk about that super secret that you and my dear cousin have been keeping together."

"Okay," Tomoyo refrained herself from chuckling.

"One part of it sure has Hirashiki involved… but you should've shared that super secret with someone else." Eriol gave a sigh of relief then. "I never realized you've been looking at me that way…"

"Eh?" Tomoyo's eyes blinked while the audience continued to give their ecstatic reactions. "Mochiron! It's just that… it's really rare for me to meet someone who's a mixed-blood… gosh, I never realized how handsome you are with that good blend of blood…"

"Heh," Eriol snickered while he grinned right at the audience. "Mochiron! What can I say? I'm half-Li and I'm British. Natural charm just flows through my blood."

"Mochiron!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "But you know, you've got way too much natural charm in you that you even insist to have one girlfriend per your blood origins. I read that you have a British girlfriend back when you were in elementary, and then you have a Chinese girlfriend whenever you visit Hong Kong. And now you're here in Japan to search for a Japanese girlfriend?"

Eriol almost burst in to laughter but caught up in his composure. "Mochiron! But when I first saw you, it never occurred to me that you're the daughter of the great designer Sonomi Daidouji at all. I first saw you like an unending poem from Shakespeare's Sonnets."

"What the…" Tomoyo laughed, shaking her head. "Mochiron! Well, I'm like poetry because I write songs!"

"Mochiron!" Eriol paused for a few seconds, and then from out of the blue, recited a particular poem in Old English:

"_Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?_

_Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy:_

_Why lov'st thou that which thou receiv'st not gladly,_

_Or else receiv'st with pleasure thine annoy?_

_If the true concord of well-tuned sounds,_

_By unions married, do offend thine ear,_

_They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds_

_In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear. _

_Mark how one string, sweet husband to another,_

_Strikes each in each by mutual ordering;_

_Resembling sire and child and happy mother,_

_Who, all in one, one pleasing note do sing:_

_Whose speechless song being many, seeming one,_

_Sings this to thee: 'Thou single wilt prove none."_

"Awwwww…" Tomoyo, from out of the blue, found herself blushing. Sure, she lacked Shakespearean English knowledge but the way Eriol recited it somehow truly touched her heart.

Yun, on the other hand, makes his side comments. "Serious overkill from Hiiragizawa-kun! Though most of us don't really know what the poem said, at least we recognized the words 'music, singing, love' in there! Tomoyo-chan, Eriol Hiiragizawa truly is a dashing debonair, how are you going to counter a poe—"

"Mochiron!" From out of the blue, Tomoyo expressed her magic word as everyone immediately fell silent.

"Oh boy, Daidouji's not giving up…"

Like Eriol, she also gave a few seconds of silence. Then from out of the blue, she began to counter his Shakesperean poetry.

"_Let me be the one to always love you_

_Let me be the one to take care of you_

_When you want someone to go to_

_When your day is through_

_Darling, let me be the one for you"_

Laughter broke out while Eriol found himself sitting down, covering his face while being overtaken by so much laughter. The host making his side comments again. "And so the Tomoeda Grand Princess counters Shakespeare with a simple confession in song! The poem had music and singing and love and this was her answer! You better start thinking of a good counter within ten seconds, Hiiragizawa—"

From out of the blue, Tomoyo still continued singing the same song:

"_Let me be the one when you are lonely_

_Let me be the one you think of only_

_When you're looking for a girl_

_To tell your troubles to_

_Darling, let me be the one for you_

_Let my little lips to kiss you sweetly_

_Let my little arms to hold you tight_

_Darling, give your heart to me completely_

_Let me be the one you pray for every night_

_Let me be the one to stand beside you_

_Let me be the one to help and guide you_

_When you're looking for a girl_

_Whose love is always true_

_Darling, let me be the one for you."_

"My goodness, Tomoyo-chan, that was beautiful!" Yun and everyone applauded for her raw but graceful singing. No lip syncing involved, obviously. Tomoyo acknowledged the applause by giving a curtsy.

Meanwhile, Eriol stands up and turns away, unknowingly that he was already heading back to his team. Syaoran immediately caught to him and pushed him back to his spot.

"Ten seconds are already counting and it looks like the dashing debonair Hiiragizawa is stuck! Will he find the perfect counter to a beautiful love confession song, or will he give in and give the Troopers a huge le—"

"Mochiron!"

"Oh boy, I guess he's not done yet…"

Eriol slowly lifted his head and then adjusted his eyeglasses, gazing his dark eyes right towards Tomoyo's own amethyst eyes. "I guess the cat's out of the bag now regarding your super-secret with Xiao, ne?"

"Eh?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"Yes, my love. The super secret of the two of us having a secret romantic love affair with each other. We can't deny it to the world anymore… sigh…"

"What the—" Right then, Tomoyo realized that she was trapped again for the second time by the one who trapped her during the short demo game yesterday. There was no way she could say "of course" to that, knowing that she may embarrass herself further. It was only a game after all… or is it?

"Well then, it looks like this secret love affair will remain a secret since Tomoyo-chan would not say 'mochiron' to Hiiragizawa's statement!" Yun approached Tomoyo and patted her on the shoulder. "Looks like we now have the 'Mochiron Couple' formed as of tonight! Let's all give both Tomoyo-chan and Hiiragizawa-kun a big round of applause for having the longest-running mochiron showdown for this entire night!"

Once the audience applauded, Tomoyo bowed to everyone and then turned towards Eriol. "This isn't over yet, Hiiragizawa!"

"Aw, but Tomoyo-chan, still in denial?" Eriol called out his reply.

"You're so conceited, Eriol! Hmph!" Tomoyo, feeling rather slightly upset for losing to Eriol for the second time, walked back to her team. Right then, Sakura met her with open arms as she rested her head on to her shoulders.

"You did real well, Tomoyo! My gosh, a love poem? That Eriol sure is really sneaky!"

"I swear… he… he did it again… I guess my plan backfired…" Tomoyo gave a soft low sigh.

"Aww, don't worry, it's only a game, ne?"

"But the way he played his game… it's like…"

Sakura gently released her best friend. "Let's talk later, ne? We still got a game to play!"

Right then, Touya interrupted the two girls. "No worries, Tomoyo. Lemme take care of Mr. Four-Eyes Debonair over there. He won't be using any of that charm on someone like me!"

Sakura patted her brother on the shoulder. "We're tied again, Oniichan. We have to take the lead so we can win that awesome trip!"

Touya gave a nod. Right then, Yun approached them. "Well then, looks like your final player is pumped up and ready to go— step up to your spot, Touya Kinomoto!"

"Make Tomoeda proud, Oniichan!" Sakura cheered while Touya snickered, giving his little sister a thumbs up.

The tall and lanky young adult proudly stepped up to his spot, now facing Eriol directly across from him. Yun caught up with them and commenced the showdown.

#

**SHOWDOWN #17: Eriol Hiiragizawa vs. Touya Kinomoto**

"Because of Hiiragizawa's flirty and romantic approach, the score is tied up again with 8 a piece! Looks like the All-Stars are not gonna admit defeat soon! Now that Hiiragizawa has used his dashing debonair nature against Tomoeda's Princess Tomoyo Daidouji, will this same dashing debonair use the same approach towards a very manly and mature Touya Kinomoto? We shall see what happens!" Yun turned his head towards Eriol. "You're the current champion, therefore you will be the one to open the statement."

After Yun made his starting countdown, Eriol began the new showdown. "Kinomoto-senpai… it's truly an honor working with you on the set and also, getting to know you more as sweet Sakura-chan's older brother and my dear cousin Xiaolang's next-door neighbor. I got nothing but respect for you!"

Touya slightly rolled his eyes ans shrugged his shoulders. "Mochiron. You really are that next-door neighbor brat's cousin alright. You look as bratty as he is." Immediately, laughter broke out from all over the place.

"Holy cow! A direct attack! Hiiragizawa! Are you gonna let _him _talk to you like that?" Yun made his side comments while laughing at the same time.

"Mochiron!" Eriol answered. "Well, mochiron on what Kinomoto said, not what you said, Yun."

"Right, right," Yun cleared his throat as Eriol gazed right towards his opponent.

"Well, I was told that it's a lot more fun being a teenage brat than being an adult stiff-necked bully… know what I mean?" At the moment that he mentioned the words stiff-necked bully, laughter already broke out.

Touya simply shook his head while he refrained himself from laughing. "Mochiron!" Immediately, his serious stare added a smirk as he crossed his arms. "You want me to show you how really stiff my neck is? Words ain't gonna cut it, but you know, _actions_ can speak louder than words, kid."

Right then, the laughter became louder with Eriol promptly placing his hands around his neck as if he was protecting it from the clutches of his opponent. Just as Yun approached him, Eriol answered. "I concede."

"Eh? You concede?" Yun blinked in surprise. "Why?"

"You know with some… guys… even if you make a joke, you do know you're still gonna die, right?"

Yun shrugged his shoulders and decided to end it, even though the ten-second wait was still counting. "Hiiragizawa concedes, giving Kinomoto and the Troopers the tiebreak with one point ahead of the All-Stars!"

As the two boys shook hands, Eriol spoke. "You do know I was just joking, right?"

"Mochiron," Touya said. "I hate snot-nosed brats like you and that cousin of yours but you ain't my target. Too bad you couldn't admit to my last joke."

"Aw man…" Eriol pouted. He sadly walked back to his team, knowing Touya had just tricked him with the final statement of the showdown.

"Well then!" Yun exclaimed to the All-Stars. "You've got the birthday boy as your only survivor, All-Stars! Last minute rules now apply to this game."

"What? There's a new rule?" Syaoran blinked his eyes curiously.

"If the current winner of the last showdown defeats the team leader, the team the current winner represents wins the game!"

"Oh, is that it?" Syaoran snickered. "Well then, bring it on!"

"Oh boy, this should be a cinch," Touya smirked as he began to crack his knuckles.

"Oniichan, this isn't a fist fight," Sakura called out to remind him.

"Quiet, Sakura! This is part of my strategy, don't you get it?" Touya turned towards his sister.

"Alright then. But please, watch yourself, Oniichan."

"And here you have it, folks! The team leader of the CBLW All-Stars now takes the stage. Here he is, Wolfpups and wanna-be Wolfpups— our ultra-cool birthday boy, Li Xiaolang!"

Loud screams and cheers broke out as well as applauses roaring the scene, while Syaoran exchanged hi-fives with the males of his team and then approached the center, now facing Touya.

"Now now," Yun interrupted the cheer, "I know the two of you have a… past together… but for the sake of the game, please do shake hands."

Touya shrugged as he and Syaoran shook hands quickly.

"There you go!" Yun exclaimed. "You already know the rules so I don't have to repeat myself. If you don't remember them, this means you'll be opening the showdown, Kinomoto-senpai."

"'Kay," Touya shrugged.

"Well well! Childhood rivals reunited once more tonight at this birthday party night in a good showdown of 'Mochiron'! Instead of fists and kicks, they will be battling it out with words and wits! Which one will rise and which one will fall? Let's all find out right now!"

#

**SHOWDOWN #18: Syaoran Li vs. Touya Kinomoto**

"For those who are clueless with what's going on in this situation and with the new last-minute rule— heaven forbid— I'll reword it for you. If Kinomoto, that is, Touya Kinomoto, defeats Li Xiaolang in this particular showdown, then the Tomoeda Troopers win the game! But knowing our birthday boy, who not surprisingly has an IQ of 200, this game can be a shocker and can turn things around. If the older Kinomoto wins in this game, the Troopers win. But if Li Xiaolang defeats Kinomoto in this match, that means he will have to face the younger Kinomoto, looking as sweet and cheerful as always, who is currently waiting just behind Kinomoto-senpai." Yun gently waved towards Sakura as the younger Kinomoto waved at him in return.

The host then turned to the two contenders. "Kinomoto-senpai, are you ready?"

"Heh," was all that Touya gave to the host.

"Leader Xiao, are you ready?"

"What do you think?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow.

"I guess that means a yes." Yun cleared his throat. "On three— one… two… three… start!"

Touya began cracking his knuckles again while gently rolling his neck gently as if he was loosening up his body for a physical brawl. Syaoran stood there stiff, silent, and indifferent to the former bully of Tomoeda.

"Yeah. I know I already said this before, but yeah. Happy Birthday, bra— Li-kun."

"Thank you, Senpai," Syaoran answered with a confident smile on his face.

"And since you're eighteen now, that'd mean you're pretty much an adult. Now you're eligible for me to kick your cocky little ass then." Reactions broke out with oohs, aahs, while others resorted to laughter.

"Heh. Mochiron," Syaoran responded as everyone fell silent. "So, you prioritize kicking my ass over your wedding preparations with your future wife, the ever-so-lovely Miss Kaho Mizuki, who will be in the near future, Mrs. Kaho Kinomoto?"

"Gah…" Immediately, Touya felt a sudden sharp attack towards his chest. At the same time, in the corner of his eye, he can see his fiancee Kaho standing with her arms crossed, glaring right at him. _Dammit, I didn't anticipate he'd mention about my wedding… and Kaho's staring at me!_

"And that would probably mean that if you can't kick my ass before you walk down the aisle, you're going to teach your future children how to be bullies and beat up my future kids? You forget I'm a Li, Senpai."

"Ooooohhhh…" Touya found himself gritting his teeth and knew immediately that he was trapped. If he said "mochiron" now in order to continue the showdown, he would sacrifice seeing his future wife angry with him and may even break off the engagement.

"Whoa!" Yun exclaimed for his side remarks. "A double-attack towards Tomoeda's most feared young man! What kind of man who would use his already-sealed fate of true love and marriage against violence? How are you gonna get out of this one, Kinomoto-senpai?"

"Uh…" He really wanted to say the magic words, but somehow his voice and even his own mind are stunning him completely, not being able to speak the word. Before anyone knew it, the ten second wait was up.

"Looks like Kinomoto has lost his chance for a total victory against the birthday boy! Even bullies have a soft spot for the women they love!" Yun grinned.

"Shutup, brat!" Touya blurted out his frustration.

"You're still a man, Kinomoto-senpai, so congratulations on your near marriage! Let's all give Touya Kinomoto a hand of congrats!" Right then, the crowd gave the much-deserved applause for the young man on a brink of getting married soon. Touya gave a shrug, along with a thank you, and headed back to his seat."

"Well well well, we all know what comes next— ne, Leader Sakura-chan?"

Sakura grinned and turned to her group and began to exchange hi-fives. Meanwhile, Touya turned back towards the stage. "Hey Kid! Listen up, birthday boy!"

"Huh?" Syaoran looked up to face Touya.

"You say anything that would hurt my sister— even if this was a game— your ass is mine, got that?"

"What on earth is he babbling about?" Syaoran shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"You hear me?!"

"Mochiron!" Syaoran mockingly answered him. Right then, Sakura came up to her spot, now facing the birthday boy.

#

_**The meadow field between Tomoeda and the forest (A Sunday in April, 13 years ago)**_

"_Oniichan! Where are you going?" Four-year-old Sakura stood curiously right on the grassy meadow with two flower baskets in both her hands. Just a few moments ago, her father allowed her to play outside, as long as her big brother, eleven-year-old Touya, was around. Unfortunately for her, their next-door neighbor to the left of their house, Touya's eleven-year-old best friend, Yukito Tsukishiro, arrived on the same spot on a bike and eventually caught with them._

"_You like flowers and tumbling, right?" Touya gave a grin. "So, go look and pick some flowers and do all your tumbling whenever you want, kid."_

"_But you're supposed to play with me today and help me pick flowers, Oniichan! Daddy said!" She frowned with her arms crossed._

_Right then, Yukito turned towards Touya. "Tell you what, Touya. You can borrow my bike and ride as long as you want today. I'll stay here with Sakura. Is that cool?"_

"_Really, Yuki-niichan?" Sakura's eyes flashed. "Yay!"_

"_Fine," Touya shrugged. "Well, since we only got one bike here and Dad just dropped us off in a car since he has to go to Sendai attend some meeting or something with the Sendai Anthropology Association, it can't be helped."_

"_Awesome!" Yukito patted Touya on the shoulder. "Just make sure you come back here with you and the bike in one piece, okay? Grandpa's gonna kill me if he sees me coming home with the bike all messed up!"_

"_It'll be fine, Yuki, I'll take care of it. Just make sure you take care of Sakura."_

"_Oniichan so lazy!" Sakura stuck her tongue at him._

"_I'd watch your mouth if I were you, squirt," Touya glared and hopped himself on to Yukito's bike._

"_Don't call me squirt!" Sakura yelled directly at him. "Hmph!"_

"_Anyway, watch yourselves!" Touya gave the two kids a peace sign and rode off to his destination. Sakura stared at her brother biking away while Yukito waved at his best friend._

"_So, Sakura, what kind of flowers do you like?" Yukito bent down so Sakura could see him face-to-face._

"_Umm…" Sakura began to think. While he watched her contemplate, Yukito still found himself amazed at his best friend's little sister. The average age a child begins to speak properly was age four, but Sakura, under the influence of her father the educator, began speaking at age two. At times he thought about how his best friend and the little sister can cope with their new life now that their mother already passed away last year. Still, it looked like the Kinomotos are back to normal again._

"_Oh! You know those little flowers that look like strings?"_

_Yukito blinked his eyes in curiosity. "Little flowers that look like strings?"_

"_Yup! Um… they're pink… they're white too… and they're mixed pink and white… and they look like strings… Daddy says Mommy's name is the same name as the stringy flower."_

"_Oh!" Yukito exclaimed. "I think I know what you're talking about! I know where you can find them! Come on!"_

"_Yay!" Sakura followed Yukito as they ran towards the more wild areas of the meadow fields, where flowers of all kinds, including the frilled carnations known as Nadeshiko, were most visible._

_They eventually reached the flowery area, where huge oak trees also provided some shade. "Wow! So many flowers, Yuki-niichan! I wanna make a flower circle!"_

"_Flower circle?" Yukito began scratching the side of his temple._

"_You know, a flower circle? You make circles out of flowers and you wear them on your head!"_

"_Oh! Flower wreaths!" Yukito chuckled. "Since there's so many flowers here, we should split up. You take one spot over there and then I go this way. Then we can meet at that huge cherry blossom three over there." He took one of the flower baskets from Sakura's hands._

"_Okay!" The two kids headed to their designated spots where they began picking flowers. She found the Nadeshiko flowers and giggled to her delight. She began picking them gently until she had enough to carry. Once she did, she ran to the one particular cherry blossom tree as Yukito instructed._

_Once she got to the tree with the flower basket, she began to hear loud forceful screams close by. Rather than waiting for Yukito to be finished, the yelps attracted her to use her hearing abilities to trail where the noises come from. Just her luck, the one making violent-sounding noises just happened to be on the other side of the tree. Her curious green eyes peeked over the trunk of the tree to see two men and a boy about her age wearing a forest green traditional Chinese attire with a short-sleeved silk top. While the younger adult man watched on, the little boy and the older adult man were doing kung fu drills, with the boy screaming out his kiai._

_The boy's movements did not just consist of speed and accuracy, but there was something graceful and elegant in his movements that really attracted the curious Japanese little girl. It didn't take long that she also started imitating the boy's movements herself. Right after the drills were finished, the younger adult man began speaking to the boy in a language Sakura was very unfamiliar with._

_When she decided to take a closer look, she immediately recognized the three faces. She showed her enthusiasm by giving her usual grin. She wanted to call Yukito and show themselves to the three martial artists, but as she was about to back down, she felt something that hit the back of her foot and found herself falling on the ground, right on her back._

"_Itai!" Sakura gave a soft shriek and began to rub her back. Just as she was about to get up, she heard another violent scream, this time it was aiming towards her. "Hooooeeeee!"_

_Immediately, the little boy, all with tousled mocha hair and deep amber brown eyes, was glaring right at her and also at his ready position. He yelled at her with that same unfamiliar language as she replied without even knowing what he was saying while covering herself with her arms in protective mode:_

"_I— I'm not a bad guy! I'm a good guy, I mean good girl! Don't hurt me!" Before things could get worse, one of the adult men called out in that same language as the other two arrived._

"_Well now," the younger adult man changed his language in to the language she was familiar with this time. "What do we have here…?"_

_Sakura slowly lowered her arms and opened her eyes. She now spotted the familiar face in the younger adult. She then gave another grin._

"_Hello… Uncle Xiaojin," Sakura greeted nervously. "Um… hello!"_

"_Well, if it isn't the mini-Kinomoto-chan! Are you alright? Do you need help?"_

_Sakura slowly got up and then dusted herself off. "I'm good!"_

"_So, playing around in the fields again, aren't you? Is your brother with you?"_

_She shook her head. "Nope. He took Yuki-niichan's bike and rode off. But I'm not alone. Yuki-niichan's with me. We're collecting flowers to make flower circles!"_

"_Flower circles, huh?" Xiaojin nodded, already knowing that she meant flower wreaths. "You'll have to forgive us for making too much noise. You remember our butler and trusted confidant, Wei Wang, right?"_

"_Of course!" She waved right at the older adult, Wei. "Hello Wei-san!"_

"_Hello there, Sakura-chan," Wei greeted in a pleasant voice._

"_And you remember my one and only son, Xiaolang, don't you? You two met at the hospital last year when your mom was still with us…"_

_Sakura nodded happily and then turned the rather stern-faced boy who almost attacked her after she fell on her back. She bowed and then offered a handshake. "Remember me? You gave me stringy flowers when we said bye-bye to Mommy. Thank you!"_

_The boy, Xiaolang, simply just stared at her without a single flinch on his face. Xiaojin immediately interrupted. "Oh, you'll have to forgive him, this is actually the first time that we're training him in kung fu outside the house gates, so in short, he still doesn't know how to speak Japanese. Eventually he will have to learn." He then turned to the boy. "Isn't that right, son?"_

_Sakura then began to think and remembered the wise words her father said. She remembered that not everyone can understand you because of the language you speak, but it is always the best way to break the barriers and find a way to connect with each other._

"_Well then," Xiaojin said, "Wei and I are going to clean up the equipment here. You stay here with Xiaolang and get to know each other a bit more. We'll be back." The two adults stepped out of the scene for a bit, leaving the two children alone underneath the same cherry blossom tree._

_Following her father's wise words, she then placed her hand on to her chest. "Sakura. Sa-ku-ra." She patted her hand on to her chest once. "Sakura."_

_The curious amber eyes stared at her, and then began to mimic her movement by placing his right hand on to his chest in the same fashion. "Sakura."_

"_No no," Sakura giggled, then patted her chest once again. "Watashi. Sakura. Watashi wa… Sa-ku-ra."_

_Syaoran, not completely understanding the word "I" (Watashi (wa)) in her sentence, began to mimic her again. "Me. Sakura. I'm… Sa-ku-ra."_

_She shook her head, but she still remained smiling. She reached out for his hand on to his chest and then placed his hand on to her chest. "Sakura."_

_The boy rested his hand on to her chest and then copied her word. "Sakura…?" She nodded. Right then, the boy finally realized what she was trying to say and then nodded. He patted his hand on to her chest. "Sakura."_

"_Yup. Sakura."_

_Slowly, he lifted his hand from her chest and then placed it back on to his chest. "Xiaolang."_

_The girl stared at him, as he also did the same. He took her hand and placed it on to his chest. "Xiaolang."_

"_Syaoran!" Unlike the Chinese boy's pitch perfection of her name, she, on the other hand, was not unable to get the perfect sound correctly. After all, the Japanese language pronunciation is different from the pronunciations of other languages._

_The boy immediately shook his head. "Xiao— lang."_

"_Syao— ran…?" At this point, he would find some sort of impatience in this situation, but because this girl was determined to break the barriers herself, he needed to learn how to be just like her._

_Just as he was about to answer, a few cherry blossom petals suddenly fell on to his lap. He gazed at it and then looked up at the cherry blossom tree. He found themselves being softly showered by the petals. Sakura also looked up to look at the petals as well._

"_Sakura." She pointed her finger towards the tree above them. He looked at her curiously as she repeated. "Sakura."_

_He then placed his hand on to her again. "Sakura." Next, he pointed his finger towards the tree about them. "Sakura…?"_

"_Yup!" She nodded. "I'm… Sakura. The tree is also… Sakura." She pointed to herself and then to the three. "Sakura."_

"_Ohhh…" He blinked his eyes curiously. Right then, he headed for his backpack near the tree and out revealed a small dark gray stuffed animal that resembles a puppy. Then, he brought the stuffed puppy to her._

"_Awww so cute!" Sakura cheered once she gazed at the dark gray puppy._

"_Xiaolang," he mentions his name again and then handed the stuffed puppy to her. "Xiaolang."_

"_Syao… ran…?" He shook his head again and tried to get her to pronounce his name correctly._

"_Xiaolang. Xiao… lang…"_

_She gave another confused blink and then she pointed her finger towards him. "Syaoran." Then she points her finger towards the stuffed puppy. "Syaoran?" The boy shook his head again and was about to repeat until his father and his family butler arrived with their things._

"_Well now, looks like you're getting along really well!" Xiaojin exclaimed happily and then turned to his son, speaking his words in Cantonese. _"Congratulations, my son. You had just made your first friend."

"She's not saying my name right!" _The boy complained to his father in Cantonese. Xiaojin sighed and began explaining to his son regarding the differences in their native language and to the Japanese language._

_Right then, the boy turned to the girl, intensely staring at her this time. "Sakura…" He pointed his finger towards her._

_She nodded. "Sakura." She placed both her hands onto her chest. "Sakura."_

_The boy looked up to the tree and rather than saying the same word, he spoke something else. "Ying Fa."_

"_Hoe? In-fa?" Sakura mispronounced the words, scratching her head. "No no. Sakura." She pointed her finger towards the tree._

"_Oh, let me explain a bit," Xiaojin said. "Ying Fa is Chinese for 'sakura.' So basically, he just said your name in his language."_

"_Oh… In-fa?" Sakura's mispronunciations somehow made the two Chinese men chuckle in amusement. She then turned to the boy again. She pointed towards the tree. "In-fa?"_

"_Ying fa," the boy repeated, with a nod._

_Sakura then pointed at herself. "Me? In-fa?"_

_The boy sighed and turned to his father. _"She's saying it all wrong, Father!"_ His father once again responded to him in their language, explaining the situation further. It was then that he finally realized and understood what the girl was trying to say._

_He placed his hand on to his chest. "Syao… ran…?"_

_She nodded with a grin, then points her finger towards him. "Syaoran." She points her finger to herself again. "Sakura." She points to the stuffed puppy in her hands now. "Syaoran." Finally, she points towards the tree above them. "Sakura."_

_He mimicked her again by doing the same. "Sakura." Next, he points his finger towards himself. "Xiaola— Syaoran." Then, he points to the stuffed puppy. "Syaoran." Finally, he points to the tree. "Sakura."_

"_That's right! Yay!" Sakura applauded happily while Syaoran simply gave a small smile on his face._

"Now there you go, that's the first time I've seen you smile in a long time, son!"_ Xiaojin exclaimed in their language and then embraced him tightly to him._

_Syaoran then gazed at his father and muttered softly with a happy smile. _"Ying Fa is really pretty…"

"_Hoe?" Sakura asked curiously. "What'd he say?"_

_Xiaojin translated for her. "He says the sakura tree is really pretty."_

"_Ohhh…" Sakura nodded in agreement. "Me too. I think sakura trees are pretty!"_

"What'd she say, Father?" _Syaoran asked him in their native language._

"Son, she says the ying fa tree is pretty as well…"

_Quickly Syaoran shook his head. _"I mean… _she _… is pretty…" _Without realizing it, his cheeks began to blush._

"Ohhh… oh…" _Xiaojin's eyes blinked and then turned towards Sakura. Considering the age and the rather awkward situation, he decided not to translate and gave her another answer instead. "He says we should have sakura trees in our house."_

_Sakura simply chuckled. Right then, they heard a familiar voice calling out for her. She turned her head to see Yukito arriving with the flower basket._

"_Heeey Yuki-niichan!" She jumped and waved to catch his attention. "We're here!"_

_Xiaojin stood next to Sakura and then waved at the eleven-year-old. "Good seeing you here also, Yukito-kun!"_

_Yukito ran to the tree, placed the flower basket on the ground, and then bowed towards Xiaojin. "Good to see you here too, Li-san."_

"_We'll be having some iced delights later. We're done training for today."_

"_Ah, kung fu training!" Yukito exclaimed. "Kung fu's really exciting!" He then spotted the little boy and then bowed his head. "I'm Yukito. I live a house away from your house!"_

"_Syaoran doesn't understand you, Yuki-niichan," Sakura reminded him._

"_Oh, so Syaoran's his name?" He lowered himself to face Syaoran and then offered a handshake. "I'm Yukito. Yu-ki-to… good to meet you."_

_Syaoran stared at him blankly at first, but instead, took his hand and shook it. "I think you and I are gonna be good friends, kid!" Knowing the language barrier, Syaoran mimicked Yukito's signature friendly smile. He then turned to Sakura. "I guess the only thing left to do is to wait for your brother."_

"_Yup," Sakura nodded. "But while we wait, let's make some flower circles!" She then turned to Xiaojin. "Can Syaoran help us make flower circles too?"_

"_Of course!" He turned to his son and translated for him. Syaoran smiled and nodded. He joined Sakura and Yukito on the other side of the tree to make their flower wreaths._

_By the time Touya arrived with Yukito's bike, he greeted the adult next-door neighbors first before he proceeded to the other kids. He bowed to Xiaojin and Wei just like any other Japanese kid would to respectable adults._

"_Enjoying the morning sun, are we, Touya-kun?" Xiaojin said with his usual friendly smile. "I see your leg is doing a lot better._

"_Yeah," Touya said, nodding. "Thanks for that Chinese ointment you lent me the other day. That really worked wonders with my shin spleen. Now I can play soccer again."_

"_Good to hear! Well, your sister and Yukito-kun are making flower wreaths with my son over there. We'll be having treats later."_

"_Really? All of us?"_

"_Of course!"_

"_That's really awesome Uncle Xiaojin! Yay!" Touya cheered happily and then joined the rest of the kids at the cherry blossom tree._

"_You're back, Touya," Yukito said. "They're just cleaning up so we can go back in town to have ice cream or something."_

"_That's really nice of them, Yuki," Touya nodded. He then sat in between Yukito and Sakura, with Syaoran facing him. Right then, he spotted the mysterious Chinese boy from next door._

"_So, you're the only Li kid of the family… the crazy Li Sisters' little brother," Touya made his first statement. As always, the bewildered Syaoran simply stared at the older Kinomoto._

"_Syaoran doesn't understand you, Oniichan," Sakura reminded him._

"_Huh?" Touya gave a confused look._

"_She means he doesn't speak Japanese, Touya," Yukito clarified for him._

"_Oh…" Touya blinked and then turned to Syaoran, who was just finishing his flower wreath using the flowers Sakura and Yukito gathered from the meadow. "Then how the hell are we supposed to talk to him if he can't even understand?"_

"_I'm teaching him," Sakura answered. "He already learned his first Japanese word, and it's—"_

"_Sakura!" From out of the blue, Syaoran called for her name._

"_Hoe?"_

_The Chinese boy finished his dianthus flower wreath and placed it on her head. "Aww, this is so pretty! Thank you so much!" Sakura giggled. Syaoran only answered her with a smile on his face._

"_Now see that, Touya?" Yukito grinned. "Today's only the beginning. Tomorrow, Syaoran-kun will learn more. Right, Syaoran?" Once again, the boy simply gazed at Yukito, and replied to him with a smile on his face._

"_Huh. Alright… but I'm keeping an eye on you, kid!" Touya suddenly declared towards Syaoran with a slight hostile look on his face. The boy also gave him the same hostile look at the same time._

"_Let's finish this and then we can have ice cream!" Sakura grinned._

"_Right, Sakura." Yukito nodded._

#

**SHOWDOWN #19: Syaoran Li vs. Sakura Kinomoto**

"Our birthday boy has now brought the scoreboard in to yet another tie with both teams at 9. During the bathroom break, I started to ponder whether I should bring up the terms in public…" Just as he was about to continue his announcements, he noticed Eriol and Meiling already giving Syaoran tips at their side. "Whoa, what's this? The eliminated players are now backing up their leader! The All-Stars are becoming real serious with this final match up! What would the Troopers do now?"

While Sakura stretched her arms and jumping up and down to warm herself up, she heard Touya's voice calling at her. "Sakura, get over here really quick."

"Hoe?" She dashed to her team and then spotted Fujitaka waving at her while holding her Chiirou stuffed animal. "Dad!"

Fujitaka handed Chiirou to her. "For good luck, Sakura." He and Touya both winked at her.

"Hoe, thank you so much!" She embraced her dark grayish green teddy bear and headed back to her spot. Behind her, her eliminated teammates began to cheer enthusiastically for her.

"Trip! Trip! Trip! Trip! Trip! Trip! Trip! Trip!"

"What's going on here?" Yun announced. "While the All-Stars are having last-minute scheming, the entire Troopers are now cheering for their team leader with the word 'trip'! Why 'trip'? What do they mean by 'trip'? Sounds like someone's about to go on a 'trip' for sure! Let's just see what happens next, ladies and gentlemen!"

After the All-Star team broke apart, Syaoran dashed to his spot, only to find himself aback once he spotted his opponent holding on to her favorite teddy bear. He blushed immediately and lowered his head to hide it from the public.

"You're kidding, right…?" Syaoran muttered and then turned to Yun. "You can't do that… can you?"

"What?" Yun asked curiously.

"That!" Syaoran pointed his finger towards Sakura, referring to the stuffed animal.

"As long as she doesn't use it as some kind of a violent weapon against you, Xiao, it's perfectly fine."

"Man, that's lame!"

"If you have a cute little teddy bear to counter hers, then by all means, bring it up to the showdown!" Yun grinned.

"Hell no!"

Yun slightly backed away from Syaoran and changed the pace. "Well then, let's get the final showdown started? Is everyone ready?" The crowd broke their silence and their voices and cheers roared throughout the auditorium. "Li Xiaolang, the birthday boy and the future leader of the all-powerful Li Clan of China, because you're the current winner, you will be making your opening statement to start this showdown. Are you ready, Li-kun?"

"More than ready," Syaoran gave a smirk on his face.

"And are you ready also, Kinomoto-chan!"

"Ready!" Sakura waved cheerfully.

"Here we go— on three! One… two… three… start!"

Syaoran suddenly fell silent for a few seconds. At first he already knew his opening statement, however with those huge emerald eyes and that darn teddy bear in her hands, he found himself already trapped and distracted. He needed to start or else he may blow this game and have to find— and pay— for a good vacation trip for the opponents. While contemplating to himself (and Sakura patiently waiting), he suddenly recalled one little flashback. Another lost memory recovered! After remembering and contemplating that particular flashback, he finally found a brand-new opening statement.

"You know, your government needs to change your country's name," Syaoran suddenly spoke.

"Hoe?" Sakura asked curiously while clinging on to her stuffed animal. "How come?"

"You know as much as I do the very first Japanese word you taught me when we were little. You remember, right?"

"Hoe?" Sakura started contemplating on that particular memory. "Umm…"

"The first word you taught me when we first met just happens to be standing right before me…"

"Oh my!" Sakura shrieked in surprise while the crowd began to give their alluring awws.

"What is this?" Yun gasped in shock. "Are you really Li Xiaolang? The Li Xiaolang we all know do not make the first moves on a girl since it's always the other way around, but… what on earth kind of game are you trying to pull here, man?"

"Mochiron!" Sakura suddenly exclaimed, which made everyone silent. "Because you said on that same day, 'sakura is really pretty'!" Once again, more awws screamed out while Syaoran slightly lowered his head, scratching his head gently.

"Mochiron!" Syaoran chuckled. "You know, I have to admit that when you taught me that word, at first I thought 'sakura' means 'heaven..' You were actually pointing at the tree with those little flowers above us."

Once again, more awws are heard. "Hoe?" Sakura laughed. "Mochiron! It's the first thing that the flowers see when they go in full bloom!"

"Mochiron! Flowers have eyes, really?"

"Mochiron! I got really happy when your dad said that you said that 'sakura is pretty' and I agree because sakura trees really are pretty!" From out of the blue, Sakura's tone changed. "But then now I'm not sure because your dad probably made that up instead of the actual translation…"

"What the—" Syaoran refrained himself from chuckling while the others simply broke in to laughter. "Mochiron! You're all over the place whenever I'm standing on Japanese ground! Whenever I want to look at flowers, I see you! When I see the trees, I see you! Even a lot of products you sell at your grocery stores has you in them! That's why this country's name should be changed instead!"

"Mochiron!" Sakura giggled and replied in a sing-song tune. "It's because I'm love-able~!"

"Gah!" Syaoran exclaimed.

"Oh my! It's the lethal _innocent kawaii _attack from Kinomoto! How will Li counter that! That's quite special!" Yun exclaimed.

"Mochiron!" Syaoran called out. "You're doing a dirty tactic, Sakura. I mean, what's up with the stuffed animal? Are you planning to use poor little Chiirou against me?"

"Mochiron!" Sakura cheered. "Because I think stuffed animals are way better than boys!"

Syaoran began to chuckle. "Mochiron. But you're not just talking about stuffed animals in general. You're talking about a stuffed animal named Chiirou. The only reason why dweebs like Sakamoto don't wanna date you, not because of the fact that you got a stuffed toy to cling on, it's because they're scared when they find out the meaning behind the name 'Chiirou.'"

More reactions broke out while Yun makes another side comment. At that point, those who had their smartphones with them began to look in to their dictionary apps to look up the root meaning or even the Kanji text of the Chiirou name.

"What's this? There's a deep meaning behind this sweet girl's teddy bear's name? Birthday boy Li Xiaolang counters the innocent kawaii attack with the subliminal ego attack! Now even the crowd is checking their phones to see how the name Chiirou is written in Kanji and maybe they can get a—"

"Mochiron!" Sakura snapped her fingers with a smile on her face.

"Ooh boy, okay, let's proceed now," Yun cleared his throat.

"Ahem," Sakura cleared her throat first and then she smiled at Syaoran while cuddling Chiirou closer to her. From out of the blue, she began to sing:

_Chiirou, my darling, I love you…_

"Eh?" Syaoran blinked in surprise while everyone suddenly fell silent. At the Tomoeda Troopers' side, Tomoyo lead the team into clapping their hands as if they were providing the percussion of her little song. Sakura began swaying as the rest of her team began swaying along with her. The song continued on.

_Chiirou, my darling, I love you_

_I hope you know it because it's true_

_I'll love you always so please don't be cruel_

_I see you in the morning_

_I see you in the night_

_And you are mine forever_

_And that's a long long time_

_Chiirou, my darling, oh how I love you…_

As the song ended, an array of applauses (for the singing) and more awws (for the rather sweet moment) roared, with the host making yet another side comment. "By the tone of the awws and the kyaas from the crowd, Sakura-chan counters Li's subliminal ego attack with a subliminal song attack! This is seriously becoming to be a Musical Mochiron! Sure, the song may be about her teddy bear and most of us would think that's silly, but why is Leader Xiao reacting as if the song was a big deal? There's gotta be a different motive behind the song aside from loving the teddy bear!"

"Mochiron!" Immediately, Syaoran called out the magic word, making the crowd silent.

"And the birthday boy will not back down! The showdown continues!"

Right then, Syaoran lifted his head and gazed directly towards Sakura. "Chiirou is lovable, I agree. He's supposed to be lovable. After all, he was made with nothing else but love…" Another set of awws and woos echoed through the auditorium while Sakura quickly hid her blushing face behind her teddy bear.

"Mochiron… it's the reason why I named him after the one who made Chiirou… because the one who made him… _made me think_ that he loves me…"

"Oh my! The innocent pity attack!" Yun exclaimed. "We all know how Li Xiaolang is a hundred percent immune to any pity acts from girls and a hundred percent immune to any girl's cute charm that we would essentially call him an ice-cold jerk—"

Syaoran blinked his eyes. "What? What are you talking— I mean mochiron!" He then cleared his throat while glaring at Yun for that statement.

"— except with Sakura Kinomoto, who's just a plain jane girl from a small town called Tomoeda with many talents and spunk and… Chiirou the stuffed bear… things are different now!"

"Don't you know, Sakura, guys are shy! They don't want to admit it because it can ruin their… manliness… and he was confused… and when he finally realized his true feelings, it was too late. And so, in hopes that you would never forget him, he poured all his love and soul in to Chiirou and gave it to you before he left. Unfortunately, circumstances happened and that… I'm sure… he's very sorry that he made you wait this long…"

"Awwwww…"

Yun makes another side comment. "Can you two give us a little clue as to who may this creator of the ever-cute Chiirou the stuffed bear be? Seems the two of you are quite close to this creator… right?"

"Mochi—" Just as Sakura was about to answer, Syaoran immediately interrupted.

"I'm not finished yet."

"Whoops, sorry!" Sakura covered her mouth while Yun decided to stay silent.

"Now you're facing me and you're holding Chiirou in your arms, Sakura… he hasn't been in his best moods as of late. As he began to recall everything he lost throughout these years he felt more sadness than happiness that he wished that he had just forgotten all that forever. He's now begging for your forgiveness because of that. But he now wants to forget all that so that he can just create brand-new memories with this fresh and new feeling."

"Hoe? What feeling is that?"

"You know… the same feeling as your feelings for your little Chiirou."

"Hoe!" Sakura gasped while others broke in to more awws and woos that even others were getting rather sick of all the mushy, fluffy scenario.

"Looks like plenty already knew the meaning of little bear Chiirou's name! Subliminal approach!" Yun exclaimed.

"Mochiron!" Sakura gasped, taking a deep breath. "But you're just saying all this just so we can entertain and awe the viewers, right?"

Laughter roared from all sides while Syaoran covered his mouth and chuckled. "Mochiron! We've always been known that way when we're together, Sakura. We make a good team to make everybody watching us get hyped up. We found the discovery of our powers combined on our first soccer game back in second grade with you being the first-timer in that day!"

Yun made his side comments again. "That's true, actually, that's no bluff! They got witnesses to prove Li's statement was real. Yamazaki was there and I was there!"

"Mochiron!" Sakura cheered happily. "I hate math… but I managed to get good grades in math because of you. You always watched my back all the time and I'm grateful. I wonder if you can help me do my summer math homework next month so I'm assured that I'm gonna graduate high school in the spring. Will you?"

As oohs and aahs broke out, Syaoran makes his response. "Mochiron! But you know, heh… you'll definitely get a higher grade in math if it's just you and me alone…"

"Whoooooo!"

"What the—?" Yun exclaimed. "From Chiirou to math? Where is this leading to now? Li, maybe you need to have a glass of water or something so you can get yourself together and get your game back!"

"I'm fine, Yun," Syaoran glared.

"Erm… right. Of course you are!"

"Mochiron!" Sakura responded. "But… how can you help me with my math homework? Calculus is really hard and… you'll be busy with the movie shoot and then we'll all have to go back to school for our club activities and all that right after summer sports camp in August… and…"

"Mochiron!" Syaoran gave a slight snicker. "Maybe if you surrender to me in this game and become my personal slave, all the more you'd spend time with me doing some errands— by being my slave, of course— in exchange, I give you homework help."

"Whoa!" Yun exclaimed while the others roared out their reactions. "Now this is the Li Xiaolang that we all know of— the schemer, the blackmailer! That's just plain cruel, Li! All of that towards Tomoeda's sweetest girl too!"

"Mochiron!" A variety of gasps were heard once Sakura tightened her fist when she said the magic word. "Either way, you'd still be helping me with my summer math homework, Syaoran."

"And why's that?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"Because you made a promise when we first saw each other again… that you would protect me, that you would trust me with your life and I trust you with mine, and that you'd do whatever you can not to make me cry, so… if you don't help me with my homework… you'll make me cry…"

"Gah!" Syaoran gulped while the crowd broke in to a myriad of laughter.

"Whoa! Li's blackmail attack has turned against him! Sakura counters with another blackmail attack!" Yun gasped. "What a turn of events!"

"And if I become your slave and you make me do all your dirty work, I'll cry too…"

"Ack!" Syaoran began to grit his teeth.

"And besides…" Right then, Sakura's voice trailed in to a whisper and then gave a sad expression on her face. "You already made me cry… when you said that you were only pretending you love me when we were little once you started remembering your lost memories… I try to be cool about it but deep inside…" She then tightened her grip around her teddy bear and then lowered her head against the bear's head as if she was about to cry.

"Awww…" Everyone immediately sympathized with Sakura while Syaoran noticed his mother at the audience shaking her head against him. He gave a bewildered expression right at her.

"That's a blackmail counter and a double guilt trip attack from Kinomoto the younger, ladies and gentlemen!" Yun announced. "Let's see how Li would be able to get out on this—"

"Mochiron!" Syaoran immediately interrupted Yun and the others with that magical word.

"Oh boy… looks like the Li Xiaolang that everyone's familiar with has finally emerged…"

"Either way, you're gonna be mine," Syaoran flatly spoke the words, which also threw off everyone watching the game.

"Hoe?" Sakura's head suddenly lifted from the bear's head and stared at him in bewilderment. "What?"

From out of the blue, he too began singing:

_You're mine_

_And we belong together_

_Yes, we belong together_

_For eternity_

At this point, just like the Troopers earlier with Sakura's "Chiirou" song, the All-Stars also began clapping their hands in beat to Syaoran's little song.

_You're mine_

_Your lips belong to me_

_Yes, they belong to only me_

_For eternity_

_You're mine, my baby_

_And you'll always be_

_I swear by everything I own_

_You'll always, always be mine_

_You're mine_

_And we belong together_

_Yes, we belong together_

_For eternity_

After the song ended, applause as loud as Sakura's performance earlier with the "Chiirou" song broke out, while Syaoran gently scratched his head while saying thanks.

"That's a double-attack from Li this time! He counters with the divine ego attack and a Musical Mochiron attack! Will Leader Sakura be able to get—"

"Mochiron!"

"Okay… I'll shut up now…" Yun slowly backed away and let the showdown continue.

"You got one little technicality in your little ditty, Syaoran!"

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Syaoran snickered.

"How on earth can you be so egotistical and actually declare in your song that my lips belong to you, huh?" Quickly she placed her finger on to her lips. "You forget that I'm a purebred Tomoeda girl who would never give a single inch of herself to any guy no matter how lovable he is!"

"Ouch!" Yun exclaimed. "She got you there and your little booboo in your song, Xiao!"

"Yeah?" Syaoran continued on with his smirk. "Mochiron! I'm rather surprised you'd say such a thing. As far as I know, girls such as yourself would never, ever forget that special boy who gave them their first kiss—"

"Wha the— oh no!" Sakura shrieked and then covered her face using Chiirou. _Why on earth __did I say that? Stupid stupid stupid Sakura! I forgot that he already kissed me when we were little… what on earth was I thinking?_

Yun gasped and the others broke out their excited expressions. "Did Li Xiaolang state these words for the sake of the Mochiron Showdown entertainment? Or was that a super-deep secret that only these two unrequited lovebirds share that shouldn't be revealed in public but now… already out on the open? Well, it looks like Leader Sakura was completely affected by it and couldn't seem to find her way back out on this one, which also reminds me— her ten second wait is up!"

Sakura pouted and turned her head towards he entire team. "Sorry, guys…"

Tomoyo approached her best friend and embraced her. "It's okay. We may end up being their slaves but they'll be always busy with their movie shoot that they'll probably just forget about us, ne?"

Quickly, Touya ran to the two girls with a panicked expression on his face. "Is this true? About that brat being your first kiss?! You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Oniichan, it's… um… well…" Sakura found herself dropping her head and giving out a huge sigh.

"Why that bratty little swine! Wait till I get my hands on him!" Touya's fists began to tighten while Sakura blocked him from getting nearer to the other side of the stage.

"Oniichan, it's not his fault! I let him kiss me, okay? And… and he asked permission too…" She gave a huge sigh and lowered her head. "I… wanted him… to kiss me… Oniichan…"

Touya gave a huge frown and then give a deep sigh. "You really care about him that much, do you, squirt…?"

"And there you have it! The Winner of the Mochiron Showdown is— Birthday Boy Li Xiaolang and the CBLW All-Stars! Final score: All-Stars - 10, Troopers- 9!" Yun announced while Syaoran and the rest of the All-Stars began exchanging hi-fives with each other. "Oh, Madame Yelan just waved at my direction with an envelope in her hand! I wonder what could be inside?"

Yun ran to where Yelan was standing and reached out for the envelope. She whispered to the host, as Yun nodded. He headed back on stage. "In this envelope is the special prize for the All-Stars, courtesy of Li Enterprises!" He opened the envelope and then unfolded the paper.

"Congratulations, CBLW All-Stars! You have the privilege and the honor of spending one special dinner night with the elders of the Li Clan at the very palatial Plum Manor right up at the estates of Tomoeda Hills! What a wonderful treat indeed!"

"Eh?" Syaoran exclaimed while Meiling and Eriol also showed rather shocked reactions. "That's it? Just some lame two-bit dinner with the elders?"

Yelan overheard her son's complaints and shouted back: "What are you expecting us to give you idols as a prize? Money? Don't push your luck, kid, and be more respectful towards your elders!"

"Whatever…" Syaoran rolled his eyes while Meiling and Eriol simply patted him on the shoulders.

"Now, as we all get our sleeping bags and futons ready for a long night's sleep till Monday morning, what would become of the Troopers, now that they have lost? Will they ever receive punishment or will they be released scot-free and have another chance at a rematch? We'll find out very soon enough!"

#

An hour later, just like any other pajama party, all the guests who came will be sleeping through their sleeping bags and futons set up at the grounds of the auditorium. There were a few who were allowed to sleep on the stage, which happened to be the Li Clan who attended the party: Syaoran, Meiling, and Eriol included.

The Kinomotos found their spot near the stage, right at the center. Fujitaka and Touya brought their king-sized futon with them so that all three of them would be able to sleep together. On their position, Fujitaka slept in the middle, while Touya and Sakura slept at the ends of the futon. Good thing their futon was big enough to fit three people there.

With the lights already dimmed and both the Kinomoto father and son already deep asleep, Sakura remained awake, unable to sleep herself, even with Chiirou in her arms. The Mochiron Showdown game sure drained much of their energy, and once she already had him where she wanted— and even thought of finally defeating him at one thing in their history of their intimate friendship— she ended up in defeat once more. Even though his statements used against her for the sake of winning were somewhat intimate and private, she still had to admit his natural wit. She thought she was witty, heck, everyone who knew her thought she was the wittiest teen in all of Tomoeda, but not as witty as that of Syaoran Li.

She recalled every single statement he used and found herself blushing. She already knew he was pretending for the sake of the game and of course, he as an idol still had to entertain his audience, and because this was his birthday party, she also had to go along with him. Still, they did succeed in riling up everyone in excitement, which was one major thing that they were good at when they're together.

_We really are a good team at everything, ne?_ She heard her voice speaking inside her again. _But now, why does it seem that we feel so… apart now…?_

She began to feel nervous of what may happen tomorrow. Yun did warn them beforehand that the Mochiron game may become dangerous and despite the whole "don't take it personal" rule, majority of those who got in the game did take plenty of things that went on in that game seriously, which even included Tomoyo, Touya, and most of all, herself.

She continued to toss and turn, but to no avail, her eyes still wide open. It wasn't because she couldn't sleep, it was because she felt that the night shouldn't be over like this. _I need to talk to Syaoran… but he's sound asleep already…_

She reached for the hem of the futon's blanket and then wrapped it over her to keep herself warm in an auditorium that was already becoming cold from its low-powered air conditioning system. She gave a loud sigh and tried to sleep by closing her eyes. Just as she thought she finally found peace, her sleep was immediately interrupted by a rather loud snore.

She turned her head to see where the snoring was coming from. It wasn't coming from her father, that's for sure. It was coming right from her brother. All the more reason why the two have separate bedrooms in the first place.

She found herself getting up from the family futon and then gazed at everyone else throughout the floor and on the stage. At the stage, where the Lis were taking their slumber. She noticed that there were two empty futons on stage. She didn't want to make guesses as to who those two may be and decided to head out of the auditorium to have a good fresh summer air.

On her way to the door, she heard a faint door closing behind, then soft footsteps heading at her direction. She turned to see that person turning on the flashlight, despite of the dim lights already on at the ceiling. Sakura gave a sigh of relief.

"Sakura-chan, you're awake?"

"Wei-san! You too?"

"I went to the restroom for a bit, then I have to go back to my reading. I'm having a difficult time sleeping myself."

"Me too," Sakura nodded. "I was gonna head out and walk around the campus a bit. I won't be too far."

"Well, if that's your intentions are, Sakura-chan, I think it would be a whole lot safer if I come with you."

"Really? Thanks so much, Wei-san!"

The two headed out and the ground lights were on, bright as ever. Even though the night was indeed dark, the starlights, the shining moon, and the ground lights illuminate the elegance of the university campus. They headed for the green area, which also resembled the open meadow they were familiar with back in Tomoeda. While they exchanged a few chats, Wei stopped his stroll.

"Hoe? What is it?" Sakura asked curiously.

"You and I are not the only ones who can't sleep tonight, Sakura-chan. I think the third one would like to have some company."

Sakura immediately assumed who that may be and immediately nodded. "I'll keep him company."

"That would be appreciated. I'll be nearby to watch over the two of you."

"Thanks, Wei-san!" He accompanied her further down the green field area and found some set benches. Right there, a familiar figure sat on one of them, looking rather busy doing something. Right next to that figure was something that looked like a pillow.

Sakura waved at Wei as he took a seat at one of the nearby benches. She dashed through the field to reach that figure.

"Found you— Syaoran!"

The young man gasped and turned his head. "You're awake, Sakura?"

"Yeah! I can't sleep. My brother's snoring was way too loud…"

Syaoran patted the space next to him as Sakura accepted the invitation by sitting next to him. She still carried the Chiirou stuffed animal with her.

"Mou… what a night, ne?"

"I know, right."

"Who would have thought that the new Mochiron game would actually get people so excited?"

"Anything with me in it gets people excited."

"So conceited!" Sakura laughed, gently pushing Syaoran away from her as he also broke in to laughter. "So, you and your fellow stars are gonna have a special dinner party with the clan elders! What a prize!"

Syaoran frowned. "That was not expected, seriously. I bet if you guys would've won, they would've given you a better prize."

"Maybe." She shrugged. "So, I bet you idols are so excited to have all of us become your slaves for the entire week starting tomorrow, huh? You haven't even told us what's gonna happen yet."

"Erm… about that…" Syaoran cleared his throat. "I guess Director Terada or anyone else from the movie staff has informed you yet. We had a last-minute meeting about it yesterday. We only informed Meiling last night after the dinner party."

"Hoe? What's it about?"

"The whole bet thing… I really wanted to win the Mochiron game earlier so the stars and I have an excuse to see you and everyone involved in the shooting for at least one more week before we leave—"

"What?" Sakura gasped in shock that she stood up from her seat.

"Wait, just listen. Please sit." Sakura slowly sat back down. "There's been a change of plans. There's a certain spot or something in some place called Kagamineshi where Director Terada wanted to do this one particular scene instead of over here and apparently, we'll be away from Tomoeda for the rest of July. Yun will be traveling with us because apparently, his cousin, another K-Pop idol named Oh Seung Gi, will be arriving in Sendai Airport, so it's on the way, and another dance scene there so he's needed also. We won't even get to see you guys until August, just in time for the summer festival. Plus, there has been some security issues with us and the nosy media and the fans that the producers wanted the movie sets completely restricted and that the extras are no longer allowed in the set at all times unless they were called in and needed to be there." He took a deep breath and gave a sad sigh. "You can't even bring me lunch anymore, Sakura…"

"Hoe…" Sakura then gave a rather sad look on her face. "But that's about two weeks, Syaoran… and I don't get to see you?" He then gave a nod. "And I've heard of Kagamineshi, it's all the way at the other side of Sendai. It's a long drive from here."

"But we'll be back in Tomoeda in August. We still got the beach scenes to do and we'll be back in time for the summer festival. We get to do a few movie scenes during the festival too."

"Wow! I can't wait for that day! I wonder what kind of a scene the festival may be?"

"Er…" Syaoran quickly coughed so he would have the opportunity to change the subject. "The whole slave thing… well… it's the only way for me to be able to see you at least one more week before we leave for that Kagamineshi place and… you're only going to make me lunch. I don't know what the other stars have in mind with the rest of your team, but we already made the deal that the team leader would be mine…"

Sakura lowered her head as she found herself blushing. "There's that word again…"

"What?"

"'Mine'… like in the Mochiron Game earlier…" Syaoran fell silent while Sakura continued. "That was all for the game, right? The whole… 'either way, you're mine'… game you were playing against me earlier? Wasn't it? You were just pretending?"

He leaned against the bench and gazed right at the shining stars. He took a deep breath while she gazed at him, waiting for him to answer. Some moments later, he lowered his head and turned to her with serious eyes. She went on with her words.

"I now know that you had to do what you had to do with me so that you'll finally have your space… and now that you remember the real deal about us… um…" She swallowed nervously and took a deep breath. She stood up and faced him directly. "I know you don't have the same feelings as I do, but it's all too late!" She sighed again. "I'm already in love with you, Syaoran Li. I… I just knew from the beginning… ever since I taught you how to say my name… I knew you were someone special… you weren't just a foreign kid in town who doesn't speak the same language as I do… you're… that is… As one of the girls in love with you, even though you don't feel the same way for me…" She tightened her fist and took another deep breath. "I'll do whatever it takes for you to give me a chance! I… I know there's so many girls out there who are way better than me but— I think— no, I know— I know that I have the best chance with you compared to all those girls… those Wolfpups… those girls from the elites like Maiko Horibe… those idol girls like Mai Hirashiki… I know I'm better than them! I'm letting the ego talk to you right now, you hear me?" She swallowed. "There… I said it."

She sat back down at a distance from him, lowering her head, then clinging on to Chiirou all at the same time. She bit her bottom lip as to prevent herself from shedding any tears.

"You… don't have to worry about that… Sakura…"

She lifted her head. "Hoe?" She turned her head, where she met bright amber eyes gazing at her.

"I'm done pretending."

"Syaoran…"

At that moment, he brought out something rather familiar. A handmade flower wreath made out of dianthus flowers— the same kinds that the two, along with Touya and Yukito, some thirteen years ago used to make— was revealed and he placed it right on to her head. She then held on to the wreath and blushed without realizing a few tears were about to fall from her eyes.

"This is beautiful, Syaoran… did you make it?" The eighteen-year-old nodded. "Th-thank you…" She closed her eyes just so her eyes would stop shedding any more tears. What she did not expect to happen in this scenario suddenly happened.

She felt something soft, warm, tender, and gentle, and somehow behind this overwhelming feeling, this was no act at all. This was definitely real. Right then, she felt strong arms wrapped around her, and followed suit by wrapping her arms around his neck.

She lost count on how long her childhood love intended to plant her lips with his kiss, but who cared. It was just the two of them underneath the summer stars at the benches of Clow Reed University, unless if you counted the Lis' trusted right-hand man, Wei, who was just sitting nearby watching over his young master and the once little girl from next door. When she found him withdrawing from her, she couldn't help but to stare directly at his amber eyes.

"You were right about my dad… lying to you about what I said on that day…" He muttered. "I said you were really pretty… well the tree was pretty too but… I was referring to— Hey!" From out of the blue, Sakura threw her arms around him and planted a kiss on the cheek, making Syaoran chuckle.

"Then you really do love me!" Sakura cheered happily.

"Y-yeah… I do…" He calmed her down by removing her arms around him and instead held her hands tight to his. "I do love you… Sakura…"

Sakura nodded with a smile on her face. "I love you, Syaoran Li."

He pulled her slowly to him and caught her lips on to his, eyes closed and pushing everything surrounding them away but each other. Moments later, he released her and then found Chiirou already lying flat on her lap. He picked Chiirou up and then placed him on his other side, where the pink stuffed bear with wings had been sitting all along.

"Ying Fa finally found her true love…" Syaoran smiled.

"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed and scooted closer to see the two handmade Tomoeda stuffed animals sitting together. "Aww… they make a lovely couple!"

"This'll be our little secret… for now…" he whispered.

"Okay. I also feel kind of uncomfortable telling anyone else about… us… right now…"

"Well, it's okay to tell your father… and I guess Aniki too…"

"Aniki?" Sakura asked him curiously.

"It's who I used to call Yukito-senpai when I was little…"

"Ah! Aniki… big brother…" Sakura nodded happily.

"So yeah… just them. Wei already knows, I mean he's right there behind us… but I can't afford telling my parents or anyone else I'm close with on my side."

"Why not your parents?"

"If I told my mom she would make a big fuss about it. If I tell Dad he too would make a big fuss about it and then piss the elders off. You don't wanna know what happens if I tell Eriol and Meiling about it either." She giggled as her reply. "So, promise me that you won't tell anyone else other than your dad and Aniki… Not Touya-senpai and most of all, don't tell Daidouji."

"I promise," she grinned.

"Okay then. Not yet anyway… I don't think the world is ready for us just yet… so…"

"I am ready for the two of you, Master Xiaolang." The two teens were startled to hear Wei's voice speaking right behind them.

"Oh, Wei-san!" Sakura cheered.

"Your secret is safe with me, I assure you that. But it's getting really late now. For all we know any one of the adults may be awake and noticing us missing. Let's all head to bed."

"Alright. That's a good idea, Wei. Come on, Sakura, let's head back."

Sakura gave a frown. "I wish I could sleep next to you, Syaoran. My brother's snores are really loud…"

He laughed. "I'll let you go to sleep first. When you're already sound asleep I'll have Wei carry you back to your futon before your father or your brother wakes up."

"Thanks, Syaoran." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. The three made their way back to the auditorium to sleep.

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**A/N:** I wrote as much as I can. I would've gotten longer but I think this is long enough LOL. Sure, it's a little longer than the "part two" of the Pajama Party scene, but like I said, long enough. In the next few weeks I may get slow on the updating because of my career-building plans. I'm gonna spend more time doing online training and possibly volunteering just to build up my resume, but most of all, I seriously need a job in which I can earn moolah in order to survive.

I know, I promised myself not to rant anymore against the "trends" that I've seen in many of today's CCS fanfics as of late, but in this case, I seriously have to LOL. I as a writer have faith and belief in the readers. There's a reason why we're all readers and avid fans of stories in the first place anyway. We're able to translate words in to visual things that we could see in our powerful, imaginative minds and even be able to place ourselves in the character's shoes, and because of that fact, we really can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter after we read the last few paragraps of the chapter we just finished. When we see a new chapter up, we're ready to jump in to the start of the new chapter. That being said, another "trend" that I spotted that I find distracting again as a reader is authors write a "chapter recap" right above the chapter before the actual beginning of the new chapter. What I mean by this is when the author copies the last few paragraphs of the last chapter and then pastes them on top of the new chapter with the heading of "CHAPTER RECAP" or "PREVIOUSLY ON (insert fanfic title here) _before _we can actually read the beginning of the new chapter. First of all, unless if the reader has early signs of Alzheimer's Disease, we _do not need _to have a "chapter recap" passage on top of the new chapter. If we forget about what happened in the last scene, we can always refer back to the last chapter and read them. Second, in some cases, I think that using this "cheap trick" just to make a chapter longer (when it's not) not only annoys the reader, but it's also distracting towards the train of thought as we read on from scene to scene. It makes me wonder sometimes whether I'm reading a written story or am I writing a TV series script. If it was moving pictures, then yes, a "recap" would be needed, but since this is all words and we got nothing else but our own imagination, we don't need any of these "chapter recaps." I hope I'm making sense here...?

Going back to "Stuffed Animal," I don't remember if I mentioned this in the previous chapters (can't remember now), but if I didn't, then I should punish myself for forgetting to mention this. I had Tomoeda located in Miyagi Prefecture, in which Sendai is the capital city (and the largest city) of tat said prefecture. Miyagi is a very picturesque place where you can see a mix of the forever-living nature, the past, and the present, much like the Kansai area (Osaka, Kobe, Nara, etc.). One of the main reasons I made the setting there is so I can have pay my respects to the victims of the 2011 earthquake/tsunami. Apparently, Miyagi Prefecture was hit the hardest by these natural disasters, with Sendai being one of the epicenters of that horrific earthquake that caused the tsunami that killed so many lives and caused heavy damage on many of the cities, towns, and villages at the coast of Miyagi. So, here's a little dedication to the people of Sendai and the towns and cities of Miyagi Prefecture.

Again, for those of you who are curious, look for the "Dangyunhaji" X-Man videos on YouTube so you'll get the idea of how the "mochiron" game goes. "Dangyunhaji" in Korean means "of course," so it's just logical that I'd call this "Mochiron Game," since "mochiron" is Japanese for "of course." I recommend checking out "Dangyunhaji: Lee Jin vs. Hye Sung" as an example of the "flirting" approach towards the game (as demonstrated with the Eriol vs. Tomoyo and Syaoran vs. Sakura showdowns in this chapter).

The Shakespearean poem that Eriol recited in his mochiron game against Tomoyo is Shakespeare's Sonnet #8. Songs used (with lyrics altered) are as follows: "Let Me Be the One" by The Paris Sisters (Tomoyo's song), "Eddie My Darling" by Kathy Young and The Innocents (except I changed "Eddie" to "Chiirou" on this one LOL), "We Belong Together" by Richie Valens (Syaoran's song). Yup. Old school songs again! ^_^

Finally, as I always end the author notes, shoutouts to the new followers and those who made "Stuffed Animal" as part of their favorite stories. Thank you very much!

Responses to the reviewers below!

**Jadelikescats** – Hello and welcome! Thanks for reading! I like cats too! (I have a cat named Tiger actually ^_^)

**agate-ilie –** (on ch. 9 & 10) I actually had a few reviewers who literally screamed at the "Tell me more about (him) and I'll become him" quote LOL. Regarding Rushball (Maika & Kyoka), I really do enjoy watching them. Glad you took some time to check them out, such talented and dang swag cute girls! Now you know the idea on the types of dance I was trying to portray in the story LOL. ^_^ I'll post more replies later for the respective chapters later LOL.

**Ria –** My family nickname is also Ria LOL. Nice to meet you! ^_^ In case you haven't read my author notes from the past chapters, "Stuffed Animal" is actually around 12 years old now (this was originally written back in 2001) and I did abandon it at that time. It wasn't until early this year that I decided to give it another chance, rewrite it, and actually finish it. I really do hope I do get to finish this one as well. ^_^

**Kiran** - _"__let me guess, eriol and tomoyo marry each other, while sakura and syaoron get married leaving meilin to be still single?"_ - Do me (and the readers) a favor. Don't guess, because most likely, your guess would be wrong. Just enjoy the story and go with the flow, just like everyone else.

**DualStarduster –** There's no such thing as a review that's too long. I think the review box has a character limit anyway LOL. Thanks for your tips and your words of encouragement though, I actually felt a whole lot better from the "distracting" reviews from the last chapter LOL. I don't have a beta reader/editor at the moment but I do plan on getting one after I'm done with the entire story LOL. I actually got my non-otaku friend (who's married to an anime/manga otaku) to check out CCS and I lent her the manga first. Unfortunately she don't get along with the English subs so she'll have to deal with the chopped up dub. Good thing I lent her the mangas LOL. It's that good, you know that already. ^_^

**agate-ilie** – (on ch. 11) What dish from real word resembles the Whisperjay Stew? Well... um... I'll leave that up to your imagination LOL. Imagine a dish that would work with or without the chestnuts LOL. I really have no idea to be honest. ^_^

**Littlepuppylost –** Hello there and welcome! I don't do "next chapter previews," nor "previously from the last chapter..." paragraphs either. I just find them distracting and I have a habit of leaving the readers craving for more at the end and if I put the "next chapter" preview thing then it wouldn't be as fun on the brink of anticipation in my opinion. I don't mind constructive criticism at all, but I don't like sarcastic "reviews," if you know what I mean. Thank you for your support! Hope you enjoy the Sakura vs. Syaoran mochiron showdown in this chapter! ^_^

**Narqissa** – Patience is always a virtue. Thank you for your support! ^_^

**agate-ilie** – (on ch. 12- no, ch. 11 LOL) You can assume anything, just don't be sarcastic about it LOL. ^_~ Let it be known that English has got to be the most difficult language to learn (English isn't my first language, by the way), so we have to forgive those who know the language but just don't have the complete grasp of it simply because it's not their native language. What's really disappointing is when native English speakers can't even comprehend the most basic grammar- the whole "your vs. you're" issue, for example. And as for long reviews, there's no such thing as a review that's too long LOL. (on ch. 12) Did you read my PM to you? My reply to that is basically there and again, thanks so much for pointing that out. I made the corrections already. ^_^

**DALUNA –** Hello!

**Kiran **(again) – I don't follow any deadlines, so the new chapter will come out when it's ready. Thank you for reading as always.

**Emilybooth3363 –** I'm going... going... XD

**aly-chan –** I'm still annoyed but I won't let that discourage me from continue on reading. Most CCS fics have obvious endings, but what's really important is how the story will get to that ending. It's not the ending that matters, it's how we get there from the beginning until we reach that destination. How to get there is where the real fun is, right? LOL. Hope your older sister is having better chances, so good luck to her. Good luck to us both.

**Dancingfingers –** Hello and welcome to "Stuffed Animal"! ^_^ Can you tell me who this favorite author may be? I should check out his/her works one day. No such thing as rambling. Just write what you wanna write and I read it all and I reply it all LOL. I guess I had to go to the approach of keeping the more familiar characteristics of the characters we love as the way CLAMP intended them to be because I've read so many fanfics that just give me the thought of "What the hell, he/she wouldn't do that!", etc. There aren't too many of those fanfics that keep most of the characteristics intended by CLAMP anymore and I hope that "Stuffed Animal" would change all the "trends," so to speak. Thanks for reading and read more as I add more! ^_^

**Aizawa LSV –** Good luck with your studies and midterm! Glad to hear you've got priorities. Some fanfic writers/readers I know of are just way too addicted that they sometimes forget what their priorities are and not do good in school because of the unhealthy obsessions LOL. Hope you enjoy the mochiron games on this chapter! ^_^

**Makeawhisdreambig –** Hello there! Glad you decided to come back! I really do wish I still have access to the ~daidoujitomoyo account so I could just upload this fic in there instead, but I'm glad you're able to find me in this new account. Remember the old "musical script format" of this story? I decided to rewrite all that and make it in standard novel format, so hopefully this would be a lot easier to understand. Welcome back! ^_^

Whew, it's almost 4 am here LOL. But it's a Saturday, so it's all good LOL. This is Adri Mars, signing off! ^_^


	19. 18: One-Week Slavery

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 18: ONE-WEEK SLAVERY**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

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**QUICK NOTE:** I write all my author notes at the end of each chapter, so please, don't forget to read them once you reach the end of this page. I'm putting this "quick note" back on because some of the reviewers don't read the author notes below- **_My replies to the reviewers are included in the author notes below!_**

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**RUBY MOON FIELDS AMPHITHEATER: Clow Reed University Campus (next day…)**

Everyone on the floor including the family on stage work up around 6:30 a.m. Sakura was fast asleep at the family futon that it took about five minutes for both Fujitaka and Touya to wake her up. Last night, or rather around six hours ago, Syaoran let Sakura sleep next to him in his futon for awhile. Wei sacrificed a bit of his sleep to watch for them until the girl was already sound asleep. It wasn't because she really wanted to sleep next to him, but the fact that she was sleeping, relatively, next to someone with a loud snore would definitely not help her have a good rest.

At around 7:30 a.m., the university provided their guests with a complimentary buffet breakfast at the student union building not too far from the Spinel Sun Auditorium. The student union still remained open for the students who still lived at the dorms for the summer term and that many of the younger kids had a chance to mingle with the college students there. This was obviously important for Sakura, Syaoran, and every other teenager present who will be graduating in the spring and that they have been shopping for a college they plan to attend next year.

Around 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., the guests would have to clean up their things, pack up, and say goodbye to one another. Some even made new friends and connections and that they guaranteed that they will see each other again at another Li Clan-hosted celebration. Around 10:00 a.m., the extras and the volunteers had a meeting at the stage area and learned from Director Terada that this week will be the last week that they would be working in Tomoeda before they head off to the other side of the prefecture to shoot scenes over there. Much to the locals' dismay, they did become excited when the director also mentioned that they will be returning back to Tomoeda to shoot the remaining scenes before they wrap up which will include the summer festival and the sports summer camp.

Not too far from the Spinel Sun Auditorium is a green park area known as the Ruby Moon Fields. The university's amphitheater and botanical center are located in this area, along with some picnic tables here and there and a vast flower garden. According to the college students there, Ruby Moon Fields is where they would normally hold the university's graduation ceremonies, but at the moment, the landscape services were there, already busy with maintaining the upkeep of the gardens and the lawn. Touya, Yukito, and Kaho, as three graduate students about to earn their masters degrees, will be walking down the aisles in this location in the spring.

At the front row of the amphitheater are the Tomoeda Troopers from the Mochiron Game last night. They were there, sitting in line having mixed reactions while they wait for their opponents to arrive. They were there waiting for one reason: learning the terms of the entire bet. In short, they want to know what they needed to do as the idols' personal slaves for the entire week.

While many have worried looks while sipping on their bottles of unsweetened iced tea on yet another hot summer day, Sakura was on the contrary. She couldn't help herself but smile. Their punishment for losing the Mochiron Game was the least of her concerns. Ever since she woke up in the morning (and as Syaoran promised, she woke up at her family futon with her father next to her), she couldn't help her heart beating rapidly after that very special moment she and Syaoran shared past midnight. Not only that, Syaoran finally revealed to her the winged pink stuffed animal she gave him for his farewell present seven years ago, the one called "Ying Fa."

She hoped that any of that was not a dream, but if it was a dream, it sure was very real. Reason why she had this suspicion because Syaoran, along with Eriol and Meiling, had to eat with the rest of the family rather than spending time with their friends. On the other hand, Sakura also ate with her family, along with the Daidoujis as well.

Still, the two kisses she and Syaoran shared last night… she can already hear her inner voice screaming "kyaaa" endlessly for the last five minutes.

"What are you so happy about, Sakura?" Tomoyo interrupted her blissful daydreaming. "Something good happened?"

"Well…" Sakura giggled, placing her hand on her mouth. "I had a wonderful… um… dream… last night…"

"Wah! Tell me!" Tomoyo gasped excitedly. "This should at least keep my mind off of what our punishment would be as slaves, girl!"

"But Tomoyo… if I tell anyone, it won't come true…" She chuckled.

"Waaah!" Tomoyo gasped once more. "Let me guess. Syaoran confessed to you and then you kissed?"

Sakura almost shrieked after hearing her last statement. She often wondered if Tomoyo was just plain strange or she actually had a hidden sixth sense that no one, not even her parents, knew about. She simply smiled in return, but unabling to contain her silence, she immediately screamed. "Kyaaaaaaaaa!"

"Hey!" Further down from their row was Touya, who called out at his sister annoyingly. "Would you keep your voice down?"

"Oh come on now, Touya-niichan, Sakura's just happy and excited, that's all."

"On what?" Touya raised his voice. "Because of her carelessness, we have to do all the dirty work for them idols— especially that brat!"

"Hey, it's not her fault, come on now!" Tomoyo frowned. "Everybody in Tomoeda knows how smart and clever Syaoran really is. I mean, before he moved out at elementary, he had the highest grades among all of us in school and he even has the highest IQ. Even with something trivial such as the Mochiron Game, it's kind of expected that he was gonna win anyway…"

"Mou…" Sakura frowned. "But I almost beat him… my tactics really affected him! I just made a little miscalculation, that's all."

"Miscalculation?" From out of the blue, Sakamoto stood up with fists tightened. "About your so-called first kiss? Did I actually hear this right— that your so-called first kiss happened to be from that arrogant bastard? What are you, an idiot?"

"Hey, buzz off, Sakamoto! It's only a game!" Tomoyo retorted in anger. "What she said to Li-kun during that game was just all for the sake of the game. He started flirting with her during the game so she had to go along with the same tactic! Geez!"

Immediately, Touya stood up and faced the chagrined young man. "Hey. Listen here, twerp. _I'm _the only one who can talk to her like that. Now sit down or I'm gonna bury your head in the ground, you hear me?" Sakamoto glared at Touya but did as he said anyway by sitting down.

"Now now, calm down, everyone," Yukito spoke in a calming voice, standing next to Touya. "You heard what the director said. They'll be away to do another movie shooting at another location for two weeks. Maybe their victory against us at the mochiron game last night was meant to be."

"What? What do you mean 'meant to be,' Yukito?" Touya asked curiously.

"I mean, they want to hang out with us this entire week before they leave. And because of this new restriction about not allowing anyone who isn't quite an official crew or cast member of the set, they had to create some kind of diversion or an excuse to allow us extras in as they want. I'm sure whatever chore that we need to do for them shouldn't be that bad."

Right then, Sakura stood up and faced her entire team, who looked a lot more stressed than relieved at this point. "Look, I'm really sorry, guys. I really wanted us to win and you know, have that awesome free trip with the idols too… I guess I blew it.." She sighed lowly while majority of the team hushed her.

"Aw, no worries, Sakura," Naoko said. "I had a lot of fun at the game, actually. I think the game itself somehow brought people together, and that counts a whole lot more than some measly free trip. Right, guys?"

"Yeah, we all had fun," Chiharu winked. "And we made really good memories with the idols too! This is one hot summer we'll never forget!"

"Yeah," Rika nodded. "Plus, this summer happens to be the last summer that we have as high school students. Next year we're all gonna be in our separate ways with college or junior college or even having a job. And we locals even got to go to Li-kun's birthday bash party with all the other celebrities and famous people there too. Best moment I'll ever have!"

"I agree," Yamazaki nodded. "Although the director said that they'll be back in time for the Tomoeda summer festival, a lot can happen in two weeks."

"Eh?" Chiharu gasped. "What are you talking about now, Taka?"

"You know… since there won't be any more annoying fangirls and even stranger locals hanging around the set, you know… it's just gonna be the cast and the crew now. Plus, I learned that they will be shooting quite a lot of kissing scenes too, especially Syao-chan's and Hirashiki's kiss scenes—"

"Eh?!" Chiharu shrieked while Sakura gulped nervously. She stood up and suddenly grabbed her boyfriend by the collar, shaking him back and forth. "This is the wrong time to make up crap just to tick us off, Taka, you hear me?!"

"Hey, Chiharu, I don't lie when it comes to people I know, yo!" Slowly Yamazaki released himself from her. "I overheard Syao-chan, Eriol, and those idol guys talking about it in the boys' restroom while I was washing myself this morning. Even Yun was with me too!"

"Oh no…" Chiharu bit her bottom lip. "What am I gonna tell the Wolfpups? I mean sure, it's kissing scenes for the movie, shouldn't be a big deal, but… you know how fangirls are!"

Sakura slowly placed her finger on her lips. _So, Syaoran's going to have his kiss scenes with Hirashiki-san in that Kagamineshi place he mentioned last night… maybe that's why he kissed me so he can practice…_Quickly she shook her head and fought her inner thoughts. _No, I can't think that! No, he kissed me because he loves me! Not because it's for the sake of his character in the movie… I just know it! Wei-san is an eyewitness!_

Right then, they hear a short ringtone coming from one of them. Naoko reached for her purse to read the screen on her phone. "That's Yun. They're on their way here now."

Ken Bunchin, who had been silent this time, swallowed nervously. "Oh no… goodbye freedom… hello one-week slavery…"

Everyone sat down at their spots again when Tomoyo started singing a familiar local tune that also made Sakura sing a duet with her. The others just listen along. Maybe their singing would calm them down.

_Hey there, dream boy_

_You stand so tall_

_You don't even see me at all_

_I'm all alone 'cause it seems_

_You're only mine in my dreams_

_Hey there, dream boy_

_You sure are fine_

_You're so good-looking_

_Wish you were mine_

_But if I never win your love_

_You'll always be my dream boy_

_In a crowd you sure stand out_

_And you set every heart a whirl_

_If I'm lucky maybe someday_

_You'll let me be your dream girl_

_Hey there, dream boy_

_You sure are fine_

_You're so good-looking_

_Wish you were mine_

_But if I never win your love_

_You'll always be my dream boy:_

"We're heeeere!" They hear Yun's familiar chirpy voice nearby and the entire team turned behind them to see him and the All-Stars team climbing down the elevated rows of the amphitheater, lead by Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling. On Yun's hand is a piece of paper that many of the troopers thought is a list of their names, the idol that they will be serving as one-week slaves, and probably the types of chores they need to do for them.

The stars sat on the edge of the amphitheater stage, facing the locals, as Yun stood right at the center, continuing as the mediator of the two opposing teams from last night.

"Hope you didn't wait long," Yun grinned.

"What do you mean? It's frickin' hot out here and our iced tea is getting warm!" Touya glared while Yukito patted him on the shoulder to calm him down.

"Now now, calm down, Kinomoto-senpai. I was at their meeting regarding the whole slave thing deal with the all-stars to make sure that they're being fair with you guys. Besides, the next three weeks will be really hectic and busy and they won't have time to sit around and slave all of you the entire day anyway, so we did a little research."

"Research?" Naoko asked curiously. "On what?"

"Why, on you guys, my love!" Yun smiled happily.

"You what?!" Naoko stood up with her fists tightened while Chiharu and Rika slowly held her back from advancing.

"Calm down, Naoko, just sit down!" Chiharu whispered while Naoko gave a glare towards her boyfriend.

"You guys are so antsy this morning!" Syaoran announced. "Well, I don't blame you. I'd be antsy too if I were in your position right now—"

"You open that big mouth of yours and you won't have a face to show off in public by tomorrow you stuck-up snotty little brat!" Touya warned him.

"Touya, come on!" Yukito warned him and remained his arm around his shoulders so the impatient Touya wouldn't lose his cool. "Lighten up."

"Don't worry about the whole research thing, Yanagisawa," Syaoran continued, "it's not like we snooped and hacked around to find info on you guys anyway. We actually asked the locals who came to the party last night about you guys, so yeah, I even asked your father about the two of you— Touya-senpai."

"Ugh… I can't believe Dad would actually give out private info about Sakura and me…" Touya gritted his teeth.

"Not me, Oniichan. Just you. Syaoran already knows everything about me," Sakura said.

"Whatever, dammit!" Touya crossed his arms.

"Well then, let's get started!" Yun smiled and then unfolded the piece of paper in his hand. "Not in particular order, the all-stars and myself have decided the roles you're gonna be doing as their one-week slaves for this week. I'm gonna go ahead and announce each and every one of you and what you're gonna be doing for the all-stars for this entire week, and if applicable, if you will be serving one particular idol. Let's start with— Yukito Tsukishiro."

"Alright," Yukito nodded, sitting up straight.

Yun cleared his throat. "Yukito Tsukishiro, the only grandson of Soun Tsukishiro and assistant manager of Mooncastle Diner, finishing up his graduate studies to earn his Masters in Business Administration with concentration on entrepreneurial management and currently engaged to the lovely Nakuru Akizuki, a teaching assistant at Tomoeda High School in hopes of becoming a full-pledged teacher herself. You will be responsible for providing all the meals for all of the idols except Li Xiaolang."

"Huh?" Yukito blinked. "But Mooncastle Diner is the official caterer of the movie cast and crew for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Isn't that the same?"

"Well, it's a little the same… except you will be doing the cooking and the preparation yourself. You will also be serving the food yourself also. No employees, no help. Your grandfather also mentioned that anyone can tell the difference between his cooking and your cooking, and since everyone is already familiar with your grandfather's cooking, they'll know if you really cooked or not."

Yukito shrugged his shoulders. "For a week, huh?" Yun nodded. "Alright. I'll be the idols' cook for the week."

"Next on the list— Touya Kinomoto."

Touya stood still and remained silent, but his notorious glare still lingered among the idols and Yun himself. "Let's get this over with…"

"Touya Kinomoto, grad student on his way to earning his Masters of Business Administration with a concentration on Human Resources Management in the next spring and currently engaged to Kaho Mizuki, a fellow grad student earning her Masters of Education degree in hopes of becoming a principal in a respectable school in the near future. Mizuki once said that you often tried to impress her by becoming a mentor to the underprivileged youth for a period of time. Therefore, as your new task as a one-week slave to the idols, you will be heading the one-on-one tutoring sessions with all the idols except for Li Xiaolang, Eriol Hiiragizawa, and Meiling Li. Their studying and tutoring sessions last about two hours long— in the late afternoon."

"What the— two hours? Two hours everyday?"

"Only for a week, Senpai," Yun grinned. "Their personal tutors are on a one-week vacation and they need a substitute to tutor them, but it's out of their budget. Since slaves don't get paid anyway, they're having you do the tutoring for them."

"You're kidding…" Touya frowned.

"You're a straight-A student yourself, Senpai, so it shouldn't be a problem. It's third year high school subjects anyway."

"Fine, fine…" He crossed his arms, turning his head away.

"Moving along on the list," Yun continued, "Takuya Sakamoto, son and heir to the Sakamoto Tea Company which was recently subsidized by the Li Enterprises—"

"Grr… did you have to mention the last part, Oh?" Sakamoto immediately complained.

"Your family also owns a chain of laundromats and dry cleaning services here and around the Sendai area known as Fresh and Free Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services, very topnotch service and very advanced cleaning technology!"

"Please don't make me do something really lame…" Sakamoto rolled his eyes.

"You're responsible for doing the laundry for all of the idols _including _Li Xiaolang's everyday. You are to take care of the laundry from hauling them at the movie set to one of your laundromats, wash them, sort them, iron them and hang them when necessary, fold them, and bring them back to the idols— segregated and neatly presented."

"What? By myself?!"

"Actually, you can get help from your fellow homeboys and your employees, although the employees part, that should be extra pay."

"Grr… do you losers actually know how long it takes to do their own laundry? That's too much work! Where the hell am I gonna get the money to pay my employees for the extra work?"

Yun shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you're rich, so I'm sure you'd be able to figure that out. Besides, we also took a survey among the locals and many of them are fans of these fine idols. They'd even do anything for their idols for free, so… that should give you a tip."

"This is unbelievable…" Sakamoto shook his head.

"Next on the list— Ken Bunchin!"

Ken blinked his eyes nervously. "Y-yes…?"

"Your mother works as the local veterinarian and a certified animal lover. You also worked as a volunteer in your mother's office when needed to take care of the animals also, is that correct?"

"Yeah? Part of our wealth comes from her own veterinary practice. Why…?"

"Aya Teramura, Erika Handa, Sakuya Tendou, Kotaro Ninomiya, Michiyo Kuno, and even Mai Hirashiki have a huge variety of really cute small dogs of rare breed." Yun suddenly gave him a huge smile. "Guess you already know what I'm gonna say next!"

Ken's eyes widened in shock. "You want me to take care of their dogs?" Yun nodded.

"You have to walk them too— all of them."

"Gaaah!" Ken shrieked in shock. "Just… how many are we talking about…?"

Yun turned to the idols. "Hey, how many dogs you guys have altogether?"

Eriol began counting using his brain. "I think around ten—"

"Ten?!" Ken suddenly dropped his head low. "This is crazy…"

"Well, you're the pet expert, Bunchin. I'm sure you'll do fine."

"This is injustice, man!" Ken pouted.

"Moving along down the list— my dearest Nao-chan!"

Naoko lifted her head up. "Yes?"

"Everybody knows that you're a respectable blog journalist around Tomoeda, and my love, we're very, very proud of you."

"Well… thank you, Yun-chan. I think…"

"All of the idols standing before you have official blogs that they and their managers update everyday. Because the idols and their managers will be very busy at the set, they won't have time to update their blogs for their avid fans and followers. Your job is pretty simple, Nao-chan. You have to take candid photos of the idols and upload them in their blogs. The managers have a long list of items that they also need to post in their idols' blogs, so they may want you to post them up also. It should be fun, fun, fun!"

"Are you kidding me, Yun-chan? Being a blog journalist is serious work! I have to even edit the photos and all of that and that takes a lot of work— and for all of the idols' blogs? That's like ten blogs!" Naoko crossed her arms.

"Sure, but you can use this to add to your resume when you apply for your spot at Todai next year, remember? And you'll get a brand-new, high-end desktop and a laptop for you to work on too!"

"Oh man… damn, you got me sold…" Naoko sighed deeply.

"Good girl!" Yun grinned. "Next after Nao-chan— Chiharu Mihara and Rika Sasaki!"

"Eh? Two of us at the same time?" Chiharu asked curiously.

"Since both of you are fanclub presidents, I'm pretty sure you two are curious as to what the officers of the official fanclubs do in Tokyo."

"Eh?" Rika asked curiously.

"The head branch of the Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa fanclub officers also sort and check out the incoming fan mail that thousands of fans send to the idols everyday. The officers will have to look through all of them and sort them, and by using their judgments, will choose which one of them can be read by the idol and which ones will be rejected and thrown away. If you think about it, that's a lot of work."

"Oh great…" Rika pouted. "So we have to sort all these incoming fan mail for our respective fanclubs?"

"Lucky for the two of you, you won't have to do that. You're Tomoeda branch officers."

"Whew," Chiharu and Rika sighed in relief.

"Instead, the fan mail that are considered 'go-through' to the idol will be the ones you will be handling. Your job is for you to open and read those fan mail that does go to the idol, and then you write them back and attached them with a special photo of the idol and mail them to the fans— handwritten."

"What?!" The two presidents shrieked in shock. "Handwritten?"

"You will be given special stationery for you to write on and they already have the signatures of the idols there. All you gotta do is write the message including the fan's name. The materials will all be provided for you."

"Well, at least we'll be familiar with the messages that we write since we're experts of Li-kun and Eriol-kun, ne?" Chiharu asked.

"Actually it's not just those two you'd be handling the fan mail. That goes for the rest of the idols too—"

"Frickin' hell no way!" The two girls exclaimed, but in the end, they knew they had no choice. A punishment is a punishment. "Maaan…"

"Well then, that's settled. Next on the list— Takashi Yamazaki."

"Great! I wanna hear this!" Yamazaki smiled.

"You'll be helping Mihara and Sasaki with the fan mail."

"Okay. What do I do?"

"Well, you'll be delivering all the fan mail coming in and going out everyday. You have an uncle who's the manager of your local post office, right? He should be able to help you haul out all those sacks of mail in his truck."

"That's not what I wanna hear…" Yamazaki's voice suddenly lowered. "And you call this fair…?"

"You'll survive, Yamazaki! Trust me!"

"Dude… you seem happy announcing this to us, Yun." Yamazaki suddenly shot a glare at him.

"Two more down the list!" Yun exclaimed excitedly. "We now got Tomoyo Daidouji!"

Tomoyo gazed at Yun with a calm look on her face, as Yun continued. "Also known as the grand princess of Tomoeda, your stars shine way too bright that even the idols themselves can't picture your slaving your life away for them for a week."

"Hey, just because I'm wealthy and I don't do any chores at home, doesn't mean I can't do anything useful at all, okay?" Tomoyo crossed her arms.

"Yours will be something creative. You'll be helping Nao-chan with the blog updates, except you will be taping candid videos of our idols behind the scenes, edit them, and then present them to Nao-chan so she can post them in their blog sites…"

"Oh, that should be fun," Tomoyo smiled.

"… in addition to doing their makeup and fitting their on-set costumes, and while Sakamoto does the laundry, you will also be shopping for new clothes for the idols. They'll give you their specs and everything—"

"Eh?" Tomoyo exclaimed. "That's too much work!"

"But you're really good at organizing your schedules, so… you'll find your way around in to juggling your schedule."

"But I rarely go shopping for clothes. I only go shopping at tailor stores for fabrics and sewing accessories!"

"You sewing new clothes for them takes too long and you know, they only got one week here."

Tomoyo sighed. "Alright. I'll… do my best to… find the latest store-made fashion for the idols…"

"Both girls and guys, by the way—"

"Alright, alright. I do both girls and guys, lucky for you…"

"Great" Yun grinned. "Last, but not least, our very sweet angel, Sakura Kinomoto!"

"Okay!" Sakura cheered happily. "So, what do I do, Yun?"

Yun then scratched his head. "Actually the lists says 'TBA' next to your name."

"Hoe? What's that mean?" Sakura asked curiously.

"I don't like the sound of that, kid," Touya glared with both his arms and legs crossed.

"Well, it's written as TBA because technically, you're only going to work for Li Xiaolang and no one else, and because of that, he's got his own agenda for you—"

"Hoeeeee?!" Sakura shrieked as Touya stood up, pointing his finger towards Syaoran.

"Didn't I warn you last night about messing with my sister, brat?"

"What are you mad about, Touya-senpai? Your tutoring sessions with the rest of my idol friends is a lot harder than what I have in store for Sakura, so chill!" Syaoran responded.

"It'd better be something that's fair for her, man. I still got my eye on you!" Syaoran shrugged his shoulders as he reached for his pocket to take out his list.

"Okay," Syaoran began. "Here are a few things that you would be doing for me on a daily basis for one week starting today: make me breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday; give me fresh iced water every time I'm on the set; you'll also have to help me practice my lines with the movie script; and also, while I'm working, I'm handing to you my phone. In every call you receive, you'll have to answer them, take their messages down on post-it notes and then leave them on my personal bulletin board. I hate checking my voice mail so I leave all the messaging to you. If it's my parents or my sisters, you'll have to hand the phone to me. If it's anyone else in my family, you'll have to take their messages down. And then there's miscellaneous tasks in addition…"

"Okay," Sakura nodded in agreement.

"Hey! That's a lot of work for one person to handle!" Touya complained.

"I can do them, Oniichan, calm down!" Sakura frowned towards her brother.

"Wei can do all of the things I listed on a daily basis and he's only one person. He'll be spending one week with my family so he won't have time to work with me on the set for this week. That's why I'm having Sakura do half of the usual things Wei does for me. That is all."

"Whoa…" Everyone gasped while Chiharu nudged Sakura on the side.

"I envy you, Sakura. I'd rather do what you'll be doing instead of doing stupid fan mail…" Chiharu whispered.

"Well… I know I won't be perfect the way Wei-san does them," Sakura muttered, "but I'll do my best! If Wei-san can survive all this daily, I can survive this for one week!"

"That's the spirit, Sakura!" Syaoran gave her a thumbs up.

"Okay, that's settled!" Yun cheered. "Since most of the guests already went home, time for us to get home too! The movie shooting starts in about forty-five minutes, so we should head back home to Tomoeda, get ready, and then meet us at the Li Home…"

"Li Home? Which one?" Meiling asked curiously.

"Oh, my bad," Yun laughed. "I mean the Yamazaki Home."

"Oh, next door…" Touya groaned.

"Okay! Let's head out right now!" The locals stood up from their seats and reluctantly headed back to the auditorium to pack up their things and meet with their parents so they can all head back home.

#

When everyone arrived home in Tomoeda, Sakura immediately headed straight to the kitchen to prepare for today's first homemade lunch for Syaoran as his one-week slave. On the way home earlier, Syaoran already handed his phone to her, which only meant that she can finally start taking calls and write down messages. Just to even show how much he trusts her with the whole girl-friday slavery bet, he even gave her his password to unlock his phone. When they all left the university, Syaoran remained behind. He said he and his family had a little appointment they had to tend to and will be back to Tomoeda in time for the movie shooting.

Just as the Kinomotos were settling down back home after one night of being away from home, they heard the doorbell ringing. Touya, who was currently looking in to certain educational websites to check the lessons the idols needed to study for his afternoon two-hour tutoring session later today, volunteered to answer the door. Fujitaka and his assistant, Dr. Sayaka Iwasaki, were already at the basement to continue their work. Dr. Koichi Mie and Dr. Chen Jintao will be arriving at their home at a much later time.

When Touya answered the door, a delivery man appeared before him. "Good day, Sir. I have a package for a Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto, Ph. D. Very sensitive and confidential contents, I was informed."

"Yeah? He's my dad," Touya answered. "Package, huh?"

"Please sign here, Sir." The delivery man gave him his mobile tablet and Touya signed his name. "Thank you. Have a good day, Sir."

"You too, thanks." As the delivery man left, the package was left at the door. The package consisted of a corrugated box with a size that may fit a children's assembled and ready tricycle or an electric go-cart. Whatever the contents were, it sure looked really big.

Touya gently scratched his head towards the box. "Jeez, I wonder what's inside?" He attempted to carry the box himself, but was too heavy. He turned towards the kitchen. "Hey squirt, can you help me carry the box in?"

Sakura heard her brother's voice. "Quit calling me a squirt, Oniichan! At least say please!"

"Please?" Touya suddenly became polite.

"I'm coming, hang on a sec." She appeared at the door with her apron on as she and her brother slowly carried the box inside the house. "Man, this box is really heavy!"

"Yeah tell me about it," Touya frowned. "It's for Dad. I wonder what's in it?"

"Touya? Sakura? Who was that at the door?" Right then, they heard their father's voice coming from the basement door.

"Package for you, Dad!" Sakura replied. "And it's a really huge one!"

"Alright, I'm coming." Moments later, Fujitaka, with Sayaka following him from behind, arrived at the living room.

"We haven't checked the label yet to see who it's from, Dad," Touya said, "but I was thinking of opening the package for you."

Fujitaka already had his swiss knife handy. "Well, let's see where this came— Inner Mongolia University?"

"From Mongolia?" Sakura and Touya exclaimed with wonder.

Their father shook his head. "No. China."

"Eh? There's a Mongolian university in China?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Inner Mongolia is part of modern China, dear. I've been there before as a guest lecturer some five or six years ago," Fujitaka said. "Met some prolific fellows over there as well. I wonder what's in the package now that's becoming really intriguing…"

"Well, open it, boss!" Sayaka exclaimed.

"I was just getting in to that." Fujitaka flipped open his Swiss knife and began to cut the strips of seal that kept the package closed. They helped him pull out the padding, such as the styrofoam and cellophane, and then came a brown elongated envelope. Once Fujitaka took the envelope, their curiosity has finally been revealed."

"They look like ancient books… in Chinese!" Sayaka said.

"They _are _ancient books in Chinese, Sayaka-chan," Fujitaka chuckled. "Hang on, let me see what's going on here…" He unsealed the envelope and brought out a few documents along with a letter right in front. He then read it aloud.

_Dear Dr. Kinomoto,_

_Hoping that everything is well with you. We received word from our colleagues in Mongolia that you are one of the respectable archaeologists who have been placed in charge with the Mongolian scrolls project. It just so happened that a group of anthropology grad students from our university just happened to stumble an ancient ruin that may possibly be a library of sorts during their summer hiking at the border area between China and Mongolia. The ruin itself isn't exactly the great find, but what they found inside those ruins. Plenty of ancient books bound in the traditional Chinese style were discovered and immediately submitted it to the anthropology department here. We did what we can to clean up and preserve the pages, however we did find some incriminating information within these books that may be connected to what you have translated so far in those scrolls. Attached with this letter are the brief summaries of the translations that our department has done, but the ones we sent to you, we believe, are the most important ones that we believe you should take a look at. The text are all in ancient Chinese Hanzi script, but a lot of the words we tried to translate were rather strange. It isn't in ancient Chinese, not even close to Mandarin or any of the dialects. Perhaps they're Japnaese and were written sometime during the Tang Dynasty at the period that the Japanese writing system hasn't invented yet?_

_We already sent word to your department chair to postpone the dig until next year in the spring, so hopefully you and your colleagues should have received word that you may have to remain in Japan to continue all those translations until you have enough information that would get you prepared for the major dig._

_We wish you and your team the best. Maybe you may even get nominated for a Nobel Prize for discovering the secret to the legendary Water of Immortality._

_Yours Truly,_

_Dr.. Zhou Weilin, Ph.D_

_Chairman, Anthropology Department_

_Inner Mongolia University_

After reading the letter, Fujitaka placed the packet on the coffee table and then returned to the box, where he and Sayaka carefully removed the ancient books discovered. Sayaka gave Fujitaka a worried look. "So, no Mongolia trip in the fall?"

"Dr. Kurosawa is still on vacation in Europe so obviously he hasn't sent us any note that the Mongolia dig will be postponed, Sayaka-chan. Looks like we've got a lot more work to do…"

At the moment, Sakura showed enthusiasm at the discovery of these ancient Chinese books. "Wow, Dad! You hit the jackpot again! Looks like a lot of other archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians are counting on you to look in to this Water of Immortality legend!"

"Well, Sakura, we still believe this whole Water of Immortality thing is very ancient Mongolian folklore. Until proved, we all remain as skeptics."

"My goodness, Dad," Touya frowned as he sat back on to the sofa. "What about your thesis for your Anthropology Masters? You keep on pushing and pushing that aside because you've got so much work piling up just like that. I'm worried about you and your health, Dad."

"Well," Fujitaka chuckled, "if I had an avid admirer of my work among the family, maybe my life would be a little easier."

"Sorry about that, Dad," Touya gave a shy smile. "It's just that… I guess I have more passion for putting people to work than digging up stuff to learn more about our ways of life in different parts around the world…"

"And that is why you are specializing yourself in Human Resources, Touya. You don't know how your drive to put people to work really does give me some pride as a father."

"Thanks, Dad," Touya smiled. Speaking of studies and universities, the two turned towards the only Kinomoto female.

"So, you finally figured out what you want to pursue once you get in to college, Sakura?" Fujitaka asked with a grin.

Right then, Sakura's eyes sparkled. "You know what, Dad? I think I do now…"

"Pre-university advising isn't until August, dear, so when you're prepared for an appointment, let me know and see if I can find people among my friends who would be willing to have a one-on-one appointment with you."

"Thanks, Dad." Sakura stood up from the ground and headed to the kitchen. "I gotta finish Syaoran's lunch, so I'll be in the kitchen when you need me."

"Jeez," Touya shook his head, "I can't believe you're going through this… being that brat's personal slave for a week?"

"Well, Sakura seems fine with it," Fujitaka shrugged his shoulders. "And you know how much she's in love with the young man from next door…"

"I think it's romantic," Sayaka giggled. "Aww, dear sweet Sakura is now becoming in to a fine young lady! She's already has her heart set on arguably the hottest teen idol in all of Asia. I envy her…"

Right then, they hear another doorbell. Fujitaka headed to the door and looked through the peephole. He quickly opened the door and brought in the other two members of the dig team, Dr. Mie and Jintao along with a few bags here and there.

"Well, we're back," Dr. Mie said. "And we're ready to— whoa!"

Jintao gasped once he spotted the books laying around the ground. "Are these ancient codices? Looks ancient Chinese."

"Well, we haven't opened them yet, Jin," Sayaka leaned over to kiss her boyfriend on the cheek.

"I just received the package earlier today," Fujitaka said. "I'll explain the rest later. Let's get all of these things at the basement."

"Yes, boss!" Sayaka cheered. They all carried the books rather than bringing the entire box downstairs.

"Touya, please clean up the box. Don't throw it out, we might need it later."

"Sure, Dad."

#

About an hour and a half later, Sakura arrived at the Tomoeda High School campus, where the current movie shooting takes place. There were plenty of her fellow schoolmates already on campus doing their club activities and sports clinics, but there were also plenty of the cast already in their school uniform In addition, there were huge camping buses parked at the small parking lot of the school. These camping buses just arrived earlier this morning from Sendai and will be used to travel the cast and crew to their new destination for two weeks.

Courtesy of the family fortune, Eriol and Meiling share one camping bus, the rest of the girls share one camping bus, the other boys share another camping bus, while Syaoran has his own that only houses himself and Wei in them. When Sakura skated her way along with a huge backpack that contained Syaoran's lunch and her textbooks and school supplies for her summer math homework, she had to show some ID to the bouncers at the parking lot to show that she had permission to be present. The bouncers advised her that the idols will be staying in their respective camping buses for safety when they dress up, take a break, or even eat their meals for security reasons.

When Sakura was able to enter, she met up with Tomoyo, who just exited the girls' camping bus with hanged clothes slung over her shoulder. "Hey, Sakura! Welcome back to school!"

Sakura giggled. "Very funny, Tomoyo. Whoa, are those their clothes?"

"Yeah. I have to find Sakamoto so he can have them washed in his laundromat," Tomoyo shrugged. "I have to admit that I've never worked so much like this in my entire life. The idol girls are so darn picky with their makeup! They expected me to do the same type of makeup as the way their professionals do it."

"Oh come on, there's a reason why you're not one of the professionals, Tomoyo," Sakura frowned.

"Well, it's not like that. I just think that the way those pros do their makeup looked horrible in front of the camera that's why I wanted to alter it myself. I know videos and camera work. I've already seen the atrocities of it when I took a few shots during their shooting for the documentary clips."

"Wow," Sakura frowned. "Speaking of documentaries, where are Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko?"

"Naoko's in the computer lab doing her blog thing. Chiharu and Rika are at the library doing their fan mail assignment."

"Well, I went home first with Dad and Oniichan so I can make Syaoran's lunch. I brought my math summer homework with me just in case."

"Ah, I bet Li-kun's really starving and had been waiting for your special homemade lunch for him. You see that cool-looking camping bus that has dark and light green stripes on them? That's where he's staying."

"Great! Thanks, Tomoyo!"

"Good luck, Sakura!" The two best friends made their own ways as Sakura approached the door to the green camping bus.

Knowing that she has Syaoran's phone and there was no other means of contact for him, she knocked on the door. "It's me, Sakura! Your lunch is ready, Syaoran!"

The door opened and Wei appeared. "Ah, Sakura-chan! The young master has been rather impatient. Yukito-kun is already here preparing all of the lunch for the idols."

"Guess I got here on time," Sakura chuckled.

"Well, I'll be heading back home to meet with Madame Yelan and Master Xiaojin. He's all yours now," Wei winked directly at her, which made Sakura blush.

"Gosh, Wei-san… um… thank you!" She bowed to show her gratitude as Wei made his way out. She climbed inside slowly.

"Syaoran… I'm here!"

"Sakura? Great! Lock the door, will you?" She heard his voice speaking all the way from the back.

"Sure!" She locked the door behind her as she approached inside. "Um, I got your lunch ready and piping hot! Sorry if I got here late. Dad received this really huge package from Mongolia University, but from China?"

From the shower stalls, Syaoran suddenly exited with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Sakura gasped in shock and quickly turned herself around, which made Syaoran snicker.. "What's the matter, Sakura?"

"Um…" Sakura gulped nervously. "It's just that… um…"

"Nothing to be shy about. You can turn around and gaze at me all you want!"

"What? You're so full of yourself!" Sakura giggled. "Um… just put on some clothes first!"

"Aw come on now, Sakura, there's no reason for you to be shy. One day you'll have to get used to seeing me with nothing much on and vice versa with you—"

"Hooooeeeee!" Sakura immediately covered her face to hide her embarrassment.

Syaaoran burst in to laughter. "I'm just kidding, you know that, hahahaha! You can turn around now."

"Um… I think I'll just serve your lunch with my back towards you—"

"It's fine. I got my jeans and a tank top on."

"Are you sure? You're not playing around again, are you?"

"Promise…"

Sakura slowly removed her face and turned around. As he said, he was now wearing a pair of denim jeans and a white tank top. She sighed in relief. "Please don't do that again! I made sure I knocked on the door first earlier instead of just opening the door and busting in without even aware of what you may be doing inside…"

"This isn't the first time you've seen me without my shirt, remember?"

"I know, but… I mean you were pretty much naked when I got on!"

He gave a slight chuckle. "Guess I'll have to wait until you're eighteen before I start seducing you—"

"Hoooeeee!" Sakura dropped her head, hiding herself from embarrassment. The young Chinese idol broke in to laughter as his response.

"You're really adorable when you get all blushed and embarrassed like that, Sakura."

Sakura gulped. "I… I am…?"

"Absolutely." Right at that moment, he slowly leaned over and brushed her lips with his that transformed in to a slightly deep, tender kiss. Once they released from each other, Sakura began fixing her hair. "Don't ever change for any reason, Sakura. I like you this way."

"This way?"

"The way you are now… modest, cheerful, honest, bashful… innocent… I'm still keeping that promise I made about protecting you from anyone who would do any harm to you."

"I know… and same with me too." She smiled.

"Gosh," he softly whispered. "I really can't wait to move forward with you…"

"Oh Syaoran…" He leaned once again towards her as she closed her eyes, as they kiss once again, only this time, slightly deeper than the first. After a few moments, they released from each other and Syaoran stretched his arms.

"So, what's for lunch?"

Sakura giggled as she unpacked her bento set. "You'll see."

"I can smell it. Looks fresh and homemade. Smells tasty!"

"It's one of Dad's quickies. You'll love it!"

"Yeah?" Once she was finished serving the bento box set on the dining table, he gasped in complete awe. "Yum! These look really cute… and delicious…"

"Dad's version of _Yasai no Nikumaki_— Beef and Veggie Rolls! They're always a perfect main meal for bento lunches."

"Along with cutely-shaped vegetables and seafood mix on the side… and rice… and a small serving of fruit salad," Syaoran identified the rest. "I'm already hungry just looking at them!"

"And tomorrow, well… it's a surprise. Dad already gave me a few suggestions on what I can make for your lunch… and your breakfast and dinner too."

Syaoran grinned. "Sweet! What's for dinner tonight?"

"Mou… it's a surprise! I'm not gonna reveal it to you just like that!"

"Heh, I've never heard of slaves keeping the dishes they make for their masters a surprise!"

"I've never heard of masters flirting and kissing their slaves all lovingly either!" Sakura stuck her tongue.

"Why you little—" Syaoran immediately cut his tongue as the two simply broke down in to laughter.

"Okay, Young Master Syaoran, enjoy your meal!"

Syaoran then turned to her. "Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"I'll eat later," Sakura smiled.

"You don't want to eat lunch with me?" Syaoran cocked his head at her.

"I thought slaves don't eat with their masters?"

"Well, as your master for the week, it's an order that you make the meals big enough for two people." He then shared one section of the box of the rolls to her and even handed her another pair of chopsticks that he brought out from one of the drawers at the kitchenette area.

"Aww… you're so sweet, Syaoran!" Sakura gave him a soft peck on the cheek.

"Alright, alright. Let's eat," Syaoran chuckled. The two pressed their palms together in a prayer and called out:

"Itadakimasu!" They began feasting on the homemade lunch and Sakura felt overjoyed to hear Syaoran's happiness on his face as he took every bite of the bento lunch.

"Speaking of meals, officially starting later tonight for dinner."

"Hoe?" Sakura blinked in curiosity.

"Welcome to the Wolf's Lair. This particular camping bus you're standing in is personally mine. The other idols were provided with the same-sized camping bus by my family, but this baby here was all me."

"Hoe? You mean… you bought this whole thing with your own money?"

Syaoran nodded. "Not a single penny from the clan fortune. I even had it customized and everything to fit my needs."

"Wow! This is… this is amazing! I mean, this is like a mini mobile mansion! It's got everything in it! Living quarters, bathroom and shower stall, kitchenette, and I bet there's a bedroom here too!"

"Of course," Syaoran answered with pride written all over his place. "Aside from Wei and my meddling family which includes Eriol and more or less Meiling, you're the first person outside of the clan whom I invited in here. For one week, you'll be in here everyday doing all of the tasks I assign you. Starting tonight, you'll be bringing in your change of clothes in here because you'll be camping in here with me the entire week."

"Hoe?!" Sakura exclaimed. "You mean… I won't be staying in my house this entire week?"

"You got it," Syaoran grinned. "After we're done eating lunch, go home and pack your stuff. Your brother will be doing the same thing, as well as everyone else in your team last night, so they can't really argue…"

"So, Oniichan will be staying in here with us?" Syaoran suddenly chuckled.

"He'll be staying with Eriol and Meiling, along with Aniki, Daidouji, and Yamasaki too. Mihara, Sasaki, and Yanagisawa can sleep in their houses since they only live around the corner from the school."

"What about Sakamoto and Bunchin?"

"Those two losers? They can chill with Ninomiya, Tendou, and Kanzaki at the all-boys' camping bus. They all work for all of us, but you, my love, only serve me…"

Sakura gulped nervously. "The way you say it sounds really… um… scary…"

He swallowed hard after sipping on his water bottle. "Sorry if I sound scary… you see…" He took a napkin and gently wiped his mouth. "There's another reason why I wanted to do this slave thing with you for a week."

Sakura placed her chopsticks against the box. "More reasons? What is it?"

He turned his head and gazed right towards the darkened window above them. "We got another internal family problem, of sorts."

"Hoe? Money issues again?"

He shook his head. "Last night at the party, I'm glad you stuck with your family and Daidouji and didn't approach the family table during dinner. A quarter of the clan were present alright, but there's something else."

"Okay. I'm listening."

"You remember I mentioned to you about Shulai?"

Sakura blinked curiously. "Shulai… wait… your look-alike cousin you hired to… um… take care of that girl you were supposed to… um…" Syaoran nodded. "Yeah? What about him?"

"He's here. In Japan."

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped.

"He was at the party last night along with his immediate family. Apparently he got himself in to major trouble with the authorities in Hong Kong that his family had no choice but to send him out here to be disciplined as their way of repenting for all of his actions."

"But… what kind of trouble is he in to?"

"Beats me. I only heard tidbits. Maybe it's just rumors, but apparently he had a fling with the Hong Kong chief of police's daughter and then the two of them got in to some minor car accident that involved a certain city official. If you were a relative of one of Hong Kong's most prominent families and then screwing around with the chief of police's daughter and then get involved in something dangerous with another political figure such as that, you know tabloids are gonna be having huge profits writing about that for a long period of time."

"This Shulai must be one of those blacksheep of the family, ne?"

"Wouldn't be surprised," he shrugged. "He's the closest in line to the leadership seat who looks so much like me, it's not even funny. He's Uncle Ming's oldest son and after me, he's fifth in line. Why do I have such incompetent losers as my successors? It's embarrassing…"

"Shulai-kun must have a reason why he's acting like this. I'm sure he can't be all that bad…"

"You think?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "He's a low-down heartless player who likes to fool around and sleep around girls for his pleasure— most of them from the elite families. I don't think he knows about you or any of my friends here in Tomoeda except for Yun, but still, better to be safe than sorry."

Sakura then began to think. What's the whole one-week slavery thing go to do with his uncanny look-alike doppelganger cousin being here in Japan, let alone Tomoeda? "But… I don't understand…"

"He has a habit of flirting and seducing the girlfriends of almost every single male teenager in the clan. He actually did two of the girls Eriol was once close with sometime ago and poor guy had to suffer so much heartbreak because of that. I'm sure Eriol is thinking the same thing as me with Daidouji."

She swallowed nervously. "Syaoran… so… you want to keep me in here for a week to protect me from Shulai-kun?"

"Not just that… I want you to get used to me… know every little detail about me… my personal habits, my gestures, everything. In that way, you wouldn't be thinking or falling for any other guy no matter how much that other guy resembles me or reminds you of me."

"You know my heart has been yours all this time, Syaoran. I wouldn't take my heart away from you ever." She then embraced him tightly.

"I don't know how long Shulai will be here, but starting today he's staying over at my house next door to yours and while I'm away to do the movie shoot, he'll be sleeping in my room, meaning he's got close access to your window."

"Hoe!" Sakura gasped. "I'll be sure to keep my window closed and my curtains closed! Although I'll miss the sunlight in my room…"

"You can probably… oh I don't know… sleep somewhere else where he has little to no access to you. You can probably sleep at the Daidoujis' place… or maybe you can sleep at the basement with your dad's colleagues… just… do what you can to protect yourself."

"What would my dad say if he learns that you've got some familiar members who are really notorious in public? Most especially you've got a player cousin who looks exactly like you."

"Don't worry about your family. My parents will be informing him about it. He may be family but he's trouble with a capital 'T'!" Syaoran sighed deeply and then rested his head on to Sakura.

"Does he know Japanese…?" She asked curiously. "I have to know so at least I can determine which one is you and which one's him…"

Syaoran released himself from her. "He does. Not fluently though, but he has the same exact voice as me. Wanna know why I'm a favorite subject among the tabloids back there in Hong Kong? It's because of him and his… exploits!"

"That really sucks for you to have a cousin like that…" Sakura gave a frown. "But if you think that keeping me here with you is the only way for you to protect me from him, then… then…" She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek again. "I trust you, Syaoran."

He sighed again. "I'm sorry if I sounded threatening to you about this whole slave thing, Sakura… I have a very bad temper when I get jealous…"

Even though that was the case, she thought, she only smiled in happiness, knowing that he would become irrational just for the sake of keeping his love safe from any dirty clutches. Sure, she learned not to judge anyone based on what others say about that person, and she became a whole lot more curious about the mysterious Shulai Li.

"Don't think that I don't trust you, Sakura. I… I'm just taking precautions, that's all…"

"I know, Syaoran." She smiled gently, but deep within her, she could hear her voice telling her _"Gosh, Syaoran must love me so much that he would be willing to… lock me up in his Wolf's Lair…"_

They finished their lunch and Sakura began to wash them at the sink of the kitchenette. Meanwhile, Syaoran stayed with her as she washed. "Wei will be taking care of the groceries. You just need to call him from my phone and give him the groceries list. In that way, you won't have to worry about what you're gonna make me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"Wow, okay!" Sakura nodded.

"Also, when you answer my phone when someone calls me, give out a nickname or something. Don't reveal your real name to any stranger."

"Oh… hmm… okay…" Speak of the devil, they hear Syaoran's phone ringing on top of the dining table. Sakura removed her dishwashing gloves and picked up the phone. "Hello, Syaoran Li's phone, this is his personal assistant… uhh… Cherry! How can I help you?"

Luckily for her, it was Wei who was on the phone. "Ah, Sakura-chan! What a delight to hear your voice over the young master's phone!"

"Oh, hi Wei-san! I'm currently washing dishes right now."

"I assume that the young master has already told you the procedures of your duties as his one-week… servant… I'm actually on my way to the groceries now for the family.. Do you need anything at the Wolf's Lair?"

"Um… let's see…" She looked through the provided cabinets and then the refrigerator. "Looks like the groceries here look fresh and complete so far. I'll compile a grocery list and send it to you later on when I need something."

"Alright, take your time. How is the young master doing?"

"Well… he's doing fine. He just finished the lunch I made him."

"And he didn't even invite you to eat lunch with him?"

"Oh, um… he did. Well, I have to make big meals now enough for the two of us."

"Well, that's quite considerate of him. Well then, I must head off now. I was just calling to see how the two of you are doing."

"Oh we're doing fine. Thanks so much for checking up on us!"

"Now, now… behave yourselves. I know how much the two of you are desperately in love with each other, but you're still young. Take care yourself and please take care of the young master. He may not show it, but without me by his side at this moment, he's going to need you now than ever."

"We'll be fine, don't worry. See you later, Wei-san!" Once she was finished with the phone call, Syaoran approached her.

"First of all, Sakura, never say 'This is Syaoran Li's phone' or else they're going to think they got the wrong number."

"Oh! Oops! I should've said 'This is Li Xiaolang's phone, right?'" Sakura gave a shy grin.

"It's all your fault that I earned the name 'Syaoran'… you and your naive little girl self who can't even pronounce my name right." He chuckled at the statement while Sakura pouted.

"Sorry… I was still a baby back then…" From out of the blue, he got closer to her and then whispered gently.

"I do like the name 'Syaoran' though… because the girl I love gave me that name the first time we met…"

"Hoe…" Sakura found herself blushing again as he withdrew from her. "Well, go finish the dishes. Let me clean up the table really quick. I'll show you around the Wolf's Lair."

"Okay!" Sakura hurriedly but carefully washed the bento boxes and then placed them on the racks to dry. Once she was finished, Syaoran was already waiting for her at the table. "I'm done!"

"Awesome! This way." She followed him from behind as he pointed and identified all the assets and features that his personal camping bus offered. She now knew where the places are from the lounge to the restroom until they reached the bedroom. Just like his grand bedroom back in their neighborhood, the master bedroom in the camping ground also was as grand.

"You can sit on it or… jump on it… if you want…"

"Yay!" Sakura helped herself by jumping on to his bed with her rear end landing on to the firm mattress. "Oooh?" She then pressed her palms against the firm mattress, which felt a lot more airy and light. She quickly lied down on the mattress with a giggle here and there. "Awww… this bed is so comfortable… and it doesn't make those squeaky sounds when you move around too much!"

"Yeah?" Syaoran suddenly snickered and then lied on the bed next to her. "I made it that way so there won't be any obvious noise when there's a lot of action in the bed." He turned to her and winked.

"Hoooeee?" Sakura turned away from him, knowing she found her cheeks blushing like strawberries.

From behind, Syaoran slowly scooted next to her and hushed. "Don't be afraid, Sakura. I wouldn't do something you're not ready for. I'll wait."

She slowly turned her heard to face a serious Syaoran. "We're still young, Syaoran," she smiled. "After all."

He leaned back on his back, facing the ceiling. "Yeah. We're still young after all." He gave a deep sigh and then closed his eyes. He then muttered to himself: "I… I can't do this…"

Sakura got up with a worried face. "What's wrong, Syaoran? Did I do anything wrong?"

He opened his eyes and gazed at her emerald orbs gazing down at him. "No, it's not you. It's… argh…"

"You can tell me… right? Well, I mean… if you feel like it that is…"

He shook his head. "When the elders also arrived here from Hong Kong, I knew something was up. They weren't just here to celebrate my eighteenth birthday. They were here to test me again… on two tests. You already know one of them. The other one… it's… it's hard to explain…"

"You don't need to tell me what the second one is… but what's the first one?"

"Dealing with a troublemaker like Shulai. It's hard to explain… it's one of the future clan leader's duties once he reaches eighteen. The second one… I… I think I'd rather have someone else tell you about it. It's… it's really hard to explain…"

With that, she leaned down on him and embraced him tight. "I know how strong you are, Syaoran, and I know how clever you can be. If you can pass that temptation test when you were sixteen I'm sure you can pass these two seemingly difficult ones."

"Thank you…" Slowly, he placed an arm around her. "Sakura… forgive me if I'm acting like this… keeping you in my Wolf's Lair like this… it's just that… I get jealous easily…"

"I get jealous easily too."

Right then, he gently pulled her to him and held her tighter. "Were you angry when you learned about me and Meiling? About us being… you know… together…"

She shook her head. "I have no reason to be angry. You had amnesia and you lost almost everything you knew and experienced here in Tomoeda including me… but you coming back here unattached made me feel more at ease… made me feel confident that I would win your heart again…"

He planted a kiss on her forehead. "I have to admit that I didn't regret dating Meiling back then. She helped me realize what I was getting in to and… helped me discover the real me."

"I'm glad that your first girlfriend was a good girlfriend, Syaoran. Of course it would probably hurt me so much if I knew about it from the start, but I'm glad I didn't."

"Meiling?" He began to chuckle. "Before we started dating, she used to be one of those snob idol girls like Hirashiki. Always competing with others and being overprotective over me. At that time we didn't care about the whole legacy thing regarding family ties and all that. The elders— and this whole Li Clan prophecy thing- warned that dating someone with the surname as me was considered incest and bad luck even if we're not blood-related. We did get along pretty well but in many cases they were right. We never really did what most couples though. The closest thing we did to each other was to hold hands and embrace each other, but anything intimate, like kissing and… stuff… we've never done it. Not outside the movie set anyway. The only time we kissed was on the movie set and that was all just part of the job."

She nodded. "I see."

He took a deep breath. "I already announced to Director Terada about my plans after I earn my diploma. Before, I planned on just working in showbiz partially while I'm attending college."

"Hm? You changed your mind?"

"I'm resigning from showbiz and from the agency altogether."

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped. "But… what about the Wolfpups? What about your fans? And… and… all those upcoming offers that will be pouring on to you after this movie's finished?"

He shook his head. "I can't go on in showbiz anymore. My reason for being in showbiz has already been fulfilled. I'm whole again… and I have you, Sakura. I'm not gonna be pressured by some money-grubbing agency on what to do and what not to do like most agencies do. Telling their idols to never date and all that crap… Let the tabloids write about me however they want, they can't do anything to stop me from doing what I want to do and what I love to do."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "That's the spirit, Syaoran! That's how a real clan leader should be like."

"Thanks." The two lovers embraced each other tightly and then released from each other. "Well, better head back home and pack up some clothes for the entire week. You can leave my phone with me, I need to make phone calls anyway."

She handed him his phone. "Okay!"

"I wish I can go with you but I have to stay here."

"I'll be back real soon!" She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and began to wear her rollerblades and protective gear again.

"Before I forget, here. In case I'm not in here, you can enter." He handed him a spare key to the Wolf's Lair already made especially for her.

"Thank you."

"Good. Don't lose it."

"I won't." She kissed him once again on his lips again. "I love you, Syaoran!"

"Love you, babe! Come back soon!" He winked as she exited the Wolf's Lair, heading back home to pack up.

Once Sakura was gone, Syaoran dropped himself on to his bed, burying his face against the pillow. _What the hell is happening to me? _He began to wonder. _Did I… actually say those things to her?_

He flipped himself on his back and then buried his face underneath his hands. He began to mutter to himself. "Stupid Father… stupid elders… they're screwing up my mind!"

He then reached for his phone and began to dial home. He hoped that Wei would answer, but instead, he got a direct answer instead. "Xiaolang!"

The future clan leader began speaking to the person in their native language. "_Sakura is on her way back home to pack up her things. For the entire week she'll be staying with me the entire week, Father._"

Xiaojin began to break in to laughter. "_That's my boy! So the Li Curse does exist! Your grandfather and I are not alone!_"

"Grr…" Syaoran growled as he felt his hand shaking on the grip of his phone. "_What the hell is the deal with this Li Curse? Sure you've warned me before about it before my sixteenth birthday but what the hell?!_"

"_You declaring to have Sakura-chan spend her entire week being your one-week slave and then keeping her in to your Wolf's Lair camping bus is already a sign that the Li Curse is alive and well!_"

"_You seem so excited about it, Father. I at least am not. I just embarrassed her earlier and now she probably doesn't want to come back and be alone with me anymore._"

"_Well, you know this is what the second test is about. Since I was finally told by your grandfather that you actually skipped out on that test in bedding a particular maiden we chose for you by paying your cousin Shulai to bed her instead, the Li Curse had been triggered on!_"

"_What the— so now it's alive because I'm eighteen and technically an adult now in our standards? This is blasphemy! I know how the elders and a lot of the clan members think of foreigners becoming a part of our family…_"

"_Oh don't mind them, Son. They will see how lovable Sakura-chan is. After all, you love her with all your heart. She is indeed your one and only, right?_"

Syaoran gulped nervously. "_How… how did you know that Sakura and I are together now…?_"

"_I'm your father, Xiaolang. What kind of a father am I if I don't feel these things about my one and only son? I'm very happy for you, my son. Our friendly professor next door is also very happy for Sakura-chan as well. We'll do all we can to keep your cousin out of trouble while he's here._"

"_So… Shulai's there at the house._"

"_Yes. He'll be staying in your room for the time being until you return._"

"_You know I'll be away for two weeks. How the hell am I supposed to deal with him? This is all yours and the elders' idea. What the hell kind of a test this is?_"

"_When I was your age and going through all this, Xiaolang, your Uncle Taisung was a problem child. I had to bring him along with all of my personal and professional matters. He even had to shadow me in college for one week._"

"_Wait… he spent one week here in Japan? You went to Todai for college._"

"_He did. It was during spring and at the same time, it was summer in Hong Kong, so he spent __the entire summer here. But anyway, you'll figure something out._"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "_Just great… just as I was about to have a new beginning too…_"

"_Well then, anyway. It's a good thing you're having Sakura-chan stay with you. Although I root for your… true conquest of the sweet young lady… I just hope you don't end up hurting her…_"

"You know I would never hurt her, Father!" From out of the blue, Syaoran switched back to Japanese. "But… I don't think I can survive this…"

"You have survived your sixteenth birthday test, Son. I'm sure you can survive being alone with Sakura-chan."

He dropped his phone and then closed his eyes. _Sakura, I swear I would never do anything that you're not ready for. I won't… I won't… damn this stupid future clan leader curse! I hope you would bare with me, Sakura…_

"Are you still there, Xiaolang?" Xiaojin's voice was heard from his phone. He lifted his phone back to his ear again.

"Father… I really hate admitting this to you but… I'm scared…"

Xiaojin gave a hush. "My son… Sakura trusts you, so therefore you should trust her as well. If you do anything that may seem unorthodox to you because of the leadership curse, I'm sure she would do something to stop you and protect herself."

He swallowed in nervousness. "I love her so much, Father… I… I can't let this damn curse take me over and… violate her just for the sake of this damn test…"

"I trust in you, Xiaolang."

"I'll come by later during my break just to say hello to Shulai."

"That would be good. The poor kid needs a companion to talk to right now."

"That's funny coming from him."

"I know, Xiaolang. He's not exactly in his best moods right now. He may not want to admit it but he does care for you."

"That's nice to hear, Father."

"Well then, I must take my leave now. Your mother's calling me from behind. We'll talk."

"Thanks for the short talk, Dad." They exchanged their goodbyes as he hung up his phone. He leaned back down on his bed, closing his eyes. Although he had asked for help before, they were normally on the smaller matters. Today, he never felt so vulnerable as if he was about to die.

_Help me, Sakura. If I make a serious mistake, please stop me._

#

Sakura decided to change her clothes from her standard t-shirt and capri pants to a pastel-colored peach spaghetti-strap summer dress with colorful floral patterns around. After all, it is summer. While she was putting on a headband on her hair, she began to blush immediately when she remembered the words Syaoran said to her. His overprotection on her from goons like Shulai Li seemed a little more extreme than her own brother, but still, it sounded very romantic.

Speaking of Shulai Li, she began to wonder if he was already in Syaoran's room at this time. Her curiosity for the look-alike cousin began to peak.

Another thing that she found herself blushing was Syaoran's rather direct confession regarding his other intentions of keeping her in his "Wolf's Lair" camping bus. She then began to giggle thinking about those words while she gazed herself in the mirror. It was one major reason why she decided to change clothes in to a summery yet innocent dress. She wanted to tease him a little bit by showing a little bit of skin.

_Hooooeee! What if he does… um… gosh, am I ready for this? But dang Tomoyo already had me watch those romance movies where the lovers get to… do lovers' stuff._

She then turned away and then dropped herself against her bed and began to place her hands on to her cheeks. "Oh my gosh… what if… what if we… do it…? Oh gosh, I wonder how it would feel… doing lovers' stuff… with Syaoran…?" She grabbed one of her stuffed toys on the side and placed it on her face. "Oh God… I hate you Tomoyo for… teaching me these… these… things…"

Right then she heard a door knock. She got up quickly and fixed herself and her dress. "Yo squirt! Are you in beast mode yet?"

Quickly Sakura frowned and then answered the door. "I'll show you 'beast mode,' Oniichan!"

"Oh good. You're ready. Come on, let's go." Touya stood there with his usual t-shirt and jeans and a backpack. Like her, he too will be staying at the idols' camping buses for a week to be the idols' tutor.

When they headed downstairs, Fujitaka was already there waiting for them. Once they reached the living room, Touya suddenly realized the clothes Sakura was wearing.

"What the hell is that you're wearing?"

"A summer dress. What else it would be, Oniichan?" Sakura spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"Put some sleeves on, like a covering or something. I ain't letting you walk around the movie set and at the camping buses looking like that!"

"It's hot, Oniichan! I'd look like I'm sick if I'm all bundled up underneath the sun!"

"You _do _realize, as I was told by Yukito earlier today via phone, that you will be staying in that brat's camping bus _alone _with him! You're gonna show up in that getup? You know what happens if you wear that and then guys see you looking like that? They'll get in to serious 'beast mode'?"

"Hm, I wonder if you get in to 'beast mode' if Kaho-neechan shows up wearing a pretty summer dress right in front of you, Oniichan?"

"That's different! Kaho-neechan's my fiancee! Of course I'd turn 'beast mode'!"

"Well Syaoran's my boyfr—" Right then, she realized what she's about to say and then took a deep breath.

"Are you two done arguing?" Fujitaka glared at the two children. Both Touya and Sakura sighed lowly.

"Yes, Dad…"

"Good! Well, better get going! I'll be expecting some visitors who will be staying over our place while you two are gone—"

"What?!" Touya exclaimed in shock. "You're gonna turn our house in to a research institute!"

"Only for a week, Touya. Our Mongolia dig expedition has been postponed till the later date but we still want to hurry so we can make preparations for the dig at a quicker time."

Sakura then embraced her father. "I know you can do it, Dad. You always crack the ancient codes of the world! It's what you're good at!"

"Thanks, Sakura. And by the way, don't worry about the dress. It looks really adorable on you. Syaoran-kun will be very happy to see you in that dress." He then softly whispered in to Sakura's ear. "I know what you're going to do anyway. If Syaoran does something, he wants you to stop him."

She nodded quickly. "I understand, Dad."

"Alright then. I'll see you two on Sunday." The two siblings exchanged their goodbyes to their busy father as the two exited. He followed them outside as Sakura already placed her protective gear and her rollerblades while Touya reached for his bike that was parked in the garage. She clung on to the back seat of her brother's bike as the two rode their way to Tomoeda High School, where the movie set was currently located. Fujitaka waved after them.

The archaeologist/historian/professor took a deep breath as he went outside to check out the flowers surrounding the entrance gate area. He stretched his arms up the sky and nodded with a smile. "Alright. Time to get back to work—"

Just as he was about to return to the entrance gate, the tall gates leading to the main house of the Li Clan next door to him opened and then appeared Xiaojin on his wheelchair, being accompanied by Wei, and a young man whom Fujitaka thought was Syaoran at first, but as he got closer, he blinked his eyes.

"Hey there, Dr. Kinomoto!" Xiaojin called out for him, as Fujitaka bowed to greet him.

"How's it going, Xiaojin?" Fujitaka grinned.

"Being a father and clan leader inside the house as always, Doctor," Xiaojin smiled. "Are your kids around?"

"They just left to go to the movie set with their backpacks and…"

"Oh!" Xiaojin laughed. "The whole 'one-week slavery' thing! Oh, poor kids. Even the Daidouji girl also got involved as well."

"I'm not too worried about that myself, considering your son seems to want to isolate my Sakura-chan from everyone else."

"Ah, kids," Xiaojin shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, speaking of my son, I would like you to introduce my nephew here, Shulai. No, you're not seeing double here, but Syaoran just happens to have plenty of doppelganger cousins within the clan. Shulai here, by blood relations, is the closest. He's the son of my second brother, Ming. I believe you've met him before."

Fujitaka nodded. "College years, man. Your entire family visited you here in Japan. Ming-kun looks a little bit like you."

Xiaojin laughed. "I guess that explains why his oldest son would have a strong resemblance to my one and only son." He then turned to Shulai and then spoke to him in Cantonese. _"Shulai, this is Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto, archaeologist, historian, author, linguist, and anthropology professor at Clow Reed University. He was also one of my dorm roommates back at Tokyo University several years ago._" He turned back again towards Fujitaka. "Shulai has never been to Japan before and this is his first time here. He's a bit of a greenhorn when it comes to the Japanese language. He and his siblings had to study Japanese when they were little knowing that the next in line for the clan leadership seat was raised in Japan, so as a courtesy, they too have to learn Xiaolang's second language.."

"Not a problem," Fujitaka grinned and turned to Shulai, speaking to him in Cantonese as well. _"Good to meet you and welcome to Tomoeda, Shulai._"

Shulai, donning a dark red polo shirt and light khaki pants, simply nodded as he accepted Fujitaka's handshake. Xiaojin continued on. "Let's just say that Shulai got in to major heaps of trouble back in Hong Kong that made Ming and his wife send him here in Japan for an indefinite time to… clean himself up, so to speak. It's a long story."

"Ah, a troubled kid."

"You could say that," Xiaojin sighed. "I was hoping to introduce him to the rest of Xiaolang's old childhood friends here so he can make himself feel at home. He'll be attending Tomoeda High School starting in September and possibly will be finishing high school here. He only turned seventeen, so he's still quite young."

"Why not just bring him to the movie set so he can hang out with your son and his friends?" Fujitaka shrugged.

"Well, there is one little problem," Xiaojin said and then whispered to his neighbor. "Xiaolang has a problem with him."

"Oh boy…"

"Well then, we better head back home! He's currently staying in Xiaolang's room for the time being while Wei and our helpers start preparing an empty room within the house for him."

"Alright then. I'll see you around, Xiaojin. Wei-san, Shulai."

Wei bowed. "We will indeed see you, Dr. Kinomoto."

Shulai, from out of the blue, answered as well. "_It was good to meet you, Dr. Kinomoto._"

"_Take care, Shulai. You'll make new friends soon, don't worry._" Fujitaka answered him back in Cantonese. The Lis headed back inside as Fujitaka also made his way back in the house.

As he entered back in to the basement, he spotted Jintao at the corner by himself looking through the new ancient Chinese books with a rather concerned look while Sayaka and Dr. Mie continued on with the Mongolian scroll translations. Fujitaka, being the head of the team, approached the Chinese former neurosurgeon to see what was on his mind at the moment.

"So, Dr. Chen, anything interesting in those books?"

Jintao sighed and gazed at his boss. "A little. Well… on my part. Plenty of undiscovered traditional Chinese medicine that may be derived from Mongolia. Obviously leading to my field of anthropology."

Fujitaka nodded. "Good you've discovered something new." He sat at the chair next to him to take a rest.

Right then, Jintao gave another sigh. "I finally had a chance to examine Li Xiaolang's head at the Mindspring Research Center earlier before we headed back here to Tomoeda."

Fujitaka's eyes widened. "And…? So, does he have to go through a procedure in order to secure his newly-recovered memories?"

Once again, Jintao sighed. "Well…"

"What is it?"

"Before I give you my answer, I need your opinion on this as a fellow, Dr. Kinomoto."

"Alright. What is it?"

"I don't expect you to be an expert in neural sciences, but have you ever heard of any type of disease that may cause permanent memory loss?"

"The only disease I know of is Alzheimer's Disease. I know because my father has a mild case of that same disease. Other than that I don't know anything else."

Jintao nodded. "Thank you, because you're exactly right."

"Eh? I am?" Fujitaka's eyes widened. "Are you saying the poor young future leader of the Li Clan has an early case of Alzheimer's?"

The neurosurgeon shook his head. "No. He's too young to have those early symptoms. He had to be at least in his fifties for him to get the signs."

"Oh… then… what's this virus that the Lis have been telling me about before, Dr. Chen? You know they're relying on you to determine what Li-kun's real condition is as a result of his concussion from the car accident."

"That's what I want to know, Dr. K. You see, I had some help with the fellows at the research institute to examine and review the young master Li's condition, and I am very dedicated to my work even though I no longer practice it."

"Well, what is it then?"

"Just as you said, Dr. K. There are no other diseases or viruses that can cause permanent memory loss except for Alzheimer's Disease."

"So are you trying to tell me that… there's nothing wrong with Li-kun?"

Jintao nodded slowly. "There are no viruses or tumors whatsoever of any kind in his brain, Dr. K. His parents believed that he does based on his last medical exam with the doctors back in Hong Kong. I already requested to have a copy of the x-ray readings from his previous exam awhile ago and I recently received it two days ago, which was why I suggested to the Lis yesterday early that I should finally have Master Xiaolang examined myself so I can have a good and concise comparison with the x-rays before and the x-rays today."

Fujitaka placed his hand on his forehead. "So, their doctor said that he has a virus on his head, but you say there's nothing wrong with him."

"Something's wrong here, Dr. Kinomoto. I'm not saying that the Lis are making a mistake. I'm already having high suspicions regarding Xiaolang's past physicians. Medical malpractice is a common crime in Hong Kong and falsified reports such as this are not just dangerous, but they can also ruin reputations as well on the physician's side. I'm already off-limits to Hong Kong so I have no right to accuse those doctors of falsifying their reports."

"Well, okay, let me clarify something, Dr. Chen. You received the x-rays from the previous doctors and you compared and contrasted them, is that right?"

"I brought the x-rays with me as well as the doctor's report and my report. If I can only explain to you further without trying to paraphrase—"

"I'm no medical doctor, Dr. Chen, but I've gotten used to all the scientific names and terms with my friends who took care of my wife while she was diagnosed with her illness. Try me."

"Well, I don't mind explaining to you, however, I have a problem with breaking this news to the Lis. I hate admitting it but I do get rather intimidated dealing with customers of the pure Chinese upper crust. I've dealt with several of them, but none of them are as intimidating as that of the Li Clan."

Fujitaka shook his head. "Why are you afraid? If you are intimidated by the elders then you should, however they have no say with what's going on with the head family of the clan. If it's Xiaojin and Yelan, I'm sure they will sit down and listen to what you have to say. If you want, I'll come with you."

"That would be appreciated, Boss," Jintao nodded. "I'll tell them the results tomorrow."

Fujitaka patted him on the shoulder as he moved on to the other table to meet with Sayaka and Dr. Mie's progress with the scrolls.

#

The Kinomoto Siblings arrived at the camping bus area again, where they see the idols already exiting their respective trailers. Touya was welcomed by Yukito and Yamazaki, who were currently occupying a particular camping bus known as "Coach Royale," while Sakura already proceeded to the Wolf's Lair camping bus with the spare key Syaoran gave her earlier. They mentioned that this is where Eriol and Meiling share the camping bus and that the three of them, plus Tomoyo, Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko, will be staying.

"Welcome to our one-week lair, Touya," Yukito grinned. "You know, it's too bad that we'll only be with them for a week. It'd be nice if we can go with them, you know, chilling in the camping bus while traveling. It'd be a lot of fun."

"Dude!" Yamazaki exclaimed. "Coach Royale may be really big and fancy, but you gotta check out the Wolf's Lair camping bus. That one has gotta be the most swag of all the camping buses parked in here!"

"Wolf's Lair?" Touya raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me that Wolf's Lair belongs to that brat!"

"Yup," Yukito grinned. "Not to mention your sweet sister will be with him in there—"

"Gah!" Touya growled and began to tighten his fist. "I knew it! First he attempted to harm her when they were little using that dangerous martial arts training of his, now he's going to take her purity away? Hell no!"

Meanwhile, his best friend and Yamazaki held him to calm him down. "Come on, Senpai, Syao-chan's not like that!" Yamazaki frowned. "When I stopped by to drop a small bag of 'passed' fan mail to him from Chiharu earlier we talked. He's not worried about what may happen because he wants Sakura to make all of her decisions and… you know…"

"What the hell… why is he acting as if he and my sister are—"

"Ehem," Yukito cleared his throat. "Here, lemme get your backpack. Let's help you unpack now, shall we?" He dragged Touya along with him and brought him inside the Coach Royale. Yamazaki followed them from behind.

Meanwhile at the Wolf's Lair, Sakura found a note on the table from Syaoran:

_I'm already going to do my scene in school so I already left early. I'll be back sometime around 3 or 4 p.m. when the rest of the idols have to do their two-hour tutoring with your brother. I know I may be too overprotective but it's best if you stay at the Wolf's Lair until I come back. I really wish you can come to the set itself and watch, but because of security measures that the producers placed, we can't allow anyone not directly involved with the set for today. I left you my phone so you can take care of the phone calls. Also, at the master bedroom, there are some drawers and closets where you can put your clothes in. There's also room for you to place your toiletries if you want._

_So, make yourself at home at the Wolf's Lair. You can watch TV, surf the internet (it has wi-fi!), you can even do your math homework here. Or if you're feeling tired, you can sleep on my bed (the master bed, of course). I'll wake you when I come back and you're still sleeping._

_Oh, and one more thing. Unless if it's one of our closest friends, don't let anyone inside. I'll even tolerate it if you let your brother in. Just don't let any other stranger you don't know inside._

_Take care, my Ying Fa. I love you._

Sakura giggled happily and embraced the note within her chest. "Oh Syaoran… even if it's a short note, you still make it sound so romantic!"

As he stated, she made herself feel at home. She unpacked her things first and placed them at the appropriate drawers. Next, she used the available laptop to surf the internet while taking out her math textbook and her notebook and other necessities such as her pencil case and her scientific graphing calculator. She made sure she placed Syaoran's phone next to her in case it rings.

When she surfed through the internet, she arrived at the Math tutorial website and right at the Calculus section. She was never fond of math since the beginning and it was her weakest subject. She was only able to pass simply because she did well at all her other classes, most especially in P.E., music, and history. Still, with the college entrance exams coming up some months ahead, she seriously needed to get serious with math in order to get in to the college she hoped she could get in.

What she almost forgot at this point was that she accidentally stuck in a pamphlet in her math notebook. She slowly removed it and read the cover: _Clow Reed University - New Undergraduate Information and Admission Requirements_

_I now know what I want to major in college. I want to make Dad proud and I want to do all the cool and neat things that he does too. I want to travel the world and discover new revelations forever buried while I'm with my friends and my trusted colleagues. That would be really nice and definitely fun!_

She flipped through the pamphlet and spotted the heading: _Faculty of Letters, Arts, and Sciences: School of Humanities and Social Sciences_. She even took a look at the list of the faculty belonging to that particular school and spotted her father's name as also one of the undergraduate advisers for students entering the field. She even looked through the undergraduate requirements to the Bachelor's Degree and also noted that in order to enter the field of Archaeology, a student must earn a Bachelor of Arts or Science Degree in Anthropology. She even noticed that a few of the general education requirements leading to the degree also included learning foreign languages.

Sakura gave the determined look on her face. _This is it! I want to work with Dad and crack cases and solve the mysteries behind artifacts— like those Mongolian scrolls and those old books dug up in Mongolia, China! Wait… does that make sense? Who cares! I think I have found my calling!_

She continued on reading the requirements as an incoming freshman. She read that the entrance exam to CRU will take place in the middle of February. In addition, she also read that for those who plan on entering the field of archaeology were advised to do some volunteer work and community service towards the culture and aspect of their local areas. A good example of this was to work as a volunteer at the town's public library. In fact, she did remember that the Tomoeda Public Library was always looking for volunteers to maintain the library.

Another revelation came to her. With Syaoran and the movie crew gone for two weeks, she can start keeping herself busy working as a volunteer in the library. In particular, the archives department. Using her reputation as the only daughter of Tomoeda's prominent historian, Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto, Ph.D, for sure the staunch librarians would allow her to do her volunteer service at the archives department.

Quickly she reached for her notebook and then began to jot down her to-do list. With the excitement of college, she immediately forgot her summer math homework. She reached her bag again to grab her phone, where she started to text Tomoyo.

"_During my break, maybe tomorrow even, I'm gonna go to the public library to sign up as a volunteer worker there. I want to work at the Archives Department."_

Few moments later after sending the text, she immediately received a message from her best friend:

"_That's great, Sakura! So I take that you decided to follow your dad's footsteps in becoming an archaeologist?"_

Sakura giggled and replied:

"_Yup. I guess you could say I just had a sudden realization after learning so many things about being an archaeologist back at home. I don't know, it's a little dumb, but Oniichan sorta complained when we received this huge package that contained a lot of ancient Chinese books that were recently (and accidentally) dug up by Mongolian students. I think that's how it goes. Oniichan said it's so unfair that they're dumping all the work at my dad and his colleagues that they even had to postpone their Mongolia Dig adventure. Dad said that it'd be nice to have someone in the family who would be able to work with him with decoding artifacts and stuff like that. Plus, you know me, I love history!"_

She nodded confidently after she sent her message. _That's right,_ she thought to herself. _I do love history… and I'm fascinated with different cultures all around the world… and I'm also interested in the history of Syaoran's family. The whole Tang Dynasty thing until their role in Chinese society today. And I love telling stories that are based on facts. If Dad can make history fun, I think I'll make it a lot more fun for the future generations. Then people would be a whole lot smarter and more aware of the world around them. I DEFINITELY found my calling!_

Right then, she heard her phone vibrate and noticed Tomoyo's name as the reply:

"_I'm almost done cleaning up the makeup kits at the girls' camping bus. I'm gonna stop by right now at your camping bus. We can talk and hang out at the bleachers at the soccer field. Let's go!"_

Sakura chuckled to herself. "That's right, Tomoyo. Let's go!"

Moments after cleaning up herself, she then began writing a quick note in case Syaoran returns and that she isn't present. She wrote the following:

_To my sweet prince Syaoran,_

_Tomoyo and I are at the bleachers at the soccer field hanging out. Will be back soon, definitely before dinner. This is about something really important that I can only talk to my best friend about. Hope you understand. I'm bringing along your phone, so don't worry._

_Hope you've done well with your movie shoot. I love you always - Sakura_

She placed the note on the table, exited the camping bus, leaving her stuff in there except for her phone and Syaoran's phone. Once she locked the door, she found Tomoyo already approaching her.

"Just in time, Tomoyo!"

"Great!" Tomoyo giggled. "Let's go!"

They stopped by the computer lab first. Right there, they found Chiharu and Rika working manually with the idols' fan mail. Naoko was already typing away behind the computer. They had a short chat about their duties as one-week slaves. In the meantime, Sakura also messaged her brother that she and Tomoyo will be hanging out at the bleachers at the soccer field and will return in a bit, just so he wouldn't have to worry. After their short chat, the girls made their way to the soccer field and up the bleachers.

Once they got there, the Tomoeda High School boys soccer team were already at the field, doing their summer camp training before the fall quarter begins. Tomoyo stretched her arms upward while Sakura remained standing, stretching her entire body. Once they were finished, they both settled at their seats.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're more excited being a one-week slave than being sad about losing our anticipated trip with the idols?" Tomoyo giggled. "Hm… I wonder if it's got to do with that certain hot Chinese idol who will eventually become the new leader of one of China's most powerful family clans… hmmm?"

Sakura giggled. "Well… sort of… I mean, by being a one-week slave under Syaoran, at least I get to spend more time with him…"

"And what's up with him being so overprotective all of a sudden? I mean come on, he hands you his phone and then he even wants you locked inside his Wolf's Lair camping bus? Something must have happened between the two of you and somehow I'm being left out of the loop!"

"Uuhn…" Sakura simply smiled while shaking her head. Tomoyo suddenly screamed in joy.

"Kyaaaaa~! Are you and Syaoran-kun… well…?" She made a two-finger sign with her fingers crossed over each other. Sakura slowly nodded. "Waaaaah I'm so happy for you!" She held her tightly with a huge grin on her face.

"But… well… I can't lie to you, Tomoyo. You seem to figure things out without me knowing. Syaoran doesn't want anyone else to know about it yet…"

Tomoyo slowly released her best friend. "I can understand where he's coming from. He's a public figure. You're not. People would make a big deal if both of you are public figures. Since you're a private citizen, there's gonna be a lot of hating— towards you."

"Hoe? Me?"

"Mom is a public figure. Dad is a public figure too. In fact, Mom used to be a private citizen when she met my dad. A lot of the people in British showbiz were outraged when they learned that their favorite movie director and part-time actor started dating a Japanese girl and eventually marry. That's one of the reasons why Mom stayed in Japan while he continued his work in the U.K. so she didn't have to face unjust criticism from the public over there. But no one can stop them. Even if they're separated like this they still love each other. Besides, Dad's here for a vacation so he's spending time with Mom and me."

"That must be really hard…" Sakura sighed deeply. "But I don't wanna be a public figure…"

"I know. And that's why Syaoran is protecting you by letting you know not to spread it around the public until the right time comes." Tomoyo placed her arm around him. "I know he doesn't trust me that much since I have a big mouth, but when it comes to you, I swear it in my family name that I will protect you as well."

"Thanks so much, Tomoyo. Sorry I couldn't tell you right away…" Tomoyo simply shook her head and the two best friends embraced. "So, about what we talked about at our phone call…"

Sakura nodded. "I'm gonna sign up as a volunteer at the public library. I want to go to Clow Reed University after graduation."

"Good for you!" Tomoyo smiled. "I still haven't made up my mind. I want to do both fashion design and filming. CRU has a really good filming and mass communications program, but if I were going to do fashion design, I have to attend a specialized institution in Tokyo so I can have more chances of interning at a renowned fashion or retail line."

"Why not just intern under Daidouji Couture and work with your Mom, while at the same time, you can attend CRU to do your filming degree? You said you love to make documentary films, right?"

Tomoyo nodded. "Mom suggested me the same thing! I don't even need a specific degree to have my own line, but you know… Daidouji Couture is a family business. Mom would be depending on me to take over Daidouji Couture when she retires one day. I have a bit of a problem with that."

"Hoe? What problem would you come across then?"

"Well, what if I get married… and then I want to have children… I don't want just one child, I want at least two or three. I mean, only reason why I'm an only child because Mom and Dad work at their fields in very distant locations that they just don't have time to spend more time together and… make more children. Mom was afraid that she would only neglect me and my sibling if I even do have a sibling and she didn't want to be a distant parent."

Sakura nodded. "I understand where she's coming from, Tomoyo. But you're Tomoyo Daidouji, girl! You always come up with the best solutions to any dilemma you or anyone else you care about come across. If you can do that, I'm sure you can find a solution to this problem too when the time comes."

Tomoyo smiled. "You think so, Sakura?"

"I know so!" The two hi-fived each other, followed by giggles.

"You've got a lot of thinking, Sakura. Now that you're together with Syaoran now… you have to start preparing yourself."

"Prepare? We're still in our teens!"

"I know that, but remember, Syaoran doesn't live in Tomoeda anymore… well, I mean to say that his residence at the moment is at Tokyo… and Tokyo's like hundreds of miles away south from Tomoeda. If he's going to stay here in Japan and continue on his showbiz career he would have to spend most of his lifetime in Tokyo. I don't think Tokyo is part of your future plans, Sakura, so how's that gonna work?"

Just as Sakura was about to worry, she then remembered the words Syaoran just told her earlier today:

"_I'm resigning from showbiz and from the agency altogether… I can't go on in showbiz anymore. My reason for being in showbiz has already been fulfilled. I'm whole again… and I have you, Sakura. I'm not gonna be pressured by some money-grubbing agency on what to do and what not to do like most agencies do. Telling their idols to never date and all that crap… Let the tabloids write about me however they want, they can't do anything to stop me from doing what I want to do and what I love to do."_

Rather than blabbing everything to Tomoyo, she decided to paraphrase it a little bit. "We don't know what Syaoran's future plans are, Tomoyo, so… being his girlfriend, I'll simply support his decisions, as long as it makes him happy and as long as it doesn't affect our relationship."

"Good," Tomoyo smiled. "That's what real and true girlfriends should be. They're not just there to be in love, but for there to support their true loves with whatever they decide to do."

"You're right, Tomoyo."

"Looks like you're all set now with your college plans, girl! And volunteering at the public library is a good start to gain experience that may qualify in to their archaeology program. You know there's still talks about building a Tomoeda Museum and since the Lis are here, maybe those plans will definitely push through!"

"If the Tomoeda Museum is built I'm gonna sign up and do volunteer work there too!"

"Yeah! Good idea!"

Sakura took a deep breath. "Gosh, Tomoyo. It's only the summer but it feels like we're already counting the days before we finally say goodbye to high school."

"Yeah, I know. It's amazing how time flies… but at least we finally have the best summer vacation we've ever had in our teenage years. You've finally reunited— and confirmed— that you and that enigmatic Syaoran Li from next door are truly meant to be together. Plus he finally recovered all of his memories. Now he feels complete."

"Tomoeda sure is a magical place where all the impossible becomes possible."

"Well, not all of the impossible, but at least the ones that become possible are real." The two girls chuckle and then changed the subject.

"Ne, Sakura… there's something that I gotta tell you. Maybe it's not a big deal but I just can't help noticing it."

"Sure thing," Sakura nodded. "What's up?"

"I know this isn't huge or anything like that but I'm having a bit of a suspicion towards Hirashiki."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Hirashiki? What is she, a girl who breaks up couples? Does she already know about me and Syaoran already?"

Tomoyo shook her head. "No, it's not that. I don't think she knows about you and Syaoran yet, but she's one of the dumb ignorant ones who think that I'm the lucky girl whom Syaoran wants to be together with, just like most of the idiots here in town."

"Oh. Well, what is it about her?"

"You know how I was given responsibility in doing the idols' make up during the set? Well… let's just say I caught something in Hirashiki that made me feel suspicious about her— particularly around her neck area and even above her chest."

Sakura gasped. "Hoe? What is it? She got mosquito bites or something?"

Tomoyo giggled. "Mosquito bites?"

"Oniichan says they're mosquito bites. Girls get that a lot whenever they're so much in love with their boyfriends. I asked that because some years ago, one time I saw Kaho-neechan having these dark spots around that area and Oniichan said they're mosquito bites."

Tomoyo broke in to laughter while shaking her head. "You're so funny, Sakura."

"Hoe?" Sakura gave a confused look. "So they're not mosquito bites then?"

"Don't let Syaoran hear you say that when you start having those marks around your neck and upper chest area because he'll be really mad, okay?" Sakura still gave her a confused look. "Um… they're what some people call bite marks. In American, they call them 'hickeys.'"

"Eh? But Americans speak English, right?"

Tomoyo couldn't help herself but giggle, patting her best friend on the back. "Erm… let's not change the subject. But anyway, Hirashiki's got plenty of them at her neck and upper chest area. And judging by the darkness of the marks and the size of them, they look pretty fresh to me. I had to do a lot of work to cover all of them up for the movie set because girl, cameras don't lie when they spot some… unwantables… on someone's body while they're filming. I personally don't like the girl but I should at least save her reputation from the public."

"Ohhh…" Sakura then began to get suspicious. "So, Hirashiki's got a boyfriend then? How come she flirts so much around Syaoran even though Syaoran ignores her pretty much and then she's got mosquito— erm, marks— on her neck and chest?"

"That's the mystery. I think Hirashiki's up to no good. From what I heard from the other idol girls, she's been harboring feelings for Syaoran ever since he started working in the teen showbiz here in Japan like three or four years ago even though it's at the set of CBLW that they actually started communicating with each other. There were even cases before that she threatened Meiling several times regarding her relationship with Syaoran when they were still together but Meiling simply ignored her or would just laugh at her. Hirashiki's really happy when she finally got the role opposite Syaoran in this movie and then planned to use this gig to make him fall in love with her once and for all. I'm telling you, even though she's a huge big teen star, behind the cameras, she's just like any other obsessed Wolfpup out there. Seriously she just refuses to get along with any other girl who's close to Syaoran. There was even an incident where she started talking smack at two of Syaoran's older sisters without even knowing that they're blood-related in the first place. She's _that _obsessed."

"Hoe… that's… erm… wow…"

"And now she's treating me like dirt because she actually believes what everyone else have been saying about me and Syaoran. I'm quite surprised that there are times that she would look down on you before but never even thought of the possibility that you and Syaoran would actually be in love with each other."

"That's because she thinks I'm easy to deal with," Sakura shook her head. "You know me— plain jane girl who is more tomboyish than being a refined lady…"

"What? You, a plain jane girl? You may not realize this but you're actually one of the prettiest girls in all of Tomoeda, okay? Everyone says I'm the prettiest just because I just happen to belong to Tomoeda's second richest family— under the Lis, of course. Without the Lis, I would be the richest. Wealth doesn't always equate to beauty, you know."

"Okay, maybe not because I'm plain jane, but maybe because I'm not rich or from the elite class."

Tomoyo shook her head. "Just ignore her insults against you, Sakura. Either way she still loses anyway. There's just no way Syaoran would easily fall for her just like that no matter how hard she tries. But since I'm the only one who has the closest access to the set and to the idols now since I'm doing their clothes, costumes, and makeup the entire week, I'll make sure I'd have a closer eye on her. I really do think she's up to something."

"Hoe… so she really would do anything just so she can get whatever she wants, huh…"

"About those hickeys she's got, I think she must have hired someone to do all these things to her. The only other way for a person to get those marks without involving someone is if they were being sucked by some vacuum cleaner or something, but the size would also determine if they're real hickeys or not."

"So, when you were together with Bunchin, you had those marks too?"

Tomoyo then laughed. "Unfortunately for the both of us, the closest that we got to each other was just kissing. He's never touched me or kissed me anywhere else except my cheek."

"Cheek?" Sakura gasped. "That means you've never been kissed on the lips before?" Tomoyo shook her head. "But I thought…"

"This means you're the first girl to actually get kissed on the lips— by Syaoran, ne?"

Sakura gently placed a finger on her lips. "I never… I mean… he… he did kiss me from out of the blue and… well… I… I really like his kisses…"

Tomoyo grinned. "You should. You love him."

"Hoe…" Sakura heavily blushed and buried her face in her hands.

"And pretty soon, you'll be having marks on your neck and on top of your chest area too!"

"Hoe?" Quickly Sakura covered her neck and chest with her arms. "But… but how…?"

"Why, Syaoran will be giving them to you, of course. He would do that so that you have proof that you belong to him… and he belongs to you…"

"So… since Hirashiki has those marks, does that mean she belongs to someone else now?"

"We don't know that. I already asked the other idol girls about that and they said that they didn't even notice those marks until I pointed them out to them. Hirashiki must have been so used to having the makeup artists do their wonders on her skin that she didn't even care what imperfections they may see since they'll find a way to cover them up anyway. Anyway, as of this moment, just do you one-week slave duties, meaning you just need to stick closer to Syaoran than you were the last time. I'll deal with Hirashiki."

"Okay then, Tomoyo." The two girls hooked their pinkies together as their signs of promise. She then took a deep sigh. "Mou… what do I do if Syaoran starts… um…"

"Hahahaha, why are you asking me? Just follow what your heart tells you to do, that's all. I'm pretty sure that Syaoran wouldn't do anything you're not ready for, so if he does something and you feel uncomfortable with it, just tell him to stop."

Immediately, Sakura found herself blushing just imagining doing the things she saw on those romance movies she watched with Tomoyo with Syaoran. Her curiosity started to peak and then burying her face against her hands.

"Hmmm? What are you thinking about now, Sakura?"

"Hoe…" Without a doubt, she now couldn't help herself but to blush even more. "What am I gonna do…? What if that happens later today…?"

"Aww… sweet and shy Sakura already thinking about those things?" Tomoyo teased. "I wish I can help but I can't. You see, you have to learn how good Syaoran is as a lover. It's all up to you." She then gave her a wink.

Just as the girls were about to continue with their chat, they heard a loud male voice coming from the soccer fields. "Heads up!"

With a quick reflex, Sakura quickly snapped her head towards the field and saw the soccer ball already flying towards their direction. She stood up from her spot, stood on to the bleachers, jumped and kicked the ball back towards the field with a flawless precision. The ball ended up towards one of the goal nets, where one of the goalies missed catching or blocking the ball. The result came when the soccer players applauding and cheering loudly for Sakura's counter of the ball.

"Hey!" One of the soccer players called out. "Is that you, Kinomoto?"

Sakura responded with a wave. "Yeah! Getting ready for the upcoming soccer season later this year?"

The same player who called out to her turned to his fellow players that they would take a break. The entire team approached the bleachers, where at the bottom row were their refreshments and the rest of their equipment. Once they reached there, their team leader waved at the two girls.

"Kuze-kun! Hey there!" Sakura waved, as she and Tomoyo climbed down to reach the first row.

"Nice seeing you ladies out here," the team leader, Kenichi Kuze, greeted them. "Hanging out here at the soccer field at this hour? No more working as extras for that movie shoot thing?"

"Nah," Tomoyo said. "We're just taking a break from that… slave thing…"

"Oh!" One of the soccer players exclaimed. "I went to Li's birthday bash last night, even slept overnight too like almost everyone else. Seems the entire town already knows the score behind all this."

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped in shock. "The entire town already knows?"

"Yeah," that same player chuckled. "Everyone knows that there was a bet behind it. Too bad you locals lost. I gotta admit Li really is clever."

"Oh… whew… I thought it was something else…" Sakura muttered, thinking that her new relationship with Syaoran may suddenly become today's public gossip. Luckily it was just about the bet behind the Mochiron Game last night.

"By the way," Keiichi Kuze interrupted them by changing the subject. "We're actually training for the upcoming summer sports camp in August. This year's gonna be a special summer sports camp because of the fact that these movie people are still here."

"Oh, is that why you're practicing with the rest of the boys' soccer team, Kuze-kun?" Tomoyo asked. "I wondered because I know that you and a few of the seniors already quit the team so you can focus more in studying for the college entrance exams in the winter."

"Well yeah, we're no longer in the team but we're participating in the sports summer camp."

"Ah, I get it," Sakura nodded. "So, what's the summer sports camp's theme is gonna be?"

"Well, guess what. Instead of the Tomoeda youth being divided in to separate troops as always, we're gonna be one team against— guess who— Nijibe!"

"Waaaaah!" Sakura and Tomoyo exclaimed. "Nijibe?!"

"Yup," Kuze nodded. "Just like the time where you first played at the Tomoeda Elementary soccer team, Kinomoto. You and Li really kicked butt on that first game and you kicked more butt even after that!"

"Yup," Sakura giggled. "We sure did… Syao— I mean Li and me that is…"

"It's too bad that you're no longer together playing soccer," one of the soccer players pouted. "It sucks Li had to move out and you had to quit because of so many changes within our school sports program."

"Yeah," Sakura sighed. "But I really did have fun playing with you guys!"

"Same here," Kuze nodded. "Now that we're on the subject, the rest of the senior players and myself are part of this year's Tomoeda Sports Summer Camp Committee. There's been this really huge debate between us and the Nijibe committee regarding which one of the idols and teen cast members from the movie set they want to have in their team. Hell they want Li to be in the Nijibe Team!"

"What?" Tomoyo exclaimed. "Those Nijibe guys sure are ambitious! Li-kun may be Chinese but he's a purebred Tomoedan! There's no way in hell he's gonna join the Nijibe team!"

"Exactly," Kuze nodded in agreement. "So instead, we had a meeting with Director Terada and the head crew of the movie set and have them decide. We recently got the results two days ago. We'll be having Li, Hiiragizawa, that Meiling Li girl, the Hirashiki girl, and Oh."

"Wait," Tomoyo chuckled. "Yun-kun is considered part of the movie cast?"

"Well, he's an idol in Korea and a choreographer for the movie, so technically yes!" One of the players said.

"Well that makes sense," Tomoyo said. "Although Hirashiki being in our team is kinda… you know… out of place…"

"Eh, we'll deal," Kuze said. "My younger brother is… or rather _was_… a fanboy of Hirashiki until he learned the truth about her when he attended the party last night. He thought that she was a snob, doesn't acknowledge her own fans, especially her male fans, and the fact that she clings too much towards Li. The poor guy was disillusioned."

"I'll say," Sakura chuckled. "Well, I know Hirashiki has a… rather… um… rotten personality… but it's the summer sports camp. We won't be doing but doing a lot of athletic activities, and since we're facing Nijibe, we seriously have to do really good against them."

"And here's the kicker," Kuze continued. "The main events that are expected to be the most watched would be track and field, soccer, baseball, basketball, and the minor ones, such as the three-legged race and all that. It's gonna be one awesome week of sweat, sweat, and more sweat!"

Sakura applauded. "Wow, this sounds like the school sports day that was taken to a whole new level!"

"You got it sister!" Kuze gave a thumbs up. Meanwhile, a group of teenage girls arrived and called out the soccer players. About a quarter of them ran to them and exchanged embraces and a few kisses here and there.

"Oh, their girlfriends," Kuze chuckled. "They're all our juniors so we're not that familiar with them."

"However!" One of the senior players interrupted. "They know of you, Kinomoto."

Sakura gave a perplexed look and pointed at herself. "Me?"

"Yeah. You're an inspiration to ever teenage girl in Tomoeda, they said. In fact, they even got a secret fan club dedicated to you."

"Hoe?!" Sakura shrieked in shock as Tomoyo applauded happily.

"Hey, if that's for real, then I'm gonna join!" Tomoyo snickered.

"Tomoyo!" Sakura shyly laughed. The soccer couples eventually approached them. Kuze waved at one of the boys, who happened to be the current team captain of the Tomoeda High School boys soccer team.

"That's Naoki Murakami," Kuze pointed at the rather good-looking, average-height young man with a rather pretty girl next to him. "He's this year's team captain of the boys soccer team in our school. That's his girlfriend, Arisa Mori, club president of the Yamato Nadeshiko Club, you know, the 'ideal Japanese girl' cultural club." He then turned to the couple. "Murakami, Mori, these are our homeroom classmates, Sakura Kinomoto and Tomoyo Daidouji."

"I've heard about you two, Senpais!" Murakami answered. "Future heir of the Daidouji Couture fashion line, right? And Kinomoto being the record holder for Miyagi-ken's fastest time in the 26-mile Marathon run!"

"That's right," Tomoyo smiled. "Although I'm not sure about the heir part. I'm planning on creating my own fashion line when the time comes."

"Eheh," Sakura gave a soft laugh. "Eventually my record's gonna be broken one day."

Another one of the boys interrupted. "Do you plan on running the marathon again at the summer sports camp again, Kinomoto? Maybe you can even break your own record!"

"Well, I—" Just as Sakura was about to answer, Murakami's girlfriend, Arisa Mori, interrupted them.

"No way! This summer camp, Kinomoto-senpai's gonna play soccer now that Li-senpai is back in town!" Arisa giggled.

"Oh yeah, that's right!" The other girls exclaimed happily.

"Wait, wait, wait," Sakura chuckled. "Now that Li-senpai is back… you mean Syaoran Li?"

"Of course! Who else?" Arisa laughed. Right then, her eyes became starstruck and then began to explain. "You see, my boyfriend, these soccer boys with us, and us soccer girlfriends are actually one secret fan club known as the Amber Emeralds!"

"Hoe?" Sakura blinked curiously. "Amber Emeralds?"

"Oh, I heard about you guys!" Tomoyo laughed. "You guys are the most popular clique in Tomoeda High School among the 10th graders and 11th graders, right?"

Murakami laughed nervously. "That's what everyone says, but see, we call ourselves the Amber Emeralds because… um… we're actually fans of yours, Kinomoto…"

"Hoe?!" Sakura gasped. "Fans of me?"

"Well… um…" Arisa gave a slight blush. "Major fans of you… and Li-senpai… together."

"Hoooooeee?!" Sakura felt like running away and hide somewhere, but instead buried her face against the railing of the bleachers.

"Hold on," Tomoyo refrained herself from laughing. "So, you're the Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li Fan club? One of those pairing fan clubs?" The couples slowly nodded.

"Ever since elementary during first grade," Arisa further explained. "On the first day that you started playing soccer for the Tomoeda Elementary soccer team against Nijibe Elementary was the day that my friends and I started to find admiration and inspiration in you two! And overtime, our admiration for the two of you got stronger as we noticed the two of you started to get a lot closer together! In short, we've been around way longer than those crazy Wolfpups fangirls. Eventually, even the boys— our boyfriends now— started joining us in admiring you and Li-senpai from afar!"

"Um… wow!" Sakura spoke in a soft, shy tone. "Th-thank you… very much! I had no idea that the Amber Emeralds are actually a fan club, not one of those typical high school cliques you see on TV."

"Even with Li-senpai gone from Tomoeda seven years ago, our love and admiration for the two of you still continued. Of course, we got rather sad and upset that Li-senpai decided to sell himself to the public by becoming an idol," Arisa frowned. "But we're so happy that he was going to step foot back in Tomoeda for that upcoming movie!"

"And that the two of you are reunited!" Another girl said.

"In the name of true love, this just shows how our idols Kinomoto-senpai and Li-senpai are truly meant for each other— and that's what the Amber Emeralds are all about!" Everyone in the crowd nodded with sparkles in their eyes while Kuze shrugged his shoulders.

"See? The so-called 'popular elite clique' among the juniors of Tomoeda just happened to be your fanclub, Kinomoto," Kuze chuckled.

"Hoe…" Sakura gulped nervously.

"Whoa! I should join you guys!" Tomoyo teased. "So, girls and guys, all you Amber Emeralds… does Li-kun actually know about you guys?"

Right then, both Arisa and Murakami lowered their heads with sad faces. "He's so hard to reach," Murakami sighed. "I mean, with him being an all-star now and the whole thing about the Li Clan here in Tomoeda…"

"Plus those nasty Wolfpups fangirls who think they're his bodyguards too…" Arisa gritted her teeth. "Those girls think that they're the only ones who have the right to get close to Li-senpai. They refuse to even see themselves that they're being selfish!"

"Apparently, we don't really get along with the Wolfpups," another girl said. "Except for their president. She was really nice and accomodating."

"Ah, Chiharu!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "Of course she would be open. She may be president but she's very organized, dedicated, and very fair to everyone!"

"Well," Sakura gave a chuckle. "I… I'll tell Syao— I mean Li-kun about you guys. He may seem really stern and all but I'm sure he'll be happy and appreciated that you guys exist! I'm already happy, actually. Thank you!"

"Really, you would, Kinomoto-senpai?" Arisa gasped. "Oh, we'd really appreciate it! We may sound like we're a group of stalkers, but you have no idea how much you and he put so much impact on your juniors. We're not like those crazy Wolfpups who only care about Li-senpai's looks and his accomplishments in showbiz. I guess in some ways you could say that we know a whole lot more about him than those Wolfpups do."

"Well, speaking of Li-kun," Tomoyo chuckled, "I think it's time for us to head back to our… one-week slave duties. I bet those idols are gonna be so pissed that I'm taking a long while. I still have yet to draft their new fashions and make their new costumes before the end of the week. I still have to shoot some behind the scenes footage for them too so I can help Naoko do her blogging duties."

"Eh? She's back to blogging again?" One of the girls asked.

"No, she's updating the celebrity blogs of those idols all by herself including taking behind the scenes photos— that's her one-week slave task," Tomoyo frowned.

"Whoa…" The girls gasped.

"Ah, no problem," Kuze said. "Next week though is the official start of training for the summer sports camp. Kinomoto, by all means, we would really love to have you back in the soccer team along with Li and Oh. We also heard that Hiiragizawa's really skilled in soccer as well so we'd like to have him as well."

"I think Yamazaki would take care of them," one of the soccer players said. "We bumped in to him earlier at the post office while he was hauling these huge bags of mail to be mailed. Just what the heck are those anyway?"

"His one-week slavery duty," Sakura sighed. "He's mailing and receiving all these fanmail for the idols."

"Oh wow. That's a lot of work," the soccer players said simultaneously.

"Anyway," Kuze said, "we'll talk some more about the summer camp sometime this week. I just hope those idols aren't slave drivers and would make you do more work than what's originally planned. We still have yet to talk to Tsukishiro-senpai about this too."

"Oh? Yuki-niichan is included in this one?" Sakura wondered.

"His Mooncastle Troop won the summer camp last year, so the committee is considering him to be the leader of the Tomoeda Troop for this year."

"We'll pass the word along to him when we see him," Tomoyo said. "Thanks so much for sharing all this info! I can't wait for summer camp!"

"Yup!" Arisa exclaimed. "August is going to be really awesome! Lots of possible romantic events can happen in August… the summer festival… summer camp… hanging out at the beach… it's gonna be so perfect!"

"I hope so," Sakura smiled, now thinking about Syaoran in this scenario. "The movie people are gonna be staying out of Tomoeda for two weeks to do their scenes and then they'll come back at the first week of August, just before the festival."

"Well, I hope you'd be able to talk to Li-senpai about the Amber Emeralds!" Murakami exclaimed. "I mean, at least, we'd like him to recognize us too as his support fangroup along with the Wolfpups and that we'd be able to meet and hang out a bit before he leaves. We'll be here at the school soccer field so if you want to keep in touch, just come on over here."

"I'll definitely remind him," Sakura nodded. "And thanks!" She and Tomoyo waved at the soccer team and the Amber Emeralds fangroup and made their way back to their positions.

#

"Hoe… oh math homework, why do you have to be so difficult…"

Sakura had been staring at her math textbook filled with Calculus formulas and word problems that she seriously could not find the right formula or the method to solve these problems from top of her head. Her notebook filled with fully-detailed notes did not do any good for her, nor do the Japanese math tutorial sites on the internet. She would love to have a live tutor next to her to go through these problems, but with Tomoyo and all her friends doing their one-week slave tasks and her father busy with those darn Mongolian scrolls, she was definitely stuck.

She couldn't wait for her volunteering work at the library, as well as the upcoming summer festival and the one-week summer sports camp where all of the Tomoeda youth will be in one team facing the Nijibe youth that would also include the teen celebrities from the _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf _movie set, so much that she seriously had no time to look in to things not due until September, such as this grueling mathematics homework. And then, another thing that was distracting her mind right now was her celebrity boyfriend, Syaoran Li.

Still, she promised her father that rather than waiting till the last minute in August that she needed to get all of her summer homework completed. She already completed her other subjects, such as science, history, Japanese language, and English. She had no problem dealing with those subjects. But math… that was a different story. Her father and brother were true geniuses in math even though none of them were quite interested in the subject, but with the two being occupied, she always had Tomoyo and Yamazaki and Naoko to turn to knowing that both Chiharu and Rika were on the same level of idiocy as her with math. If it weren't for this one-week slavery bet, she would have probably had her math homework done already.

And then, once again, Syaoran appeared in her mind again.

"Hoe… maybe I'm a little tired. If I take a short nap, maybe my head would clear up and then I'll be good to go when I start homework later." She stretched his arms, and rather than lying down on Syaoran's oh-so-luxuriously soft and firm master bed, she decided to sleep on the desk instead. After all, she didn't want to volunteer herself on to his bed without him being present.

She placed Syaoran's phone next to her. Good thing no one called and there were no messages left on her voice mail. Perfect.

She then buried her face against the desk with her curved arms supporting her and then began to close her eyes, falling herself in to her nap.

Some twenty minutes later, the Wolf's Lair door was unlocking and the handsome amber-eyed teen idol entered, looking rather exhausted himself. He was ready to jump himself on to his bed when he spotted Sakura at his desk taking a nap. He grinned to himself and tiptoed his way to her direction.

Once he loomed over her, he took notice of his phone next to her. Next, he took notice of his laptop still on and on its screensaver. He moved his finger on to the touch pad to see that she had been reading through a calculus tutorial site to help her with her homework. Then, he gazed at her math textbook and then her notebook filled with calculus notes he thought were rather disorganized. Right slightly underneath her head is a very empty piece of binder paper. Conclusion? She hasn't even started her homework yet.

Poor thing, he thought to himself. He was going through a difficult movie scene with Mai Hirashiki that took almost four hours to get the scene right. It was even a flirting scene, in which Mai had no problem doing and Syaoran not getting himself in to his character to do the role right. Even without Sakura being his girlfriend as of today, he still would be having difficulty, knowing his disdain for his rather demanding, conceited co-star. Good thing he was finished for today and wouldn't have to do the next scene until tomorrow early morning.

He looked forward to seeing Sakura after their shooting was over. The rest of the idols with the exception of Eriol and Meiling would have to go through their two-hour studying with Touya being their one-week slave to be their substitute tutor at one of the school's classrooms. Eriol and Meiling decided to kill their time by being tutors to the Tomoeda local students in their trailer, knowing that Tomoyo, Yamazaki, Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko still had yet to finish the rest of their summer homework.

But Sakura? She belongs to Syaoran, and so it was up to the future clan leader to do his role as a supporter and mentor and not just her boyfriend. He slowly lifted Sakura from her seat, careful not to startle her, and then carried her to his bed. He couldn't help but blush once he took notice of her tied strap summer dress that stretched down just above her knees. Goodness, she looked so sweet, so innocent, simply beautiful, that he could already feel the Li Curse taking over him again.

The curse was making him think of things that he never thought of in the first place with Sakura, such as stripping her and himself naked and perform the very intimate act that true lovers would do when they are alone in a bedroom. This was indeed another test of his worthiness of becoming the next clan leader. Who would have thought that something such as this can actually happen to destined clan leaders? He even began to wonder if he made a mistake at his sixteenth birthday when he should have done the deed with the wanton girl rather than paying his uncanny look-alike cousin to do the deed for him. He often wondered if his father's decision of actually going through the deed when he was sixteen made it easier for him to deal with this so-called curse.

Maybe he should've waited until the right time to confess his feelings for Sakura regardless of what his intentions were those seven years ago, but then again, he grew impatient, and knowing that a lot of things can happen during two weeks of being apart from her, he couldn't take the risk of waiting any longer and decided to make things official with her.

_Let's take things slow…_ He thought to himself. He lied down next to her and slipped an arm around her neck so he can gently pull her to him and let her sleep in his arms. Right where he felt her feeling more comfortable in her nap, he began to close his eyes, taking his own nap as well.

Some forty-five minutes later and Sakura slowly opened her eyes. She felt something very warm, very secure, and arms so loving and protective as if she was just locked in a tight jail cell. When she gazed at the gentle sleeping face, she smiled happily and planted a soft kiss on his lips to thank him.

That one single kiss immediately woke the handsome Chinese idol, which made Sakura gasp in surprise. "Oh… Oh no…" She whispered. "Did… Did I wake you…?"

Syaoran slowly opened one eye and found his green-eyed angel gazing at him. "Hi," he smiled.

"Hoe!" Sakura shrieked and without realizing it, placed her hands against his firm, hard chest. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep! I was gonna do my homework… and your phone didn't ring and… I… I got all tired…"

"It's fine," he smiled. Slowly he got up from the bed, also helping her up. "I checked the phone while you were sleeping on my desk, so don't worry."

Sakura pouted and dropped her head. "I really am an idiot in math…"

"No, don't say that," Syaoran frowned. "I took a peek at your notes and I have to admit, your notes have got to be some of the worst I've seen…"

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped. "But I was just copying what the teacher was writing on the blackboard!"

"It's not your fault, Sakura. I'm just wondering who your math teacher is, that's all." He stood up and headed to his desk and grabbed Sakura's math notebook and sat back down at the edge of his bed.

"Wait— don't look!" Sakura pouted as Syaoran invited himself to look through all of her notes. On a few corners of the pages, she found little drawings and a few random words and a few with a huge umbrella drawing that had her name and his name on each side. He began to chuckle.

"Hoe…"

"Who's your math teacher by the way? I'm not criticizing you or anything but no wonder you're flunking math."

"Who else could it be? It's Sanada-sensei… that really mean math teacher that we have since elementary."

"What?" Syaoran exclaimed with a laugh. "Old prune Sanada? She still exists?"

"Don't be rude, Syaoran, she can be nice sometimes…"

"But she was a demon in the classroom! Mess up with your multiplication tables and she'd make you sit on the corner squatting for the entire period. Man, that was brutal…"

Right then, Sakura gave a soft giggle. _Thank God Syaoran really has his lost memories of Tomoeda restored!_

"Look," Syaoran gazed at her. "I have an extra blank notebook and I'll rewrite all your notes for you. You can start preparing dinner."

"Hoe? Already? What time is it?" Sakura found her phone and noticed the time. "Oh no! It's 5:45 p.m.?"

"That's why I'm ordering you to make dinner. Move it!"

"Hmph," Sakura frowned. "Alright, alright, I'm moving."

"I'm off the rest of the day so I got all night helping you with your homework."

"Really? Yay!" Quickly she threw herself around him, which made both of them fall on to the bed.

"Hey, let go!" Syaoran chuckled. "Go start making dinner already! No kisses for you."

"Aww…" Sakura pouted. "Okay… I'm moving…" She got up from the bed and headed for the kitchenette. He reached over to one of the drawers in his desk and took out a fresh and clean notebook. He also took his pencil case and began to rewrite all of her notes with the help of her textbook.

"Hm… what do you feel like having for dinner, Syaoran?"

"Hm… how about something quick, filling, but very delicious?"

"Something quick, filling, but very delicious, huh?" She began to contemplate of a dish she knew how to cook that would indeed satisfy just one person. "How about Kareraisu? Is that okay?"

"If it's one of those instant ones, I don't want that." Sakura giggled as a result.

"I know my darling Syaoran's tastes. Of course this version of Kareraisu is from scratch!" Sakura winked.

"And I know my Ying Fa's ways too. Nothing instant!"

"Okay, okay," Sakura stuck her tongue and then began the preparations for the dish.

"Be sure you make enough for the two of us. I don't want you just sitting still watching me eat when you're starving."

"No worries, I'll make sure it's enough for the two of us. Besides, I really do want to eat with you."

"Good." He watched her for a few moments while she began the cooking preparations. After those few moments, he headed to his desk and began to rewrite the math notes using her textbook and her old notes to make things easier for her.

About thirty minutes later, dinner was prepared, served, and ready to eat. The couple sat on the dining table facing each other, with Syaoran taking a gentle sniff of the spicy-scented curry rice.

"Smells delicious… and familiar…"

"Familiar?"

"Yup. I can smell some of the spices that's only local to Tomoeda."

"Yup! It's the Tomoeda-style Curry Rice!"

"Yes!" Syaoran cheered happily. "Now I feel like I'm really at home."

"I'm glad. Welcome home, Syaoran."

"Let's eat!" The two placed their palms together and both called out:

"_Itadakimasu!_" With the spoon and fork set, they began to eat their dish.

"Yum! This is delicious! Best kareraisu I've ever had!"

"Mou… I remember all your favorite dishes when you used to live here, you know."

Syaoran sipped on his glass of iced water. "_Used _to live? How about saying _I remember all your favorite dishes and I still do now_?"

"So picky with words!" Sakura stuck her tongue. "I'm happy that you like it!"

"Your dad taught you how to make this?"

Sakura gave a shy smile. "You know I only have one parent, Syaoran."

"Oh, right," Syaoran sighed and turned his head towards the ceiling. "I apologize for those words, Mrs. Kinomoto!"

Sakura laughed. "I'm sure Mom would understand."

Syaoran simply smiled as the two continued on feasting their dishes. Then, he broke the silence. "So, what'd you do while I was gone since no one called my phone today?"

"Well, I took a break and hung out with Tomoyo at the soccer fields. Then we met up with Kuze-kun and the rest of this year's soccer team— and a group of really cool juniors who actually know what it means to be a real fan!"

"Eh?" Syaoran became curious. "Kuze-kun? Do I know him?"

"He was in the soccer team with us back at elementary. He was our goalkeeper, remember?"

"Kuze… Kuze…" Syaoran began to contemplate. Right then, he snapped his fingers. "Oh! Shinichi Kuze?"

"Not him, he's the older brother."

"Oh, the younger one, the one who was in our homeroom class before, right? Kenichi."

"Yup. Him!"

"Yeah, I remember him now. How's he doing?"

"He was team captain last year. Actually Tak-kun was originally the captain but then he got injured and was sidelined for a long time so they needed a replacement captain and chose Kuze instead."

Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, Kuze's a really cool guy and a very effective goalie at that. Yeah, Taka told me about his injury awhile ago, and by the time he was already healed and ready to play, 12th Grade came and he can no longer be in the team anymore. It was either him remaining as student body president or he gives up that position so he can continue soccer."

"I don't understand Japanese school rules sometimes. I don't think it's right for a senior student to quit his school activities just so he can concentrate directly on college entrance exams, you know?" Sakura pouted. "The counselor told me last year that I was in way too many clubs and activities that I have to give up a lot of them. I gave up cheerleading, volleyball, swimming, and just stuck with track and field running long-distance races and marathons."

"Well, not everyone can juggle school activities and studying for entrance exams, so in some ways, that rule has a valid point."

"I guess you're right, Syaoran." She continued on taking spoonfuls of her dish and then continued on. "Anyway, I think you'll be happy to hear— or maybe not— about these cool juniors I met earlier. Have you ever heard of the Amber Emeralds?"

His eyes widened. "Amber what?"

"Amber Emeralds. Um… they're another fanclub…"

"Of whom?"

"Um…" Sakura blushed and then murmured softly. "Us…"

"Eh? Us?"

"Like… you and me 'us'."

Syaoran shook his head. "I've had quite a list of fanclubs dedicated to me, Sakura. There's the Wolfpups and then there's the Xiao and Eriol Fanclub… and then the so-called Xiao-Ling Fanclub… the me and Meiling pairing fanclub… I even heard recently that there's a Xiao-Mai Fanclub too… the me and Hirashiki Fanclub… and no one's even seen us together on screen before. And the Amber Emeralds are what again?"

"The Syaoran Li and Sakura Kinomoto Fanclub!" Sakura gave a chuckle. Much to his surprise, Syaoran ended up accidentally spitting out his water just as he sipped.

"Wait— the Amber Emeralds are a fanclub… for you and me?"

"Yup!" Sakura grinned. "I really find it flattering when they introduced themselves to me… and I also feel really bad because you don't recognize them…"

Syaoran quickly cleaned himself up after the small accident. "How the hell was I supposed to recognize them when they never had the time to introduce themselves to me?"

"Well they tried but then you're always occupied with those Wolfpup girls and apparently, those Wolfpup girls are really selfish against the Amber Emeralds. I promised them I would tell you and they'd be really happy if they get to hang out with us for only one day. They already know that you'll be leaving this weekend and be away for two weeks."

"Oh man…" Syaoran gave a frown. "I don't know if I even have some extra time for them. My schedule's pretty much booked for the entire week… but I'm doing all I can to slow down the schedule of the movie shooting altogether so I have more time to spend here in Tomoeda and catch up with everyone I used to know before."

"Even if it's just for a few minutes, it would be really awesome, Syaoran! And I really want to get to know them too and you know, learn more about the history of the Amber Emeralds."

"Why don't they just join the Wolfpups if they're only concerned about getting close contacts with me?"

"Because they're not Wolfpups, Syaoran," Sakura reminded him. "They're not Li Xiaolang the idol's fans, they're fans of Syaoran Li, local Tomoeda boy. You get it now?"

"Oh…" He lowered his head and lifted his head to contemplate. "Amazing… this is the first time I've ever heard of a fanclub dedicated to me being me… and with you included too."

"I guess they're a pairing fanclub? They were formed after they saw us playing together for the first time in soccer back in elementary—"

"What the— they existed back in elementary school? How come they never approached us during those years? I'm sure we could've been really good friends too…"

"They're our juniors, you know, the younger ones. And you know how it is in school, we don't normally hang out with other people who isn't in our grade…"

"Man…" Syaoran sighed. "I feel really bad for them. Well… Wei will be coming over later tonight so I'll discuss with him to see if there are any activities that I can postpone so we can have some time to hang out with them."

"That's awesome! And once we get the schedule set, I'll do what I can to finish all my mat homework. I can't wait till August, Syaoran! I mean, the summer festival is coming up and then the summer sports camp… oh, and I almost forgot to tell you too!"

"Huh? What's that?"

"To keep myself busy for the next two weeks since we won't be seeing each other, I decided to sign up to work as a volunteer at the library, archives department."

"Volunteer at the library? You're gonna study to be a librarian in college?"

"No, silly! Um… I decided that I'm gonna follow Dad's footsteps and be an archaeologist."

His eyes widened in surprise. "So in short, you'll be majoring in anthropology?"

"Yup! And I wanna go to Clow Reed University so I can be closer to my dad and… you know…"

"Sounds good," Syaoran nodded with a smile on his face. "Good luck with your new goal. I'll support you all the way."

"Mou, what about you? Have you decided what college you're gonna go to?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. I'm having some problems with certain family members regarding college. Some of the elders wanted me to go back to Hong Kong and attend college there. My parents want me to attend college here in Japan even if it's far away from Tomoeda."

Sakura gave a sad look. "So… no Clow Reed University then?"

"I haven't ruled out CRU yet, Sakura. Besides, it's too early to decide. I'll let you know of course if I finally made my decision and just go from there."

Immediately, she began to worry once again regarding long distance. Now that she finally won the heart of the boy she truly loved since the beginning, maintaining their strong relationship while being apart would be another challenge for the two of them.

"Sakura, don't feel sad about this. You've hung on for seven years that we've been apart. If it weren't for that amnesia I'm sure I would be the same with you. And now we eventually found our way back to each other again. I'm not gonna let another stupid accident get in between us again. If it's college years, we'll find a way. I know we will." He reached his hand on to hers on top of the table and held it gently yet tight to him.

She bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from getting teary-eyed. "Y-you're right, Syaoran. I… I shouldn't worry about all that. It's too early."

"Good. Let's finish up then we can do your homework."

"Okay!" The couple continued on with their dinner until they finished. Right then, Sakura stood up and began to clean up the table. Syaoran headed back to his desk to finish rewriting her math notes.

While cleaning up, they heard a door knock. Sakura headed to the window or the door to find Chiharu and Rika waving right at the door with Rika holding a small sack behind her back. She opened the door and greeted them.

"We were just stopping by to hand Li-kun some fan mail… the ones he can actually respond back, that is," Chiharu smiled.

"Oh, thanks!" Rika handed Sakura the sack. "So, you guys are done for the day?"

"Oh we've been done some hours ago. We were about to have dinner," Rika said. "But Eriol and Meiling suggested we hand this over to Li-kun. How is he by the way?"

"He's inside, helping me out with calculus," Sakura laughed.

"Ooh, lucky!" Chiharu gasped. "You got yourself a personal tutor for math! My boyfriend is really good in math too, but he's so damn lazy helping me out with mine."

"Oh that's not cool," Sakura frowned. "I think boyfriends should always help their girlfriends when they're in total need, especially when it comes to school."

"Maybe it's not a good idea to have Yamazaki as a tutor," Rika joked. "I mean he may be good in math but he may start making up stuff on how to actually solve those ugly calculus problems if you know what I mean."

"Ew, I hope not!" Chiharu frowned.

"Well, anyway," Rika laughed, "we're gonna head back now. I bet you're getting all giddy and blushy having someone as hot as Li Xiaolang alone in one camping bus… sparks will be flying big time!"

"Gosh!" Sakura laughed. "Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow then. Take care!"

"You too, Sakura. Goodnight!" Chiharu and Rika waved at her as they made their way out.

She went back inside and reminded Syaoran of the fan mail. "Just place them at the couch, I'll have Wei sort them out later when he comes by."

"Okay!" She placed the sack on the couch and then headed to the desk. "So, how's it going?"

"Hold on a sec…" Syaoran finished the last piece of the notes and then closed the notebook. "There we go, all done."

"Wow! You're fast!" Sakura gasped in shock.

"I looked through your assignment and the sections look really easy, so I just rewrote all your notes with some detailed tips to help you figure things out quickly without relying too much on the calculator." He handed the notebook to her as Sakura began to open and looked through his own notes.

"Hoe!" Sakura shrieked. "They're… they make a lot more sense now! Your notes, I mean! Oh thank you so much!" She embraced her beloved and planted a kiss on the cheek.

"If you want, we can solve the first problem together," Syaoran smiled.

"Really? Okay!"

He stood up from his seat and let her sit as he grabbed another chair and sat next to her. Sakura began to copy the first problem from the book. Using Syaoran's new notes, he began to show her tips on breaking the problem in to different sets for a more clearer understanding of what the problem is and how she can solve it. Slowly yet thoroughly, Sakura was able to answer the first problem.

"Hoe! I did it! I can't believe I answered that on my own!"

"Heh, I told you," Syaoran grinned. "Sometimes it's the teacher that makes things complicated. You just need to have a different approach from a different person to make it a whole lot easier."

"Aw, thanks so much, Syaoran! I owe you big time!"

"You're my one-week slave already so you don't have to owe me anything," Syaoran snickered. "How about this. You do this entire section first, then let me check it to see if you did them right and got the right answer. If you get all of them right… well… you'll be rewarded."

"Oh? What reward would that be?"

He snickered. "Can't tell you. It's a surprise."

"Mou…" Sakura pouted. "But okay! I'll do them right now!"

"I'll be at the bed if you need me." Syaoran stood up from his seat and then moved to the bed, where he grabbed his script and began to read in silence.

As time flies, Syaoran looked up to see how Sakura was doing at her attempt on working the first set of problems on her own. "How are you doing so far, Sakura?"

"Almost finished," Sakura displayed a confident grin. "I have four more sections to go…"

"You can finish the other sections tomorrow and the days after that unless you're confident enough to finish all of them today."

"Uh-uh," she shook her head. "I'll just wait until tomorrow."

"Up to you. Tomorrow you'll have to help me with my lines for tomorrow night's shooting. I screwed up so much at my scenes earlier today."

"Hoe? You didn't memorize your lines?"

"Er…" Syaoran began scratching his head gently. "It's not that… it's… it's just one of those scenes where I have to act and do something I really don't like doing…"

Sakura gasped in shock. "A kissing scene with Hirashiki-san?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Flirting and sweet-talking at her…"

"Oh…" Sakura blinked her eyes. "But it's only acting, ne?"

"Right, only acting," Syaoran shook his head. "That's what Meiling and I thought when we did our own romantic scenes. Then fans started talking about us as if that was for real…"

"Well, you really liked Meiling back then so you didn't have any problems… right…?" She then gazed downward with her finger trailing against her notebook.

Syaoran's eyes widened. "That's not the point, Sakura. It's just…" He closed his eyes to find the right words. "Well in a way you're right. I did like Meiling back then, plus I wasn't seeing anybody outside the movie set or anything like that. It's just…"

Sakura stood up from the desk and approached him at his bed. She sat at the edge, facing him lying down. "Is it because we're together now that you're having a hard time going through these kissing scenes and flirting scenes with her?"

He placed his script down at his side and took a deep breath. "I wish you can be Hirashiki's stunt double so I can kiss you instead…"

She blushed heavily. "Oh Syaoran…"

While she covered her cheeks to cover the blush, he got up from his bed and leaned to kiss her tenderly. Her lips were suddenly caught by his that she dropped her hands and let herself be his captive in this passionate moment. He surrounded her waist with his arms as she placed her arms around his neck. Next thing she knew, she was already lying down on her bed with him on top of her. It didn't take long for her to notice when he left her lips and slowly trailed down to her neck and then began to kiss her down there, with one finger already tracing her bare shoulders thanks to her tied strap summer dress. She had never felt such warmth and chill at the same time as he continued and couldn't help but have the urge to feel more of him.

"Syaoran… please…" She whispered, but it seemed that he did not hear her. He continued on as she gave out very soft moans from her lips.

If only they have the entire night to themselves, they would have gone further down deep and more intimate. Sadly for them, someone just had to knock on the door. Looking rather upset, Syaoran released her while Sakura covered her bare shoulders with her hands as if she wanted to keep the warmth he just gave her. Even the girl also gave a sad look on her face.

"I'll… I'll get it…" Sakura slowly stood up as Syaoran watched her approach the door. He dropped himself on his bed again, giving another upsetting sigh.

_Damn this Li Curse… I can't let it take over me…_

When Sakura answered the door, Wei appeared. "Oh, good evening, Wei-san! Come on in!"

"I won't be long. I have to head back to the Li Residence," Wei said as he entered. He approached the bedroom where he found his young master lying down on the bed.

"Master Xiaolang, have you been taking a nap?"

Syaoran opened his eyes and shook his head. "Nah, I was just resting my eyes. I was trying to memorize on my lines again after screwing up the scenes earlier."

"Well, I have a small bit of news for you, Master. I was instructed by your parents to do this, so… please don't be angry."

He got up from his bed. "Why? What is it?"

"Your parents instructed me to bring Master Shulai to the movie set every single day to spend some time with you. I have to give him a tour around Tomoeda starting tomorrow so he can be more familiar with—"

"What?" Syaoran exclaimed. "Why the hell would they want _him _around my movie set? Just seeing his face is gonna screw me up even more!"

"Your parents made him promise not to do anything unruly and I'll make sure that he doesn't, so don't worry Master."

"Hoe?" Sakura joined in the conversation. "Your look-alike cousin will be coming over the movie set everyday?"

"Great…" Syaoran shook his head. "Not only that seeing him around is gonna screw me up with my work… he may even start doing his Don Juan act around the local girls around…"

Sakura shook her head. "I already know who you are, Syaoran, so it'll be easy for me to tell between you and your cousin. Sure, there may be look-alikes but personalities can never be duplicated."

He shook his head. "I rather not introduce him to you and vice-versa, Sakura."

"It'll be alright, Master Xiaolang. I'll make sure I'll protect Sakura-chan for you if that's what you want."

"Don't worry about me, Wei-san," Sakura smiled. "I'll just hang out with Tomoyo and the girls instead… or even hang out with my brother while you guys are working on the set."

Syaoran nodded. "I guess I can deal with that. It'd be unfair for me to tell you to stay in here all day when you got your friends to be with." He then gazed at Sakura. "I'm really sorry for being so overprotective."

"Don't worry about it. I really like it when you're overprotective. It really makes me happy to know that I really do belong to you…"

He smiled as his response, then he changed the subject. "Ah, Wei-san. Um, can we take a look at my schedule again this week? I want to know the longest free time that I have."

"Why, Master Xiaolang? Anything wrong?"

He shook his head. "Not in particular, Wei-san. I'd like to have a short get-together with another group of… fans…"

"The Wolfpups? But Mihara-san would've mentioned anything like that with me, usually—"

"Not the Wolfpups, Wei-san. Just very local fans who support me and Sakura… well, me as a local Tomoeda kid, not me as an idol."

Wei gave a perplexed look. "I don't understand…"

"I'll explain everything, Wei-san," Sakura smiled happily. "It'll be just a short get-together with the Amber Emeralds, me, and Syaoran."

"Whatever you say then." Wei reached for his phone, which he also uses as his scheduler to check on his young master's schedule. "Well, Master Xiaolang, apparently you only have Friday, the day before we leave for Kagamineshi, with your longest free time of four hours, starting at your lunch hour."

"Great," Syaoran nodded. "Book that for the Amber Emeralds gathering. Give us about two hours."

"Alright. Will do."

"Yay!" Sakura cheered happily. "I can't wait to tell them that we'll be having our very first fan get-together!"

Syaoran chuckled at Sakura's excitement as Wei plugged in the hours from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for their first fan get-together with the Amber Emeralds.

Moments later, Wei made his exit and it was already late. Sakura was able to finish the first set of her calculus problems and Syaoran proceeded to check them himself. He gave a smile, looking pleased at her work.

"You've got some missing figures on this problem and that problem, so fix that. Overall you did a wonderful job!"

"Yay!" Sakura exclaimed properly. "So, what's my reward?"

Syaoran gave a chuckle. "You didn't get all of the problems correct, so you'll have to finish the second set tomorrow to get your reward."

"What? Aww… how unfair…" Sakura pouted.

"Besides, it's getting late. You need your sleep. I still gotta get used to these lines in the script so I'm gonna stay up a bit longer."

"Eh? But you'll be working in the movie set all day starting in the morning?"

"True, but you'll be waking up earlier than me. You still got my breakfast to make."

"Aww…" Sakura gave a pout and sighed. "Okay, fair enough. I'm gonna get ready for bed then. Thanks for your help and everything, Syaoran."

"Thank me before Christmas after your final exams. Now go to bed. That's an order."

"Yes, Master…" She mocked and reached for her backpack to take her pair of PJs and her pouch of toiletries. While she headed for the restroom to change and wash herself, he watched her carefully like a watchdog should.

Moments later, she exited with her pair of white PJs with a short-sleeved silk top. She turned to the twin beds on the side. "So, which one of these beds should I be sleeping in?"

Syaoran shook his head. "You're sleeping in my bed. I can't let girls sleeping outside the master bedroom where I can't see you in this camping bus."

"Oh boo. So overprotective," Sakura giggled. "You're even more overprotective than my brother!"

"If the stalkers attempt to get inside the camper I don't want them to see you first before they see me." He then pointed right towards his bed. "I'll be by the door. You'll be sleeping in my bed."

"Okay, okay," Sakura blushed. She proceeded towards the left side of the bed, right close to the door.

"The other side."

"Eh? Other side?"

"If stalkers end up opening the door, they'll see my face first before you. Like I said, I don't want them seeing your face first before me."

"Mou, so picky!" Sakura teased. "Okay, okay." She then scooted to the other side, away from the door. Once she tucked herself in comfortably, she turned to her sweetheart. "Ne, Syaoran… don't you want to go to bed now?"

"I'm not sleepy yet. Besides, I want you to sleep first."

Sakura frowned. "Aww… okay then… well, goodnight!"

"Goodnight, princess." He winked at her as she threw a flying kiss towards him. He caught the kiss with his hand and then placed it right on his lips.

Once Sakura finally closed her eyes, Syaoran turned his head away from her and then turned to his script. He then gave a sigh of relief.

_It's the only way for me to overcome this stupid curse… stay up until I get sleepy, because when I get sleepy, I wouldn't be able to do anything but sleep._

* * *

**A/N:** Hello again! I have a feeling that I've written a long chapter but when you read it and then picture everything in your mind, it actually felt short. At least, that's how I felt after re-reading this after I finished LOL.

I think I rated this fic as Rated T, right? I made this a higher rating (rather than the general Rated K or something like that) as a "safety net" of sorts. Let's just say that I've read some... "intimate" romance stories and I sorta got myself influenced. But no, I'm not gonna go in to too much detail because I actually am not good with giving "too many" details on... certain scenes... So, if you're under thirteen, you have been warned. =X

Just a couple of things to point out regarding the chapter. If you live in the U.S. like myself, please take note of this. I'm referring to the Japanese school system again. In our school system (here in the U.S.), we have different levels in high school: the standard, Honors level courses, and AP (advanced placement) courses. Based on the students' performance and past grades, we're being placed or rather be eligible to take courses on the appropriate level. In Japan, there's no such thing as "honors" classes or AP courses. In fact, Japan believes in completely equal education for all students regardless of how good or bad they may be on a particular subject. In this case, the level of mathematics that Japanese high school students take. In the 9th grade (3rd year middle school in Japan), students start studying Algebra. Upon entering high school, at 10th grade (1st year high school in Japan) they start studying Geometry, 11th grade (2nd year high school) with Trigonometry , and Calculus in the 12th grade (3rd year high school). We all know Sakura loathes math and it's easy to assume that her grades are either average or below average, but no matter how much she flunks math, she still receives the same level of education as everyone else. No Japanese student is "advanced" over the other when it comes to core classes. This is one of the reasons why there is a stereotype among Asians being the smartest in math (not true, by the way) because their curriculum isn't divided in to different "levels" (like honors level or AP level here in the U.S.). Japan has one of the highest standards of education and their mathematics are definitely very advanced, so for those U.S. students who do plan to attend a Japanese high school as a foreign exchange student should really be prepared to take on their higher level.

I don't have any other rants or commentary so let's get on with the responses of the reviewers. Of course, always shouting out to all the new followers and the peeps who added "Stuffed Animal" to their favorites. Doumo arigatou gozaimasu!

**Dual Starduster –** And once again, thank you, thank you, thank you! I don't know how else I can give you tips on writing "believable" (well, I dunno if that's the correct term) stories is to imagine yourself being in that world you're creating in your head. That's how I normally do my stories. It helps quite a lot. If you do get writer's block, I'd steer away from writing for sometime. For example, I do web designing so I build up/maintain my personal blog and my other websites, do some digital painting, or even play video games. Sometimes watching TV, in particular other anime, would help break yourself out of writer's block. For example, in the case of Stuffed Animal, I began writing this back in 2001 (that's like 12 years ago!) but halted because of writer's block. I know it took me 12 years to actually get back in to the "Stuffed Animal" gear again but now I feel that it's really worth going back and rewrite over again. And also, there's nothing to be jealous with writing. All you need is a little imagination and you'll be fine. I know there's other writers who are better than me (I don't claim myself anything extraordinary, I'm just a fan who loves to write LOL) but I hold no jealousy. Just your thing and as long as you have readers who love/appreciate your work, that's all that matters. ^_^

**Narqissa –** LOL sorry about the whole "sticking in a flashback scene in the middle of the chapter" bit, but I have a habit of "surprising" the readers and at times throw them off on purpose LOL. But each of those flashbacks do have a purpose in the upcoming events of the story. You'll see what I mean. And yes, it's been awhile since I've written the "awwww" scenes, so I might as well write one. And of course, there will be more "awwww" scenes coming up! ^_^

**Ria –** Well, "Ria" is also part of my real name (my real name is Adrianne, but online I'm known as Adri), so yeah LOL. I actually may run in to writer's block again if I make Sakura's team win (they win a trip all-expenses paid by Syaoran and the other idols if they do win), plus I wanted to set up a scene where Syaoran finally confesses his feelings for Sakura, that sort of thing.

**Dancingfingers** – Actually, what was weird was that I didn't get any alert emails at all when I uploaded the new chapter. If you think ch. 17 was a darn "cuteness to goodness" chapter, how about this one? LOL. As for the Syaoran look-alike... well... LOL.

**Emilybooth3363 –** Thank you! You rule also just by reading! ^_^

**Guest #1**- Adri's fine. Just don't call me some other name I'm unfamiliar of LOL.

**Shadow74196** – I wouldn't say "every Sunday," but I try to guarantee myself that I would update once a week. About my rants regarding spelling before, I was referring to other fanfic writers (especially who are _not _in the fourth grade). Since you mentioned that you're in the fourth grade, you're still learning, so it's fine. This is where the dictionary comes in handy. It may be a hassle, but the dictionary is every writer's and reader's friend. If you need help with trying to understand something within the story/chapter, just let me know! ^_^

**stayAlive06** – Now now, try to "stay alive" from all the heavy breathing LOL. Well, I don't expect all "regular" reviewers to review every single chapter, but as long as I know that you're out there reading even without reviewing, it's more than enough for me to smile and keep going. Glad you love ch. 17 though! ^_^

**Makeawishdreambig –** I love mysteries, even in romance comedies. Don't you? ^_^ Thanks for reading hehe!

**Guest #2 **- I started (re)writing this fic back in January 2013, so it can' be last year. Maybe you may have read something that's familiar? ^^;

**Aizawa LSV –** I know what you mean, what I'm trying to say is that I'm happy that you know your priorities. I don't want to think that students are flunking and slacking off with my fic being the reason why LOL. Just keep up with your studies and you'll be just fine. Actually as for me, I have been yearning to go back to school (as a graduate student) but I have no money to pay for higher education, so I'm still stuck with my Bachelor's Degree and still unemployed. But I'm working on that part also. Regarding the recap issue that I mentioned, I guess I didn't make it clear. I was referring to writers copying/pasting the last paragraphs from the last chapter and paste it right on top. I did find a few writers though who posted a recap on top by actually summarizing what happened in the last chapter rather than copying/pasting an entire scene in the beginning. That's a whole lot feasible and a lot faster to read if it was just a short summary. Hope this helps. ^_^

**Guest #3 –** Keep reading. You only read 9 chapters so far. ^^

**Nollas Black –** Hello there! Okay, this is going to be long, so I'll break up your review/commentary for easy response:

"_Anyway, before I prized you more, I just want to comment about virus. I am currently studying medicine (yei, medschool), and I find kind of unbelievable that a virus can actually do what you describe early on the fic. I just want to ask you if it's really true. Does the virus really exists? As a future physician, we are taught to have an open mind, so that's why I ask you. You can just tell me the name and I will just look it up myself. With no means of offense to the story, but I grew curious about it. I will really pleased if you could tell. Either way, if is or is not, it is part of the story and it is another problem that our lovers would have to conquer! Piece of cake! "_

I am not a doctor of any kind, but by common knowledge, there is only one specific disorder that will cause permanent memory loss/amnesia, and that would be Alzheimer's Disease. Because Alzheimer's Disease is a form of dementia, it's only common with middle-aged adults to the older ages. There is no cure for this disease and basically this disease would simply just deteriorate your mind until you die, but there are treatments that can help the disease "delay" its purpose so the poor patient can live longer. My grandaunt died some 3 years ago of this disease and just coping with a loved one who has that sickness has proven really difficult to deal with. In addition, Alzheimer's Disease is not caused by a virus at all,. Other than that, there's no such thing as a "virus" that causes amnesia. In the case of the chapter, I only wrote that little scene for a reason. You should've gotten a clue of it in this chapter when Dr. Chine determined that he didn't find anything strange regarding Syaoran's brain compared to the one that the doctor advised the Lis before their arrival in Tomoeda.

"_I got one question, why does Sakura can't pronounde "correctly" Xiaolang? Xiaojin mentions Syaroan that is for a variation in their languages, but I have never studied Cantonese, Janpense nor Mandarin and I actually don't know how much they vary that Sakura can't actually pronounce it well."_

Lucky for you, Japanese is my third language LOL (I could say I'm proficient with it, I'm nowhere near fluency to be honest). The Japanese language spell their words by syllable/pronunciation, not by individual letters. By rule, all of the Japanese vocabulary always end with a vowel except for "n." (for example, mikan (orange), ichiban (first), pan (bread - yes, it's also Japanese as well as Spanish LOL!), rin (wood), ren (romantic love), mochiron (of course), kibun (feeling), etc.) In addition, there is no hard "L" sound or and no hard "R" sound, so the "L" and the "R" sounds can be interchangeable. Because of the interchangeable "L" and "R" pronunciations in Japanese, Sakura cannot pronounce the "L" in "Xiaolang" and interchanges it with "R" (thus the Japanese spelling of "Syaoran"), and because of the whole "all Japanese words end with a vowel except 'n'" rule, there is no "ng" sound in Japanese and that the closest pronunciation with words that end with "ng" is "n." That's why Sakura (or rather the Japanese in general) would pronounce "Xiaolang" as "Syaoran." Basically, it's the same name, just a different spelling and pronunciation. As for his surname, Li, Japanese pronounces it (and spelling it in Japanese text) as "Ri," but because the Chinese happens to be the highest population of minorities in Japan and it's common knowledge that "Li" is one of the most common family names, it's no brainer that they would spell it (in standard alphabet) as "Li." When it comes to foreign words, that's where the Katakana alphabet comes in to play (there are three sets of the Japanese writing system: Hiragana (most commonly used), Katakana (only for foreign words/names), and Kanji (borrowed/simplified Chinese character system)). For example, they would pronounce "love" as "rabu," the name "Mark" would be "Makku," taxi as "takushi," "eating" as "ichingu," etc. Hope this helps! ^_^

Other than that, welcome aboard and thank you for reading! Hoping to hear from you in the near future! Enjoy! ^_^

**moon86** – Welcome aboard also! Glad you're enjoying the fic so far! Thank you and hope to hear from you!

And that's it for the replies! Till next time, folks~! :D


	20. 19: Three's a Crowd

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 19: THREE'S A CROWD**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

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**QUICK NOTE:** I write all my author notes at the end of each chapter, so please, don't forget to read them once you reach the end of this page. I'm putting this "quick note" back on because some of the reviewers don't read the author notes below- **_My replies to the reviewers are included in the author notes below!_**

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**Tuesday (One-Week Slavery Day 2)**

The alarm set on Syaoran's phone woke Sakura up immediately, but the owner still remained in his deep sleep. She yawned with her hand on her mouth and then stretched her arms upright to wake herself up. Apparently for her, she felt another set of protective arms right around her waist. She smiled happily when he noticed the arms and then turned to see the peaceful, sleeping angelic face of her love. He must have stayed up so late to get those lines down. It must have been a very important scene that he needed to do later today.

Just as promised, she needed to make breakfast for herself and for the sleeping prince. She immediately knew what she was going to make for breakfast. _Something simple, sweet, and definitely unforgettable!_

She slipped slowly away from his protective arms and tiptoed to the restroom. She gargled first with her mouthwash and then washed her face to get herself fully awake. Once she wiped her face gently with a face towel, she began to examine herself in front of the mirror.

_Let's see… my PJ top is still buttoned… I don't feel weird or anything anywhere… no mosquito bites on the neck…_ She then gave a deep sigh of relief. _I'm not ready for this, but… but… part of me is making me want to… um…_ Just as she began to have those rather intimate thoughts again, she began to blush. _No, no, no, don't think about all that stuff, Sakura! You've only been a couple for two days! Okay, girl. Composure… composure…_

She reached for her hairbrush and began to comb her chin-length bob and then wore a headband over it. _There! Ready to go!_

She exited the restroom and approached the kitchenette, where she found a folded apron on the wall hangers. She giggled at the look and design of the apron. _It's pink… with a cherry blossom flower on it. I guess this apron was made for me!_

She gathered the utensils and then the ingredients. Her breakfast in mind for today would be simple buttermilk pancakes. Simple recipe but she wanted to be creative in terms of presentation. Once she made her batter, she heated up the flat grill where she will be making her pancakes in to bear-shaped heads. She made four pieces, two for him and two for herself. Once she stacked them, she decided to make Syaoran's first.

On the top bear head-shaped pancake, she made a cute bear-like face using chocolate syrup. For the eyes, she used pieces of fruit, mainly strawberries and kiwi fruits, and a hat, mainly out of honeydew melons. Once she was finished, she did the same with hers and made herself a ribbon out of small strawberry pieces and a bit of light whipped cream.

For the beverages, she made instant hot chocolate. She wasn't sure if Syaoran drinks coffee or not and decided to go on the safe side. By the time she was finished, the prince finally woke up from his sleep.

"Good morning, Syao~ran!" Sakura sang with her usual cheerful smile on her face.

He slowly opened his eyes and spotted the cute Tomoeda girl in her pink apron. "Mmm… good morning Sakura!" He returned his greeting along with a smile. "Man, what time is it."

"It's 6:30 in the morning. Your alarm on the phone woke me up."

He turned to the side table and checked the digital alarm clock. "Whoa… I have to meet up with the movie crew at eight, plus I got more interviews and on-the-set photo shoots."

"Aww…" Sakura gave a slight pout. "Well, work is work, ne?"

"Yup. Then movie shooting in the late afternoon. Since I'll probably not be back for the entire day, why don't you hang out with Daidouji and Yamazaki and all the rest of your friends? That is… you should spend some time away from the movie set today."

Sakura chuckled knowing his reasons. "You're only saying that so I won't have to meet your notorious cousin Shulai, ne?"

"Man… am I really that obvious?" He pouted as Sakura nodded. "Well… I'll make sure Shulai remains in the movie set, much that I really don't want him around, but as long as you don't see each other, I can feel at ease." He got up from his bed and was already making his way to the restroom.

"Don't worry about him, Syaoran. I mean in a way I feel bad for the guy. I mean he's new here, he's gonna be staying here in Tomoeda for awhile, who knows, he may end up living here too—"

"Gaaah!" He screamed in panic. "I really do hope he gets his act together while he's staying here so he can go back to Hong Kong and continue on living his life!"

"Aww, so mean," Sakura chuckled as Syaoran made his way in to the restroom. _What's wrong with this Shulai guy… apart from being a player…? He must have done something really bad that would make Syaoran hate him so much. But golly, he really is protective of me… how sweet!_

Just as she was about to finish setting up the breakfast table, she heard knocking at the door. She approached the door and peeked through the window. "Oh, it's Meiling!" She slowly opened the door to greet the pretty Chinese girl. "Good morning, Meiling!"

"Hi, good morning Sakura!" Meiling greeted excitedly as she stepped inside the camping bus. "Is Xiaolang awake yet?"

"He's washing up in the restroom," Sakura said. "I just finished setting up our breakfast. Would you like to join us?"

"Nah, I just ate," Meiling said. "I came by because there's this really hot cute guy who's actually looking for you and Xiaolang."

"Hoe? Hot guy? Where?" Sakura giggled as Meiling hushed.

"Well, judging by his build, he looks like a soccer player!"

"Really? And he's looking for me and Syaoran?"

"Uh-huh! He's at our camper right now talking to Yamazaki and Tomoyo. I just came by to see if both of you are awake so I can get him. He said something about… um… jewels or something… well anyway, let's just say I got a thing for really hot and cute soccer player boys!"

Sakura chuckled. "Is that why you ended up dating Syaoran before?"

"Um… well, part of it, but anyway, that's all in the past," she immediately giggled. "It sucks… I'm an idol and he's a local boy… who would've thought there's some really decent hot soccer players in this town… I think I'm in love…"

"What?" Sakura giggled. "Where is he then? Come on, show me!"

Meiling gently dragged Sakura out and then pointed right towards their camper. Right then, Sakura chuckled once she recognized his name. "That's Kenichi Kuze. He was our goalkeeper back in our elementary school soccer team and he'd been the primary goalkeeper all the way until high school. He quit the team this year so he can study for his college entrance exams."

"Waaah!" Meiling giggled happily. "Gosh, I wonder if he has a girlfriend!"

"Hm… I don't know about now, but last time I've heard, he used to have a girlfriend back at Nijibe, the rival town… and that was last year."

"Aww… poo…" Meiling pouted and sighed. "Ah well, I'll get over it!"

"But that was last year though. I don't know if they're still together. Maybe you have a chance with him, who knows…"

"I hope so… but then it'll be hard… long-distance relationship and all…"

"Oh silly, I'll introduce you!" Sakura ran outside and waved her hands right at the camper across from them. "Oiii! Good morning, guys!"

Right then, Tomoyo, Yamazaki, and Kuze turned to see a cheerful Sakura waving. "Good morning, Sakura!"

Kuze then turned to Tomoyo and Yamazaki. "Thanks for your input, guys, but I gotta talk to Kinomoto and hopefully Li. Will keep in touch."

"Just let us know so we can prepare for the summer camp, Kuze!" Yamazaki answered as he and Tomoyo waved at him.

Once Kuze arrived to meet with Sakura, the two exchanged hi-fives with each other. "So, this is where the ever-elusive Syaoran Li hides from the public, eh?"

"Hoe? Oh no, this is his camper. He usually sleeps in Yamazaki's place."

"The heck— so Yamazaki wasn't making that up?" Kuze broke in to laughter.

Sakura shook her head. "Nope! He and his cousin Eriol Hiiragizawa are currently staying with Yamazaki instead of staying at the Tomoeda Inn like the rest of the idols."

"That idiot Yamazaki! Or maybe I'm the idiot…"

"Anyway, you were looking for me and Syaoran, ne? Um, Syaoran is a bit picky with the people he lets in his lair so I'm gonna ask—"

"Nah, I don't need to get inside. I just arrived in school early and became curious to see if the rumors were true."

"Eh? What rumors?"

"Well, there were rumors going around those Amber Emeralds kids that you're currently staying with Li for your whole one-week slave thing from that Mochiron Game two nights ago."

"Well… um… I do a lot of work for him, so… um… don't get the idea…" Sakura still refused to let her mouth do all the talking and then reveal her real status between her and Syaoran. After all, a promise is a promise."

Right then, Sakura heard Meiling's voice calling Syaoran's name as the two Lis started making a short conversation in their native language. Sakura gasped to hear them. "Oh, Syaoran's already out!" She turned inside and called out "Syaoran! Kuze's here!"

The two Lis broke their conversation with Syaoran turning towards Sakura. "Oh, he's here? Let him in."

"Really? Okay!" She turned to Kuze again. "You can come in."

"Oh, awesome! Thanks!" He invited himself in as he finally spotted Syaoran at the dining table. The idol also found his former soccer teammate as well.

"Long time no see, Kuze. Come on in."

"Likewise, Li," Kuze grinned. He approached the dining area with Sakura following behind. Later, all four of them were now sitting around the dining table.

"Did you eat yet, Kuze?" Sakura asked curiously. "I can make you some pancakes really quick!"

"Nah, I'm good. I already ate breakfast," Kuze nodded. "But thanks though!"

Just as Syaoran and Sakura started eating, Meiling was now sitting across from Kuze, simply smiling right at him. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Sakura exclaimed. "Kuze, this is—"

"Meiling Li!" Kuze answered and offered a handshake towards her. "Wow… I never realized how really pretty you look in real life…"

"R-really…?" Meiling immediately grinned and accepted his handshake. "I'm an all-natural beauty, you know. Not even the TV and the movie cameras can do justice with capturing my natural beauty…"

"I'm Kenichi Kuze, and I'm one of your biggest fans! Well, me and my older brother Shinichi that is. I thought you looked familiar before when I stopped by your camper to see Yamazaki and Daidouji…"

"Oh?" Meiling's grin grew bigger. "Well… um… I guess fate decided to… um… you know… get us to meet each other and… get to know each other…"

"Ne," Sakura interrupted their short moment. "Are you still with that girl in Nijibe, Kuze? What's her name again?"

Kuze blinked his eyes and turned to Sakura. "Oh, you mean Aiko-chan? Nah, we broke up last winter. She decided to go back to that jerk of an ex-boyfriend of hers, so as of April of this year, I'm single, free, and completely in focus for college next year."

"Aww… you poor thing…" Meiling gave a sad pout, then patting Kuze's hand gently. "Well, the girl must have used you as a rebound… I hate girls like that. Luckily for you, I'm not seeing anybody…"

"Ahem," Syaoran glared towards Meiling. "If you're gonna be flirting, Meiling, then get the hell out of my lair and get a room!"

"Hmph!" Meiling glared towards Syaoran as she released Kuze's hand. "You're such a party pooper, Xiaolang!"

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes and then changed the subject. "So, Kuze, I heard about this underground fanclub… the Amber Emeralds or something like that, right?"

"Yup. I'm just a silent supporter of the Amber Emeralds. You and Kinomoto also made me become a fan of you guys since we first started playing together as a team back in second grade."

"How come we didn't know about this until now? What's the deal? We would've been an awesome group of friends, you know?"

"Well, you see, Li, these are our juniors. They feel rather unworthy of getting your attention. They've tried to make contacts with you but you were always surrounded by kids in our grade and even older grades that they think that it wasn't meant to be, so they decided to go underground and be a silent fangroup for you and Kinomoto. And then today they still felt unworthy because those Wolfpups fangirls of yours seem to be blocking them from getting contacts with you. Sounds silly, ne?"

Syaoran took a few bites from his pancakes. "So, how are you involved with the Amber Emeralds, Kuze?"

"Me? Dude, the Amber Emeralds started within our soccer team and from those girls who often watch our soccer matches and then eventually they became their girlfriends. They're pretty up to date with what's going on with you guys. Sadly to say they don't actually support you as a showbiz idol though."

"I heard about who they are from Sakura, Kuze," Syaoran said. "It's okay. In fact, I'm rather happy and appalled that I also have a fanclub who supports me being me rather than me being one of Japan's hottest teen idols around, you know? That would mean that my transition away from showbiz in to normal life wouldn't be so hard after all."

"Anyway, so I was wondering, just so I can pass the word to the Amber Emeralds. Will you be able to make some time for them, Li?"

Syaoran took a sip of his hot cocoa and the nodded. "Don't worry, I had my manager book two hours of my time at Friday afternoon for a lunch gathering with them. Sakura will be there also."

"That's awesome news! The Amber Emeralds would be really happy!" Kuze exclaimed.

"It's the least I could do for them. In that way, when we get back for the summer festival and the summer sports camp we're already going to be in league. Our little lunch gathering will be our way of getting to know each other."

"This is great news!" Kuze continued to cheer happily. "This will definitely be a summer they would never forget!"

"Thanks for being the one to carry on the news, Kuze!" Sakura cheered happily.

"No problem. Well, I gotta head back to the fields right now. The guys may probably be there by now."

From out of the blue, Meiling stood up from the table. "Um… I'm gonna head out too. I'll go with you, Kuze-kun!"

Kuze simply gave a rather handsome grin that made Meiling's inner voice shout with glee. A pretty Chinese idol doll like her was now acting like a daffy fangirl drooling over an idol soccer player. "We'll see you later then!" The two waved towards the couple as they made their exit.

Sakura broke in to laughter while Syaoran gave a huge sigh of relief. "Aw, I think Meiling and Kuze would look cute together. Ne, Syaoran?"

"Whatever…" Syaoran shrugged. "If Kuze's interested in Meiling then sure."

"Well then, let's finish our breakfast!"

Just as they proceeded with their pancakes, Syaoran made his comment. "These pancakes are really fluffy and soft… and I love the way you made them… were you trying to make them look like Ying Fa and Chiirou?"

"I tried… they don't look really good though…"

"But they taste really good… and with fresh fruits and whipped cream on top too. This is perfect, Sakura… thank you."

"I'm happy that you like my cooking so far…" Sakura grinned happily. At this point, as she watched him finish his pancakes while eating hers, more thoughts began to fill in her head.

_Why didn't I realize this before? The Wolf's Lair is like one whole house… and then it's only me and Syaoran alone in this house… waaah, it feels like we're married or something! Oh my gosh… what am I gonna do with myself now…?_

"All done!" Syaoran grinned, showing his clean plate.

"Me too!"

"The dishwashing machine is fully functional. We can just drop our dishes there and the let the machine wash it tonight."

"Oh! Great idea!" Sakura laughed. "But… you don't want me to wash them manually anymore?"

"I have a bit of time to spend with you before I head off to attend the meeting and do my interviews and I don't want to use all of my bit of time just watching you wash the dishes."

"Mou… but I thought you want me to help you with your lines for your scenes today?"

"But that's tonight. I'll be back in the afternoon in time for lunch…" Right then, he took her hand and then dragged her back in to the bedroom.

"So, what are we gonna do for this bit of time…?"

Once they got in the bedroom, he placed his arms around her waist immediately, pulling her to him. "We change our clothes, of course…"

Sakura's eyes widened in shock to see Syaoran becoming seductive again just like yesterday. "Whoa… wait a minute… you mean… here? Now?"

"You want everyone else outside the Wolf's Lair take a peek at you stripping through the windows?"

"Hoe!" Quickly Sakura covered herself with her arms even though she was still wearing her PJs. "I'll… I'll use the bathroom and I'll just— waaaaaaa!" She immediately screamed once Syaoran began to remove his top, showing off his rather manly, perfectly-chiseled body.

"What?" Syaoran gave a snicker. "I'm used to having girl stare at me shirtless, I mean the magazine shots and all…"

"But… not in front of me!" Sakura shrieked. "Um… I'll go change— in the bathroom!" Hurriedly, she grabbed her backpack and locked herself in the restroom.

Few seconds later, Syaoran once again realized what he just did and buried his face against the mattress of his bed while punching his fist against the mattress at the same time. _What the hell did I just do? Is that stupid curse messing with me again…?_

Moments later, Sakura exited with a plain white t-shirt and dark blue denim capri pants. She noticed Syaoran looking as if he was losing his mind against the bed that she felt guilt within her. She approached him and sat at the edge of the bedroom next to him.

"I'm sorry, Syaoran…" Sakura cried. "I… I… I panicked and screamed and… I… I'm sorry!" She dropped her head. "I… I hope you're not mad at me…"

Syaoran slowly lifted his head to see his beloved girlfriend's head looking down. He reached for her hand and held it. "No, I should be the one to apologize. I was teasing you and it was a really bad one…"

She slowly lifted her face and then blushed heavily. "I… I'm just not ready for… for this… I mean… I… I really want to be with you… and… you know… spend more time with you but… I'm scared…"

He shook his head and then drew her in to his arms. She blushed even more when she felt her entire body, though fully clothed, right against his topless upper body for the first time. He whispered to her softly: "I should be taking responsibility for all of this, Sakura. You don't need to do anything that may disappoint me, so there's nothing for you to be afraid of."

She found comfort all of a sudden and no longer felt the awkward aura surrounding her. Maybe he was right all along when he said that one day that they will get accustomed to seeing each other with nothing much on. She closed her eyes to soak in the warmth that he was already providing her through his strong arms and his body.

"Syaoran…" She called his name in a whisper.

"What is it?"

"It's… it'll be alright… I mean… it's okay…"

"Hm?"

"It's okay for you to… to…. Um… you know… but I don't know anything about all that…"

"One day, we'll have our time… right now it's too early. I'll do what I can to control myself but I can't do it alone."

She slowly released herself from him and reached for his lips to kiss. "I know… I… I don't know what to do but I want to help you go through these tests… whatever that second one may be."

"Thank you…" He was about to lean for a return kiss when they were interrupted by the vibration of Syaoran's phone at the side table. "Damn… I wonder who this is…"

He reached for the phone and noted Wei's name on the screen. "Yes, Wei?"

"Master Xiaolang, good morning. It's good to hear that you're up bright and early."

"I'm getting ready for the cast and crew meeting and eventually the interviews. Are you on your way here now?"

"Yes. In fact, I'm already driving Master Shulai over there to school now. Since you didn't stop by your home just to say hello, your parents insisted that I bring him along to the movie set—"

"Oh damn!" Syaoran exclaimed in shock. "I completely forgot about that… I'm sorry. Now that _he _is coming here?!"

"Well, for one thing, he will be attending this school in September so a quick and brief school tour would be good for him, Master."

"Oh jeez…" Syaoran shook his head. "Alright then. Thank you for reminding me."

"Not a problem, Sir."

"I'll see you later." After exchanging their goodbyes, he hung up and then sighed deeply. "We gotta hurry, Sakura."

"Hoe? Who was that on the phone?" Sakura asked curiously.

"That was Wei on the phone. Shulai is with him—"

"Hoe?! Shulai-kun is coming?" Sakura gasped.

"Yup. Let me go get changed. When I'm done, you better head to Eriol's and Meiling's camper and stay there for the time being."

"Okay!" As Syaoran made himself ready in the restroom, she grabbed her necessities, such as her strapped wallet purse and her phone, right before she headed to the other camper. Once he exited, now wearing his usual green attire, Sakura waved to say goodbye for the time being.

"Hold on… not yet…"

"Hoe?" He approached her, gently pulled her to him, and planted a tender, deep kiss on the lips. Once they released from each other, Sakura fond herself blushing again with hands on her cheeks. Then some seconds later, she blurted: "Gosh, Syaoran…"

"What?" He wondered curiously. From out of the blue, she leaned on to him and kissed him in the same fashion in return. Before they knew it, they held each other tight and proceeded on to kissing some more.

Once they released each other, Sakura whispered: "You always give me so many kisses so… I want to start giving you kisses in return too…"

"What?" Syaoran chuckled. "I'm Li Xiaolang, the next leader of the Li Clan. I like being dominant!"

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped and covered her mouth in shyness.

"With that being said, you are at the Wolf's Lair, and since you're in my property, I'm the master, and as your master, you should know that I am the dominant figure inside here."

"Okay…" Sakura gulped nervously.

"That also means I am the dominant one in the living room, in the kitchen, when I give you kisses, and when we're in bed."

"Hoe!" Sakura shrieked once more. "Okay, Master… I guess I should go now, right?"

Just as Syaoran was about to answer, they immediately heard the door knocking. The lovers gasped in shock as he turned to Sakura. "Better hide in my bedroom. I'll answer the door."

"Okay." She did as Syaoran asked her to do as he approached the door.

"Jeez, can't wait to annoy the hell out of me today, aren't you?"

From outside, a voice answered: "Good morning to you too, Xiao!"

"Oh crap!" Syaoran exclaimed as he quickly opened the door. "What the hell— I mean good morning, Eriol."

"Already paranoid by seeing me?" Eriol chuckled.

"Come in." Eriol entered as he invited himself at the living room area. He then turned to the bedroom and called out: "It's okay, Sakura, it's only Eriol."

Slowly, Sakura walked out of the bedroom. "Sorry about that… good morning, Eriol!"

"Why good morning, Sakura-chan!" Eriol gave a huge grin. "Plain t-shirt, denim capri pants, yup. You're safe."

"Hoe? What are you talking about?"

Eriol then turned towards Syaoran. "You're hiding Sakura from your evil twin, aren't you now?"

"Ugh…" Syaoran shook his head as he and Sakura sat at the lounge seats across from Eriol. "So you know about Shulai coming here today…"

"Yup," Eriol nodded. "But take it easy on him, cousin. The poor lad has gotten through so much that none of us even cared to even realize it."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Hell, we all have issues but for him to be so damn reckless with his life, I don't even know what the hell I should be doing with him anymore."

"Erm… let's just say… I actually had a chance to meet him last night. I stopped by your house to get some more of my clothes there and I just happened to learn that he locked himself in your room for almost the entire day and even refused to come out."

"Oh please… he was probably sulking because Tomoeda isn't like Hong Kong and there isn't as many of the gold-digging girls as there are back home…"

"I managed to get him out of the room just to hang out a bit, you know. Just me and him."

Sakura then interrupted. "What's really wrong with Shulai? Can I ask?"

"I think it's better if we just let Sakura meet Shulai, Xiao," Eriol suggested. "I mean after all, with us being gone for two weeks, there's no one here— well, that is, no one our age— would be able to accompany the poor lad throughout Tomoeda except for your old friends here. Being here in Tomoeda has got to be the biggest, most difficult decision that Uncle Ming and Auntie Meifan ever made for their son. The poor lad's a total mess. He really needs to get his act together and clean himself up. He's just way too young to be locked up for all his ridiculous reckless acts and he's got a lot of potential to be successful."

"Hoe? What makes you think he's not gonna hit on me or anything like that?" Sakura pouted. "You know that my heart is completely set for Syaoran…"

Eriol simply winked. "He's already seen you at the Mochiron Game, Sakura, so no point on hiding from him. You shouldn't worry so much because you aren't exactly his type."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Erm… well you just simply don't fit his standards for his perfect girl." He turned towards Syaoran. "I know his antics are… erm… immoral… but he actually has good intentions for you and for the entire clan."

"Uh, come again?" Syaoran wondered with a sarcastic tone.

"Remember how he seduced and actually slept with two of the girls who I used to be close with and actually had crushes on? Like two years ago or something?"

"Yeah?"

"Syaoran told me about that a bit yesterday," Sakura nodded along.

"Well, he made me open my eyes with the act that he did. Turns out those two girls only became friendly and sweet to me just so they can get close to you. Those two really fancy you big time, Xiao. They didn't care for me at all. Somehow Shulai found out about his intentions so he seduced them as a test to see if they fancy you for yourself or they fancy you for the title and position and money. Turns out they only like you for your looks, considering they all thought Shulai was you and they were easily baited by his charms."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow, still giving that suspicious look. "When he did he start sleeping around just for my sake, Eriol? That's the first time I've heard of that!"

"Actually… that's always been his… personal duty… it's his way of supporting you being his future clan leader. He didn't care about being fifth in line to the leadership seat since he doesn't give a darn about the leadership seat in the first place. Sure, he hates your guts personally but he actually has high respects for you. As for the girls he… uh… spends the night with, he mostly targets girls of the upper crust." He then quickly turned to Sakura. "That's why he's not your type considering your family doesn't own some huge business or something like that… plus he hates green."

"Hoe…" She quickly covered her eyes, being aware of her natural eye color.

"You better be right about this, Eriol," Syaoran gave a glare shot towards him. "I know how manipulative you are when it comes to serious situations such as this."

"We're talking about Shulai here, a troubled young soul who is completely lost and seriously… just doesn't know what to do with his life. As the Book of Keroberos stated, to Tomoeda, all are welcome. Those who come from troubled origins will be rewarded a second chance to live again. I personally think that he's been hanging with the wrong people and maybe if he is surrounded by the good folks in this town— like Sakura-chan, for example— he'll find the errs of his ways and take another chance to redeem himself."

Syaoran gave a slight frown thinking about his doppelganger cousin and then turned towards Sakura. "You think you can watch over him for me, Sakura?"

She immediately sat up straight. "Yup! I sure can!"

"My my, doesn't she sound peppy today," Eriol smiled.

Syaoran crossed his arms. "I still have no faith in that player!"

"Xiao, have him get surrounded by the good people of Tomoeda. Get him cut off from all the famous upper crust kids like us. Isolate him. About the language barrier? His Japanese is enough for him to get by, he just needs to minimize that Chinese accent of his when he does talk. Remember, it was Sakura and the good people of this town who helped you recover all your memories and pretty much built the person you are now. If they can do that for you, maybe they can use the power of simplicity and modesty to help Shulai change."

Syaoran then turned to Sakura, where she simply nodded, agreeing with Eriol's suggestion. He took a deep sigh. "I'm sorry you had to get involved in this, Sakura."

"Uuhn…" She shook her head. "I'll be happy to accompany Shulai-kun around town and get to know the people and the places and the environment that he will probably call it as home."

"Well… just don't hang around with him by yourself though. Bring everyone else with you, like Daidouji and Yamazaki and… and everyone!" Syaoran warned her.

"I know. Don't worry. He won't be doing anything reckless around here with us being around."

"Great! Then it's settled then! We can finally do our scenes without getting distracted by him," Eriol smiled.

"You better be right about him, Eriol. If he screws things up, you'll be taking responsibility."

Eriol mockingly responded. "As you wish, my beloved clan leader!"

Just when the conversation is about to continue, they hear another door knock. Sakura was about to stand up and open the door like she would normally do, but instead, Syaoran blocked her with his arm and decided to open the door himself.

When he opened the door, someone else unexpected appeared at the door. "Eh? Daidouji?"

"Good morning, Li-kun!" Tomoyo smiled happily. "Is Eriol there?'

From out of the blue, Eriol appeared behind Syaoran with an anxious smile. "Do you seek for me, my love?"

Tomoyo giggled. "Nice to know you're here, Eriol, but no, I'm not exactly looking for you."

"Oh, such heartbreak…" Eriol sighed with a slight pout on his face while Syaoran rolled his eyes at his reaction.

"I was wondering if Sakura is available—"

"I'm here, Tomoyo!" From out of the blue, Sakura squeezed herself between Eriol and Syaoran. "Good morning!"

"One of the Amber Emerald girls came by looking for you. I just happened to spot her at the parking lot on her way to see you so I brought her here." She turned to her side and called out. "Mio-chan! She's here!"

Right then, a rather modest-looking girl with shoulder-length black hair and white headband appeared next to Tomoyo with a rather shy expression on her face. "H-hi, Kinomoto-senpai."

"Hi there! Mio-chan, was it?"

"Mio Kuroda, Senpai. Currently in the 11th Grade."

"Good to meet you, Mio-chan! These here are Syaoran Li and Eriol Hiiragizawa. Guys, this is Mio Kuroda, an 11th Grade Amber Emerald here in Tomoeda High."

"Amber what?" Eriol blinked his eyes in curiosity as Syaoran gave a nod.

"Nice meeting you, Kuroda."

"Good to meet the two of you Senpais!" She then bowed to greet the boys.

"So, what can I do for you, Mio-chan?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, I was told by Kuze-senpai about your plans on signing up as a volunteer at the library. I just happen to work as a volunteer at the Archives Department. I'm actually on my way there now to do my duties, so I thought… um… maybe now is a good time to show you the ropes and then maybe you can fill up an application while you're there!"

Sakura quickly turned towards Syaoran. "I know you actually don't want me—"

"You can go ahead, Sakura," Syaoran said confidently.

"Hoe? Really?" Sakura gasped happily. "Thank you, Syaoran!"

"Just be back here before lunch," he reminded him.

Being an Amber Emerald fangirl that she is, Mio Kuroda blushed and gleefully cheered for the two. "Aww… you two look so adorable together! The Book of Keroberos and destiny truly aren't wrong! Stars sparkle whenever I see the two of you together! Gosh, I really do wish you two are for real and not just some crazy imagination us Amber Emeralds like to share!"

Right then, both Sakura and Syaoran blushed while Eriol began to ask more curious question. "Um… what on earth is going on here…?"

"Well, I gotta get going!" Sakura squeezed herself out, grabbed her phone and wallet, and then climbed down the stairs. "See you later Syaoran. Bye Eriol!"

"See you boys later!" Tomoyo waved.

"It's good meeting the both of you, Li-senpai, Hiiragizawa-senpai!" Mio bowed at the boys as the girls made their way out. Meanwhile, both Syaoran and Eriol waved at them.

Quickly, the two boys went back inside, with Syaoran locking the door of his camper. They headed back to the lounge area with Syaoran giving out a huge sigh of relief.

"Are you alright, Xiao?" Eriol asked curiously.

Syaoran immediately faced him. "Being a half-Li yourself, I'm pretty sure you're familiar with… the quirks of being a Li."

Eriol snickered and crossed his legs and arms. "The quirks of being a Li, eh? Depends…"

"The Li Curse—"

"Oh!" Eriol gasped while placing his hands over his mouth. "Let me guess… you are getting symptoms that this Li Curse is finally kicking in…"

The future clan leader sighed. "Part of me doesn't really want to separate from Sakura, but the other part of me wants to…"

"Uh-oh… that can't be good…"

Syaoran shook his head. "I'm pretty sure you figured out about—"

"About you and the sweet Sakura-chan becoming lovers? I've already figured out about you two way before the two of you even confessed to each other-"

"I was afraid you'd figure it out yourself."

"I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa, what do you expect?" His bespectacled cousin shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Right then, he placed his hands over his face. "Why does this have to happen to me, Eriol?"

"About the Li Curse, you mean?"

"I thought that whole Li Curse crap was just that… some crap the elders made up because they probably got upset that I didn't do the deed during my test two years ago!"

"Now now, dear cousin, just relax," Eriol whispered. "I'm told by Mum about this whole Li Curse bit. That's why there was that… um… immoral… test that you had to go undergo through on your sixteenth birthday… so that you can be prepared for this rather difficult test involving the Li Curse."

"It's embarrassing, man. After we shared our first kiss two midnights ago I'm starting to get these… urges…"

Eriol grinned. "I can imagine. I bet you were already saying something seductive to dear Sakura-chan without you even realizing it—"

"Shut up!" Syaoran exclaimed from out of the blue. "That's exactly what's been happening to me these past few days! Earlier today I accidentally scared Sakura when I blurted out that it was okay for her to look at me while I was stripping down and changing—" Right then, his cousin began to break in to laughter. "Dammit, stop laughing, you!"

"Sorry, Xiao," Eriol began to clear his throat. "If you have forgotten a piece of the family history, dear cousin, the Li men were also known to be good, passionate lovers. You should be wondering why the surname 'Li' is one of the most common surnames among the Chinese population…"

"You're beginning to sound like Yamazaki, Eriol," Syaoran gave him a glare.

"Ah, sorry. His habit of making up stories got in to me…" Eriol grinned while sticking his tongue at the same time. "But anyway, I do know everything about the Li Curse."

"Remind me…" Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Simple. According to the ancient family scrolls, the Li male already predetermined to be the next clan leader will be cursed of utmost temptation known as the Li Curse. Really, they shouldn't be calling it the Li Curse, they should just call it 'the future Li Clan Leader's Curse.'"

"Just shut up and continue, Eriol."

"Hold on, hold on," Eriol gave a slight chuckle. "On his sixteenth birthday, the future clan leader is given a test of temptation to see if he would succumb to his hidden, passionate desires towards a potential bride-to-be. Since that didn't happen to you, that's when the Li Curse kicks in two years later. Should the clan leader finds someone he truly loves and that particular person loves him in return, the curse overtakes his natural celibacy and become… er… very aroused."

Syaoran immediately dropped his head. "So I'm becoming 'H' now whenever I come closer or get near Sakura? This is really bad…"

"Oh come on now, you do love each other, ne? There are three ways for you to overcome this very tempting Li Curse."

"Only three? Why can't there be four or more? Dammit…"

"First option— for one year, you must stay apart from each other."

"What? A year? What the hell kind of a solution is that? That's like… forced break up just because I've got uncontrollable raging hormones whenever I'm near her!"

"There's two more options. Calm down," Eriol continued.

"Fine."

"Second option— you could reverse what you have done two years ago. Find some really hot girl who's got the hots for you and… you know… sleep with her—"

"That's the last thing I would do!" Syaoran began to tighten his fist. "What's the third?"

"Third? Well… third should be simple, considering your situation with her right now."

"And what would that be?"

"Well… follow your instincts and make love to her tenderly, with ultimate passion, with a love so true that the two of you are oxygen to one another—." Eriol suddenly grinned, which made his teeth.

"I can't do that… I mean…" At this point, Syaoran can feel sweat slowly dripping down his sides. "Dammit, Eriol, this stupid Li Curse is making me want her… I look at other pretty girls but nothing's happening, but with Sakura… dammit… sweet and pure Sakura…"

Eriol patted his cousin on his back. "You're scared that you would take her purity away and ruin her, is that it?"

"I love her too much for me to do something like that to her…"

"Now now, Xiao, you do realize that it's only natural if she wants you the same way. I mean, man, eventually Sakura will lose her purity one day, you know…"

"I know…"

"But if I were Sakura, I'm sure I wouldn't just give my purity away to some random goon except for the one she truly loves the most, and according to my instincts and everyone else's instincts also, Sakura loves you and only you, Xiao."

Syaoran punched the space next to him. "I'm really bad at this… I… I don't know how to be… you know…"

"All of the flirting and the seducing is natural, Xiao. If you're so worried about that, let the Li Curse speak for you—"

"What, no way! I let the curse talk and I scared Sakura earlier today!"

Eriol shrugged his shoulders when they heard the door knock. Syaoran immediately stood up and headed for the door. "Looks like your evil twin has finally arrived."

Syaoran rolled his eyes as he answered. Just as Eriol stated, Wei and the so-called evil twin, Shulai Li, appeared at the door. "Ah, good morning, Wei!"

"Good morning to you too, Master Xiaolang! Well, your cousin Shulai is here with me." He then turned behind him to call out for the twin. "Master Shulai, your cousin is here."

From the side, slowly, a complete doppelganger of the future clan leader except for his red-themed outfit, appeared right at the door. Eriol, who sneaked behind Syaoran, gave a salute to his troubled cousin. As for the team leader, he only gave his look-alike cousin a glare.

"_What are you so ticked off for, Xiaolang? You didn't even show up at home like you promised Wei just to say what's up to me, so I decided to bring myself out here in this movie set just to see you!_" Shulai immediately said his first words in Cantonese.

Syaoran then rolled his eyes. "_You're in Japanese soil now, Shulai, so Cantonese is not applicable outside the Li Premises._"

"Hmph!" Shulai rolled his eyes and forced himself to communicate in Japanese. "This is all your fault for making the entire young generation of the Lis to study and learn Japanese! 'It's all for your future clan leader,' those annoying tutors kept on reminding us over and over again!"

"Erm, I think it's also for my sake too, Shulai," Eriol grinned while pointing at himself. "I can't speak Cantonese, remember?"

"Huh, right," Shulai shook his head. Syaoran still hasn't said a single word to him since then. "Well? Aren't you gonna let me in or not?"

"Hurry up and make it quick!" Syaoran demanded as Shulai finally entered with Wei following him from behind.

"Where is the young Sakura-chan?" Wei asked curiously. "Shouldn't she be doing her duties now?"

"I gave her a few minutes break so she can sign up for her volunteer thing at the library," Syaoran promptly explained. "She'll be back."

"Well then, I'll have to meet with the director. I'll meet you at the set, Master Xiaolang." Wei exited the bus, leaving the three boys alone.

"Heh, now that you mentioned," Shulai snickered as he crossed his legs relaxing on the seats. "I feel bad for that girl. She seems like a nice, wholesome girl too… and you being the slave driver you are you're making her do all the dirty work for you? No wonder you're so lousy with women! If I were you, I would—"

"You know, I haven't had a real kung fu spar for awhile now," Syaoran gave a slight threatening tone. "How's about I use you as my punching bag?"

"Whoa, just chill, Xiaolang!" Shulai refrained himself from chuckling. "I gotta admit she's pretty gutsy going up against you at that weird Mochiron Game two nights ago. Hell part of me was even rooting for her just so I can be happy seeing you defeated."

"The only difference between you and me when it comes to girls, Shulai, is that I actually have the decency to get to know the person within the face. You, on the other hand, you see some pretty rich girl and you get laid with her the next. Welcome to Tomoeda, by the way."

Shulai rolled his eyes. "What the hell's up with this place? It's too damn quiet and there's no life around here!"

"No life meaning there aren't any huge shopping malls and there aren't any night clubs that you can hang out and pick up hot rich party girls kind of life?" Eriol asked curiously.

"What the hell!" Shulai shouted, standing up. "I can't stand all the goody-goody scenery around here. Where do these people go to work at?"

"Sendai," Syaoran yawned. "And you do know that there is a Sendai Branch of Li Enterprises, so some of the good folks here do work for us."

"Jeez," Shulai shook his head. "So what do these kids do in their spare time?"

"Well now," Eriol grinned happily. "Looks like we're getting somewhere. The curious Shulai now wants to know what life is like in the small rural Japanese town in which the future leader of the Li Clan grew up. Isn't that adorable?"

"Shut up, Eriol!" Both Syaoran and Shulai shouted at him.

"Oh come on now, remember, as the future clan leader, Shulai is also your responsibility, Xiaolang."

"How the hell am I supposed to be _his _responsibility?" Shulai complained. "I'm a man, dammit! I make myself responsible! I don't need babysitting from cocky, self-centered bastards my age!"

"As if you actually have some responsibility for yourself!" Syaoran yelled at his cousin. "Your nasty habit of sleeping around girls and then leave them flat without a trace like you're some kind of a serial killer and then getting involved in some nasty car accident involving a government official is what brought you out here in the first place in case you've forgotten! Because of your reckless head, the entire clan is looking at me to get you back in shape! You know how embarrassing that is?"

"You sure love to listen to a lot of gossip, don't you, Xiaolang? You don't even know a single thing about what I'm going through right now and you're making it a whole lot worse by making me worst than I am right now!"

Before the two look-alikes were about to get in to an argument, Eriol qiuckly got in between them. "Hey, calm down, you two! Jeez… let's settle this like real men, alright?"

"What the hell is all this, Eriol?" Syaoran glared. "There's nothing about him that surprises me anymore, seriously…"

"Since none of what I told you actually got through your head, Xiao," Eriol sighed, "I'll let Shulai explain himself to you from the beginning."

"What the hell… do I have to?" Shulai crossed his arms while Eriol gave him a nod. "That's a waste of time! As if this arrogant bastard would lend his ear to listen…"

Right then, Syaoran found a realization regarding this rather strange test of dealing with a troublemaker like Shulai. He had to act like a real clan leader rather than just a disgruntled teen.

"Alright," Syaoran sighed, as he rested himself against his seat. "What do you have to say, Shulai?"

Shulai lazily relaxed against his seat with his legs apart and arm dangling. "First of all, I don't just sleep with any girl, I have _very_ high-class standards with the girls I get involved with. Second, I don't sleep with girls who are engaged and, of all things, wives, of other Li guys. Third, I use my skills to prevent manipulative girls to get closer to any Li— in particular, you, Xiaolang. Since I'm cursed to look exactly like you, I decided to make it as advantage by pretending to _be _you."

"And that, my friends, is how Li Xiaolang became infamous with women in the Hong Kong tabloids!" Eriol made his comment while Syaoran rolled his eyes towards him.

"And fourth," Shulai continued, "Being committed in a long-tern relationship isn't really me. Being with girls… they're fun to be with. Most of them are a bunch of dumb airheads and a bunch of gold-digging bitches, but hey, they're still fun to be with!" He suddenly grinned while Syaoran shook his head.

"You really are something, you know that, Shulai?"

"I still hate the fact that I was born to look like you. It's not like I'm second or third in line to be successor to your father's seat anyway. On the other hand, I don't have much of a choice. You're the only one among all the cousins in the head family who is the most capable and has the most potential to be the next head. If only Eriol was in the line I would've rooted for him too."

Syaoran gave a slight snicker. "You're still bitter with the fact that I, a Li who lived in Japan in majority of his life, kicked your ass at the ceremonial kung fu match to show how strong and dominant I am over the rest of you to be the next clan leader."

"Ugh, shut up!" Shulai tightened his fist. "I was the best in kung fu among the rest in Hong Kong— till you showed up!"

"Wouldn't be surprised considering the level of your arrogance and your ego. Not my fault you underestimated me."

"Speak for yourself, Xiaolang! Being prideful is in the Li genes!"

"Don't ever compare yourself to me, Shulai. You'll never be on the same level as me, not with all the ridiculous antics you're getting yourself in to."

"Why the hell would I want to compare myself to you? You're not even half the man I am! After all, as the saying goes, the measure of a man's masculinity lies within the number of women he seduces and actually sleeps with. I've slept with countless…. You? It's not even close to zero!"

"Okay, okay, let's not get off topic!" Eriol immediately interrupted.

"Fine, fine," Shulai rolled his eyes. "I have to admit one thing though. You were right about one thing, Xiaolang."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"I _did _underestimate you. The entire Li Clan at Hong Kong, we were doing real well if you're talking about the lifestyle. Those two brothers between you and me in the succession line are a bunch of cowards and the elders were already looking at me to skip over them and be the potential clan leader instead of you. Hell, did you think the elders were happy in the first place that your father and your mother decided to make this small two-bit town as the new home base of the Li Clan instead of Hong Kong? Everyone back home thought that you would never fill in the qualities of a clan leader because of your upbringing."

"My upbringing?" Syaoran then smirked. "You mean because I was raised in Japan, all of you thought that I don't have what it takes to be clan leader, right?"

"You're way too Japanese, Xiaolang, even though you've lived long enough in Hong Kong since your arrival."

"You don't know any close Japanese friends except for Eriol here— well okay, he's quarter-Japanese— but don't ever use my upbringing as your excuse for your whining against me. It's getting really old.."

"Whatever! After I lost in that kung fu match to you, your father, the current clan leader, even insisted all of us younger generation to learn Japanese for _your _sake. I don't understand why we had to do that when you can pretty much speak Cantonese very well."

Syaoran simply shook his head. "Then you are an idiot then, Shulai. If you consider yourself clan leader material then you should've refused the elders and show them how much of an individual you are. Turns out you're like everyone else who still stick to outdated clan values. That's why Li Enterprises have been screwy all this time because everyone within the family has been trying to push each other down so they can get up to the higher-ups. Hell, even the adults tried to surpass me and I'm only a kid."

"And that is why I'm admitting that you're right about everything, Xiaolang. You were right. Everyone else is wrong. But the elders and the other snob adults within the clan can't accept the truth. They're close-minded hypocrites like that!" He then took a deep breath and sighed. "Fine, I accept that I'm a reckless, no-good, irresponsible douche who seriously has no knowledge of respect among people regardless of their background and upbringing. I'm a cold-hearted, manipulative manwhore who toys around girls' hearts for fun and take their purities away. I screwed things up with the family back then, but pretty soon all of Hong Kong will learn how much screwed up that chief of police's daughter and that politician we had a car accident with once everything's cleared up regarding the incident."

"You do know that the reason why you're here in Tomoeda because your parents don't want you to go to prison. Hell, I'm sure you don't want to go to prison either. It's either here or the prison. They chose to send you out here under _my _care. Talk about embarrassing."

"I'd rather be in prison and be able to see the people I'm close with visiting me in the slammer than being in some strange place like Tomoeda where everybody speaks some language I'm not used to speaking and where _you _actually come from."

"Ahem, can I interrupt again?" Eriol cleared his throat. "Looks like Shulai is really boiled up talking to you, Xiao. He's forgotten what he was supposed to tell you in the first place."

Syaoran simply shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever, let him talk. I'm already listening."

"Erm… maybe you're not ready, Shulai. Plus we're about to head out to school to do our interviews and photo shoots. Maybe at another time, ne?"

Just as the conversation was about to continue, they hear the door opening. Syaoran just realized that he gave Sakura a spare key to the Wolf's Lair that made him stand up from his seat. Once Sakura entered, flashing a confident smile as always, she turned towards Syaoran immediately without even noticing Shulai sitting across from him.

"I'm all set, Syaoran! I'm gonna start doing volunteer work at the library on Monday!"

"Good to hear, Sakura," Syaoran smiled with a nod. "Oh by the way, our other cousin is here."

"Hoe?" Sakura slowly turned to the other side and spotted Eriol waving at her and another young man looking exactly like her boyfriend. The strangest part in this situation now is that while she always felt blushing and her heart beating towards Syaoran, this _other _Syaoran did not give her the same type of effect. To Sakura, Shulai was just another stranger to her.

"Sakura, this is Shulai, our cousin. He recently moved in here a few days ago and he's here to visit us," Syaoran introduced them in his usual stern voice. "Shulai, this is Sakura Kinomoto. She lives next door to our house."

Sakura then extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Shulai-kun!" Though Shulai wasn't in the mood to meet any new people, let alone anyone Japanese, he stood up and gently shook her hand.

"Likewise," Shulai answered.

"Well well, you do really look so much like Syaor— I mean Xiaolang!" Sakura gave a grin. "I'm sure you're very popular with the ladies as well!"

Shulai wanted to roll his eyes at Sakura's unrealized redundancy in her statement, but as a courtesy, he shrugged it off. "So I was told."

"Anyway," Sakura changed the subject. "On my way back, Wei-san just passed by. He had to go to the groceries again to stock up the Wolf's Lair, but he said that in five minutes "

"Thanks for reminding us," Eriol smiled. "It'd be awesome if we can bring in visitors to the set but you know the whole restrictions…"

Syaoran then turned to Sakura and Shulai. "Sakura, I guess I don't have any choice but to ask you this. Since it's still morning and not yet close to lunchtime, I want you do me a favor. Please watch over Shulai—"

"Excuse me?!" Shulai exclaimed. "Aren't I supposed to be _your _responsibility, Xiaolang?"

"We're not allowed to bring in non-movie set personnel in the set, Shulai! Are you deaf?"

Shulai rolled his eyes while Sakura gave a nod. "Don't worry, me and Tomoyo and everyone can show him around town. In that way he'll know how teenage life is like here in Tomoeda!"

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," Syaoran smiled. Right then, he turned his head towards Shulai. "I can tell you're about to roll eyes at me right now, so quit it."

"Hmph!" Shulai glared.

"And since you'll be hanging out with a true Tomoeda local now, please be courteous and respectful to her. She's not like those wenches you often hang around and sleep around with."

"Yeah, yeah…" Shulai sighed, giving a rather sarcastic expression.

"Well then, we're off now!" Eriol waved. "Have fun, you two!"

"Hey!" Syaoran yelled right at Eriol. "Wrong choice of words!"

"I was just being friendly, that's all…" Syaoran gently pushed Eriol outside as the two left.

Right at this point, Sakura turned to Shulai right after she approached the kitchenette. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"It's morning and I just age breakfast," Shulai shrugged. "Besides, you won't be able to make the types of dishes I normally eat so let's skip the courtesy and move forward, alright?"

Sakura's eyebrow raised in curiosity. _Boy, this guy sure is in a bad mood. Something must have happened between him and Syaoran earlier._ Rather than retorting, she decided to move along as Shulai suggested. "Well, ha ha, alright, I understand. Just trying to be hospitable to a guest, that's all."

Just as she turned around to wash her hands, Shulai gave her a startle when he suddenly stood right next to her at the sink. "You really are one sneaky, manipulative little girl, aren't you?"

"Hoe? Excuse me?" Sakura quickly stepped away from him. Shulai moved a few inches forward to her.

"How'd you do it? Tell me!"

"What are you talking about?!" Sakura exclaimed and continued to back away. "Look, I know you're in a bad mood and I can tell that you don't want to be in here but—"

"Are you wearing contacts? Is that how you placed a spell on my future clan leader with those green eyes of yours?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "What? Who?"

"Stop playing dumb with me! You may probably think I'm some troublemaker who has no regard towards girls in general, but I do have a priority and obligation to represent the Li Clan! We are obviously talking about _my _future clan leader, Li Xiaolang here. I can see it by the way he looked and acted in front of you at that dumb Mochiron Game that night!"

She tightened her fist along with a frown. "I've known Syaoran since I was four-years-old so if you're wondering how on earth would someone as powerful as him could ever look at me that way, it's probably because there may be a lot of things about me that he actually likes."

The look-alike refrained himself from breaking in to laughter. "Really now? What exactly is there to like about you anyway?"

Quickly she shook her head. "Look, I know— and I can tell— that you don't want to be here in Japan, let alone Tomoeda, but you should know your reasons why you're sent here in the first place. I know I'm probably just some nobody Japanese girl to you but contrary to what you think, some of us girls are a lot smarter and more independent when it comes to falling in love!"

"No really, Kinomoto. What exactly did you do to make _my _future clan leader get so attracted to you? You know I'm quite updated with what's going on with most of our family, which includes Xiaolang, and considering you _are _a nobody, there will be skeptics."

Sakura still remained displeased and stood her ground. "Well you can complain and whine all you want, Shulai-kun, but you're here in Tomoeda for the time being. _Your _future clan leader wants me to guide you around Tomoeda and get to know the people here. At least you could respect that if you actually are serious with keeping Syaoran in line to the leadership seat."

"Wow," Shulai snickered, "you're a confident one, I see. You're one tough nut to crack!"

She approached the door leading out, ignoring his latter statement, and opened it. "Let's go, Shulai-kun."

Shulai rolled his eyes. "Where the hell are we going?"

"We're going around town for awhile until before the lunch hour."

"Ha! You've got to be kidding me!"

Sakura frowned and glared towards the ingrate cousin. "So you rather stay in Syaoran's camper for the entire day? I don't think Syaoran would like that."

He then rolled his eyes and followed Sakura reluctantly. "Fine, fine, lead the way. Just don't make me do something that'd make me look stupid, alright?"

"You're a guest here in Tomoeda. Guests are always welcome in our town no matter how nice or bitter they may be."

"Whatever." Sakura used her spare key to lock the door as they headed to the parking lot. On their way out, Tomoyo and Yamazaki were just arriving their direction.

"Hey guys!" Sakura waved at them. Immediately, both Tomoyo and Yamazaki gave their reactions when they spotted the look-alike next to her.

"Eh?" Tomoyo gasped and turned to Shulai. "Li-kun, shouldn't you be in the movie set?"

Right then, Shulai stepped forward and then grinned right at Tomoyo. "Hey cutie… I don't mean to break the mood but seeing you on the spot really caught my eye. You wouldn't be seeing anyone, are you?"

"Okay, enough," Sakura frowned and dragged Shulai away from her best friend.

"Gah!" Yamazaki gasped in shock and pointed right towards the look-alike. "Aren't you… well, we bumped in to each other!" Immediately, Shulai's eyes widened in surprise, now that he recognized the mysterious boy next to Tomoyo.

"Guys," Sakura sighed, "this is Shulai Li, Syaoran's and Eriol's and Meiling's cousin. Shulai-kun, these are two of my best friends, Tomoyo Daidouji and Takashi Yamazaki."

"We knew that," Tomoyo chuckled nervously. "After all… Li-kun would never say those words to me. Not even a single one."

"Ha!" Shulai gave out a laugh. "Li-kun as in Xiaolang? It's fine if you call him Xiaolang-kun or whatever you call him when I'm around."

"Oh, right." Tomoyo shyly grinned.

"You wanna know why Xiaolang will never say those words to you, sweetie? That's because Xiaolang's a loser when it comes to girls! He never really had the guts to come up to a girl he really likes the most. Not in my lifetime!"

"Oh… I don't know about that, man…" Yamazaki muttered as he gazed right towards Sakura.

"Well, I have a new assignment now," Sakura sighed. "I have to give Shulai the tour around town."

"Hey, I'll go with you," Yamazaki said. "I just need to bring this sack of fan mail to the post office and then we can go around town from now.'

"Hey, great idea!" Sakura nodded while sighing in relief. _Good thing I won't have to be alone with this ingrate…_ "While we wait for you here, I'm gonna be giving Shulai a tour around school."

"Eh? You're gonna attend school here?" Yamazaki gasped.

Shulai shrugged. "Do I have a choice? I've never attended school before…"

"What? You can't possibly say that you've never attended school—"

"Like all the other Li Kids, I do home school."

"Oh. That makes sense," Yamazaki chuckled nervously.

"I wish I could go with you guys, but I gotta do Hirashiki's makeup and hair next. She's so picky and impatient when it comes to dressing up. Her role isn't even of a fashion model and she wants to act like she's some kind of a fashionista in the movie."

"Well, good luck with that, Tomoyo," Sakura gave a frown.

"Well, I gotta get going." The three friends waved at one another as Tomoyo made her way towards the girls' camper. Meanwhile Yamazaki began heading out town, while Sakura lead Shulai inside the Tomoeda High School campus.

#

Sakura lead Shulai to the administration office first to introduce him to the school staff currently working over the summer, preparing for the second trimester of the school year in September. One of the teachers asked Shulai which grade level he was supposed to enter as in September.

"I don't know. I don't take the entrance exam until August," Shulai shrugged his shoulders. "Some say I'll be entering as an 11th Grader since I got no experience studying in a school before, but my family insisted I start as a 12th Grader so I can graduate in March because the material I studied in home school are quite advanced."

"Well then, we do think it's best for you to get used to Tomoeda for a few more weeks before you begin taking your placement exam," one of the male teachers said. "I know that being here in Tomoeda must be a huge culture shock for you, you being in a high-rise city such as Hong Kong and all that."

"Yeah. Bummer," Shulai nodded in agreement. "But then again, our future clan leader was raised here in Tomoeda. I'd like to see what Tomoeda had offered him that made him the person he is today."

"Well, even though Syaoran never went to school here in Tomoeda High, he did go to school here when he used to live here," Sakura said. "Well, let's get on with the tour." She turned to the faculty, thanked them, and made their exit.

Their next stop was the entrance to the school building itself. The second floor, third floor, and the fourth floor of the building were closed to the public, as the movie sets were located there. They only managed to reach the first floor, where the 10th Grade students would have their homeroom classes.

"I know this is probably a dumb question," Sakura began, "but what are your favorite hobbies?"

"Hobbies?" Shulai gave a chuckle. "Deflowering the flowers!"

"Oi, I'm serious…" Sakura glared immediately at him. "I'm talking about what you want to do for your school activities."

"Uhh…" Shulai then began to think while Sakura continued her glaring at him. "You got any martial arts clubs here?"

"We don't exactly have Kung Fu clubs here…"

"I don't mean Kung Fu. I can get my Kung Fu training anytime at home. I mean Japanese martial arts."

"Well, we have Judo and Aikido and Kendo and—"

"Here's a better question," Shulai continued on. "Which one of your martial arts clubs did Xiaolang join in your elementary school?"

"I think it was Kendo for the sword fighting and handling, Aikido for the grappling self-defense. We have those clubs here too."

"Good. Then I'll probably join both of them," Shulai grinned. "Maybe I can challenge Xiaolang with those one of these days… something that's not Kung Fu."

"Maybe," Sakura gave a chuckle. "Anyway, let's go!"

She lead him through all the six homeroom classrooms and the extended nurse's office. Once they passed by the door, Shulai made a comment. "Does your school have a hot and sexy nurse on duty like the ones they do in those anime shows?"

Sakura gave a chuckle. "Sorry, dude. We have Dr. Minazuki, the mayor's nephew."

"Ah, so it's one of those young and manly and attractive ones girls love to flirt with in those girls' anime or whatever you call them?"

"He's married, Shulai-kun," Sakura snickered. "Not everything in Japan is like in anime and manga, okay?"

"Hey. Just curious."

"And our school uniforms aren't as fancy as the ones you normally see in anime and manga either."

"Hey, like I said. Just curious. This is the first time I've been to this country anyway with no parental supervision."

"But you've got the supervision of a few elders and even Syaoran's parents."

"Like they'd know everything about what's going on with me," Shulai shrugged his shoulders.

"If you even give them a chance to listen to what you have to say, I'm sure things will be okay."

Shulai refrained himself from laughter. "Okay? You don't know the Li Clan, Kinomoto. I'm already giving you a head start. If you were given a chance, would you marry for the name or would you marry for love? It's a messy life being in the clan, dear."

Sakura cleared her throat. "Let's just move along with our tour, shall we?"

"Think about it when this is all over!"

They proceeded through one of the open classrooms. In there, there were students in their school uniforms cleaning up after their own meeting. She knocked on the door to get the students' attention.

"Hi there," Sakura greeted. "I'm giving a new student a tour around school, so sorry to interrupt."

The girl who was erasing the blackboard turned to reveal herself as a familiar face. "Oh, Kinomoto-senpai! What brings you here?"

"Hi Mio-chan! I didn't know you're presiding this meeting," Sakura chuckled. "I'm just showing Syao— I mean Li-kun's cousin around. He'll be attending our school in September."

"Ah, I see," Mio smiled. Sakura turned towards Shulai. "This is Mio Kuroda, an 11th grader who just happens to be an admirer of mine and your cousin. Mio-chan, this is Shulai Li."

Before Sakura realized it, Shulai found himself stunned at the modest natural beauty of the 11th grade Amber Emerald girl. Mio simply grinned. "Welcome to Tomoeda High School, Li-kun— or is it Li-senpai too?"

"We don't know yet, Mio-chan, but after the tests, we'll see. But it looks like he may end up in the 11th Grade, same as you."

"But then," Mio said and then gazed her eyes towards Shulai, "wouldn't it be better for Li-kun— well, Shulai-kun— to pass the test and be a 12th Grader instead?"

Sakura then turned to Shulai and waited for him to answer. Right then, he broke right back to reality. "Well, um… it'd be nice but… I don't think I'm ready for college just yet."

"That's fine, Shulai-kun," Mio smiled humbly at him. "This club here is actually the Tomoeda High School Book Club. We're discussing what books we should read for September and the rest of the year and then we had our final book discussion when we finished our book for July and getting ready to read the next book for August. We had to have our meeting here at an available empty classroom because the school library's closed at the moment."

"Closed? Why?" Sakura asked.

"It's because they'll be shooting some scenes for the movie at the library too."

"Ah that's right," Sakura nodded. "You're a volunteer at the public library too, archives section. I can't wait to work with you!"

"I feel more honored than you think, Kinomoto-senpai. I'll do whatever you can to have a successful and memorable volunteering moments at the public library. It should help you get a chance to get in to the anthropology program when you get to college."

"Thanks so much for that, Mio-chan. Well, we better head off now and finish the rest of the school tour… well wherever's available."

"I'm afraid most of the campus are closed for today. Even the gym is closed and that the sports teams had to cancel their practices because of that. Maybe try again tomorrow?"

"Wow…" Sakura muttered. "The movie peeps sure want our school to ourselves."

They exchanged their byes as Sakura and Shulai exited the school without finishing the rest of the school tour.

"Guess we'll have to wait in our camper till Yamazaki comes back from the post office," Sakura shrugged as she opened the door to the Wolf's Lair again.

The two sat at the lounge area, sitting across from each other. Right then, Shulai looked outside the window and looked like he got himself in to contemplative mode. Sakura cleared his throat to get his attention.

"What are you thinking about, Shulai-kun?"

"Huh?" Shulai slightly turned his head towards Sakura.

"You were staring in space at a moment."

"Nah," Shulai shrugged. "Nothing serious."

"Okay then."

"Although…" He trailed off and then gently rubbed his chin. "That friend of yours you introduced me earlier…"

"Tomoyo and Yamazaki?"

"No, that book club girl…"

"Ah, Mio-chan!"

"She's… erm…"

"What? Sorry if she's not so elegant or hot-looking like those girls you normally date back in Hong Kong…"

"Huh? Hell no, I'm not gonna hit on her or anything like that. I was just observing."

"Observing what?"

"I dunno… I gotta admit she is pretty cute… sweet-looking… but my guts is telling me that she's got an ass for a boyfriend."

"Hoe? How on earth would you know she has a boyfriend?"

"I don't," he shrugged. "But my gut feeling is telling me that she does… looks like another mission for me to deal with…"

"Mission? What mission are we talking about?"

Shulai gave a slight smirk on his face. "I'm not just a man whore like Xiaolang says I am. Let's just say I'm a hero of sorts."

"Hoe? A hero?" Sakura looked at him with skeptical eyes as she crossed her arms.

"I break up couples who deserve to be split."

"What?!" Sakura exclaimed in shock. "But why?"

"My gut is telling me… that Kuroda chick's got a boyfriend but he isn't exactly the faithful and the committed type."

"She can't have a boyfriend! And even if she has, just leave her alone."

"Tsk, never mind…" Shulai shook his head. "No need for me to explain further."

At that point, they hear a door knock. Sakura opened and found Yamazaki waved at her. She signaled Shulai that it was time for them to start the town tour. He shrugged again and followed her from behind.

#

Sakura, Yamazaki, and Shulai toured around town for two hours. She made sure that, as she promised Syaoran earlier, that they will be back before the lunch hour. It was already 11:45 p.m., meaning the stars may probably be waiting for their lunch to be ready and most likely be back in their respective campers now. They stopped right in front of the Wolf's Lair.

"Thank you," Shulai muttered towards Yamazaki and Sakura, as he began to accustom himself to Tomoeda by bowing to them. "It was a rather… educational… tour…"

"Well dude, you've only seen the town part. We still gotta show you the other cool spots that make Tomoeda the best place to visit— and the best place to live!"

"So there are more spots to see?" Shulai asked curiously, gently scratching his head.

"Yup! We still gotta show you the forest and the flower meadows and most of all, the beach!"

Shulai's eyebrow raised in curiosity. "You have a beach here?"

"Yup! Just walking distance! But let's wait until August, which is two weeks from today," Sakura indicated. "Our Tomoeda Summer Festival will be in early August and it'll take place at the beach area too. It's gonna be fun, fun, fun!"

"Summer festival, huh. Never been in one before."

"There's always a first time for everything. Guess we've got two weeks to wait."

Shulai crossed his arms. "What the hell am I gonna do for the next two weeks? I'm seriously grounded by the entire Li Clan. I can't leave Tomoeda, can't even travel to the nearest city where there's actually life. And since I am grounded, the one who's supposed to be responsible for me, so to speak, can't even bring me to whatever that place that movie crew is supposed to go. I'm frickin' stuck in this hellhole!"

"Erm, Tomoeda isn't exactly synonymous with hellhole, dude," Yamazaki muttered. "There's plenty of hellholes in this country also but be grateful you didn't end up over there."

"Whatever…" Shulai rolled his eyes.

"Well, aside from… 'deflowering the flowers,' Shulai-kun, what kind of other hobbies do you like to do?" Sakura asked curiously. "I'm sure you can do some of those hobbies while you're here in Tomoeda."

"Heh, wouldn't you like to know, Kinomoto," Shulai snickered. "Yeah. I have different hobbies, but hell, I'm very much a private person. I don't exactly share my hobbies with some random people, you know."

"Well, you're gonna be here in Tomoeda for a very long time so the people who live here aren't exactly random people," Sakura defended. "At least give us a hint if you're so private—"

Just as Shulai was about to answer, they hear the door to the camper and Wei exited from the door. "Ah, you're back! Master Xiaolang has been waiting for you."

"I'm sorry if we took so long," Sakura cried. "I'll start making lunch right away!"

"No worries. Master Xiaolang is taking a shower at the moment." He then turned towards Shulai. "Master Shulai, I just got back from the Li Residence. Your parents recently sent out some packages that have some of your belongings in them. They specifically instructed for you to finish the remaining of your assignments so they can be credited to your student profile, as well as practicing your piano and violin. They even sent out your art supplies including your personal easel and the painting you were currently working on—"

"Whoa!" Sakura and Yamazaki gasped. "You're artistically talented!"

"As if anyone cares," Shulai rolled his eyes.

Wei continued on. "Your art supplies are in the Wolf's Lair now as well as your textbooks and notebooks. The elders thought that it would be good to keep you busy throughout summer break by doing something a lot more practical that would guarantee that you won't be in trouble."

"Yeah, yeah."

Sakura went ahead towards the stairs leading to inside. "Well, I'm gonna start making lunch."

"A splendid idea, Sakura-chan," Wei greeted and then turned his attention back towards Shulai.

"What's she gonna cook?" Shulai asked curiously.

"Despite of your prejudices, Master Shulai, Sakura-chan is a very capable and skilled cook. She took it from her father, of course." Immediately he changed the subject before Shulai was about to answer. "Now that you and I are out here, a word with you."

"Huh…" Shulai sighed in a bored tone. "What is it now, Wei?"

Wei lead Shulai away from the Wolf's Lair until they found themselves underneath a giant oak tree and he began to speak to the look-alike in their language.

Meanwhile, Sakura thought of making something quick, knowing that Syaoran may probably be hungry. For something interesting that would surely fill him up, she decided to make the simple Osaka-style okonomiyaki. Good thing the Wolf's Lair has a hot plate system kept in one of the cabinets. She was delighted to see that some of the vegetables were already cut and placed in specific labeled containers. Must be Wei who was behind them.

While she began preparing the ingredients, she heard the door of the restroom sliding open. Learning her lesson from yesterday, she did not turn her head to face him and instead concentrated on the preparation.

"Ah, you're back, Sakura," Syaoran grinned. Like yesterday, he only appeared with a towel around his waist and nothing else. He approached her from behind and kissed her on the cheek. "Miss me?"

"Of course I miss you," Sakura softly giggled. "Yamazaki and I gave your cousin a tour around town. We haven't showed him the outskirts just yet. But I'm sure he'll love it even if he complained so much."

Syaoran gave a deep sigh. "I hate my parents right now."

"Eh? How come?"

"I receive word from Wei right after I was done with the movie shooting that starting today, Shulai will be staying with us here at the Wolf's Lair for the rest of the week!"

"Hoe?!" Sakura gasped in surprise, making her turn her head immediately towards Syaoran. "Kyaaaaaa!"

"Oh crap! Sorry!" Syaoran gasped, backing himself away. "Um I'll be back!" He locked the door to his bedroom to put some clothes on, while Sakura breathed heavily with her hand against her rapidly beating heart.

_Gosh, Syaoran, why do you always appear yourself half-naked when I'm around… Mou… _Right then she found herself blushing heavily again and began shook her head. _No no no no, you can't think about that stuff right now! It's inappropriate… and a whole lot more inappropriate with Shulai around…_

Moments later, Syaoran exited, now wearing a standard black t-shirt and slightly baggy jeans. He then wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and whispered. "I'm sorry about that… I didn't mean to freak you out…"

"I know, Syaoran… I know…" Sakura whispered in return. "Just be careful next time…"

_Damn this stupid curse! I can't believe I walked out and stopped in front of here with just a towel around my waist. But dammit… I can't stand this anymore… and this is getting harder and harder with that bastard Shulai around…_

"So, what's for lunch?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"We're having Osaka-style okonomiyaki today. I want to show Shulai-kun one of the few delectable dishes Japan has to offer, especially if they're not regularly served in most Japanese restaurants around the world."

Syaoran remained resting his chin against her shoulder. "Sounds delicious. I can't wait… it would've been such a wonderful lunch together… but with _him _around…"

"Don't worry, he didn't hit on me or flirt with me or anything like that," Sakura assured him. "Besides, I don't think he likes me that much. He thinks I cast a spell on you that night during the Mochiron game by putting on some contact lenses to have my eyes green."

He slowly released her and then stood next to her. "He's an idiot. Don't listen to him."

"But you know, he wasn't that bad. We avoided talking to him about his adventures of… 'deflowering flowers.'"

"Is that what he calls his man-whoring now? 'Deflowering flowers'? Unbelievable…" Syaoran shook his head. "Damn family… this was going to be our chance of being alone together in here… and they just had to spoil everything by having _him _staying here with us for the rest of the week. What the hell…"

"It'll be okay, Syaoran. We'll survive. I know we won't be as romantic and… um… lovey-dovey and all but… but… it'll be alright. We can be a team again."

"Team? What are you talking about being a team again?"

"Well… we can become a team when it comes to dealing with Shulai-kun."

"Seriously, who do they think I am? We're really a family now…"

"Hoe? How so?"

"I'm the father, you're the mother, and he's the meddling, uncontrollable son."

Sakura burst in to laughter. "Is that how you see us as?" Right then she remained girnning. _Although the way he says it sounded really sweet and romantic though… a family huh?_

"That's how _they _see us, Sakura."

"Let's have a nice, simple lunch once I'm done. Okay? Maybe if we just keep Shulai to his good side, things would go smoothly for the rest of the week. Ne, Syaoran?"

"Hell, I don't even know if he actually has a good side or not!"

_He sure is bitter with Shulai-kun, ne? _Sakura giggled softly.

"Well, I'm gonna go set up the table. You just continue on with the preparations."

"Thanks, Syaoran."

Once he began to set the table, Shulai stormed in the camper with a very disappointed expression on his face. "Xiaolang!"

Syaoran looked up right towards Shulai as the look-alike slammed his fist against the table. "What are you so pissed about, Shulai?"

"Talk to your parents about this! Tell them you can't afford to have me staying in this bus of yours!"

"I already spoke to them on the phone while you were gone with Sakura and Yamazaki, Shulai. I have no choice because apparently, _you _are part of my tests of becoming the next clan leader."

"What the— why do they have to involve me? This is revolting!"

"Don't ask me. I may be the future clan leader but when it comes to the elders and the tests, I have no choice but to follow them. After all, it's family tradition, right?"

"Jeez. They might as well disown me while they're at it!" Shulai sat at his spot at the dining table, moping with his arms crossed.

Once Syaoran finished setting up the table, he sat at the spot across from his cousin. "Since everything's settled about you staying here with Sakura and me, I've already planned out about what you're gonna be doing for the rest of the week here."

"Excuse me?" You have plans for me?" Shulai raised an eyebrow.

"You better behave or your ass is gonna be kicked by the elders, Shulai. If you screw up, I'm gonna be a failure also, and if you think that's gonna be your way of getting revenge at me, don't push your luck. You want those idiot brothers between us become the next clan leaders? Hell's for sure I don't."

"Hey, don't jump in to conclusions, man. I've been good throughout the entire day." He then towards the kitchen and shouted out: "Right, Kinomoto?"

Sakura finally finished her preparations and then brought the tray of the okonomiyaki and the condiments and served them at the table. "If I don't include your whining and complaining on the way, yes, you have been at your best behavior. You were even nice to all the elders in town."

"Hey, they got a lot of nice things to say about the Li Clan so of course I gotta be nice to them. What choice do I have?" Once she was finished serving, Shulai stared at the dish right in front of him. "What's this?"

"It's Okonomiyaki. Some foreigners usually refer to it as Japanese pancake, but if you ask for my opinion, it's more of like pizza."

"Is that so?" Shulai continued to stare at the food. "How come there's too many vegetables in this one?"

"Stop complaining and eat, Shulai," Syaoran warned him. "Don't be rude to the sweet and kind miss!"

"Come on now, you two," Sakura chuckled. "Let's just have a nice, simple lunch, ne? Let's eat!"

Just as Shulai was about to stab his chopsticks on to his okonomiyaki, he spotted Sakura and Syaoran bowing towards their food and muttered the word "Itadakimasu!"

"Huh?"

"Oh!" Sakura began to explain. "It's just a Japanese expression saying 'thank you for the meal and I am about to eat.' Kind of like showing respect to the person who prepared the dish and the fact that you will be eating it. It's an everyday habit for all Japanese and for those who have lived here for many years now."

Shulai slowly placed his chopsticks down, pressed his palms together, and bowed towards his food. "Itadakimasu."

"Good," Syaoran nodded. "Dig in!"

They began to feast on their dish. Shulai took his first bite and immediately blinked his eyes. "Hey! This is pretty good!"

"Isn't it?" Sakura smiled happily. "Thanks! Dad taught me how to make it. It tastes really good though with the okonomiyaki sauce." She handed him the bottle.

"Oh. Looks like hoisin sauce. Thanks!" He applied some of the sauce as both Sakura and Syaoran continued on with their dish.

#

Their lunch period remained quiet as the three simply enjoyed and finished their okonomiyaki until all three of them became full. Sakura intended that she would clean everything up so to give the two look-alike cousins some time to talk without any third-party interference. Even though she and Wei were currently present inside, Wei excused himself to tend to Eriol and Meiling, who were located at the camper next to theirs, while Sakura planned to finish as much of her math homework as she can after she finished cleaning up the kitchenette.

Shulai still did not look enthusiastic at this point while Syaoran searched for his list already stored in his phone. Moments later, he cleared his throat to get the reluctant troubled teen's attention.

"So, I got a few emails from my sisters regarding my parents' specific instructions for you for the duration of the next two weeks starting today," Syaoran began.

"Great. Looking forward to it…" Shulai muttered in sarcasm.

"It's part of your being grounded in Tomoeda, dude, so you better behave and listen."

"Whatever. Not like I have a choice."

"My scheduled for the rest of the week are really heavy and hectic and I will be spending most of my time outside the Wolf's Lair doing more movie sets. The only time I'll be here is when I eat my breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sleep. And since I'm a perfectionist, I'd like to keep my Wolf's Lair clean. Hence, I got a bunch of things that you can do for me while you're here."

Shulai raised an eyebrow. "The hell? You already got Kinomoto as your one-week slave, now you're making me as your slave also? You're not even in the leadership seat yet and you now act like you own the damn clan!"

"And I have to report to the elders about your progress also, Shulai, so no matter what excuse you can come up with against these tasks, you're still under the clan's radar. They're seriously keeping an eye on you this time."

"What?" Shulai almost burst in to laughter. "They've got more serious issues to deal with within the clan instead of wasting time babysitting me. This is ridiculous!"

"Anyway, here's what the elders want you to do. Better start taking notes."

"Hmph. Fine." Shulai reached for his phone and opened his notes app.

"They're already aware of the whole bet that Sakura and I made from the Mochiron Game so they're actually going to make her job a little easier. First, you have to help her make breakfast, lunch, and dinner since there's the three of us now in the Wolf's Lair instead of just her and me."

"Me? Cook? You're talking to the wrong guy, man."

"Heh," Syaoran snickered. "Next, you have to finish all your assignments from your old home school tutor back in Hong Kong before your entrance exam test in August. Luckily you have about three weeks to finish all of them and there isn't very many left."

"Fine. I can deal with my studies. Not that they've been useful to me in life anyway."

"That's because you fool around too much that makes no difference in your precious little life, Shulai!"

"Like you actually know or even understand, Xiaolang!"

The two cousins glared at each other, as Syaoran decided to move on. "Third, you'll have to go where Sakura goes. I'm already putting my trust in you to be a guardian to her. Despite of this town being a little too 'goody-goody' compared to Hong Kong, there's a lot of douches among the guys here who would even pick on girls like Sakura. Besides, I think she's treated you well earlier, did she?"

"Whatever."

"Fourth, before I leave, it's become my responsibility to introduce you to Tomoedan society. I didn't know how I was gonna do that at first until just now. I got the perfect idea for me to do that."

"Yeah? How?"

"Sakura and I will be having a luncheon with the Amber Emeralds this Friday—"

"Wait… what? Amber Emeralds? I keep hearing that from Kinomoto but she never told me what they are or who they are or… I mean I met a girl who's one of them!"

"You'll find out on Friday."

"Why do I have to wait until Friday? Why can't you just tell me now?"

Syaoran glared immediately at him. "Aren't you the antsy douche…"

"That so-called tradition of having the Lis not revealing everything soon until the day the thing actually happens needs to stop. Seriously!"

"Anyway, the luncheon with the Amber Emeralds this Friday… as much as it's supposed to be for Sakura and me, you're coming along."

"Huh? Why?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "So you can make new friends and don't feel like you're an outcast here, stupid!"

"Why do I have to make friends with them? I don't kick it with high school cliques, you know?"

"Get to know them first before you start judging, Shulai."

"Why can't you just hook me up with your friends?"

"I just did. You already met Sakura and Yamazaki and from what I heard, Daidouji too. You don't seem to like my friends, so I'm introducing you to other people who aren't my friends."

Shulai grinned and patted Syaoran on the side. "I'm just kidding, Xiaolang. Your friends are cool. Maybe they'll become my friends too."

"Anyway, Shulai. Moving on!"

Shulai's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell? There's more?"

"Tying to the part where you have to go where Sakura has to go. That also includes going to her volunteering work at the library."

Shulai almost burst in to laughter again. "You're kidding, right? Me, hang out at the library?"

"The library's only walking distance to the public beach. You can hang out there and pick up chicks or something— although I doubt you'd succeed."

"You're way too bitter, you know that, Xiaolang?"

From out of the blue, Sakura arrived with a tray of three tall glasses of chocolate smoothies. "Hi guys! I thought having some chocolate smoothie would cool everyone down on this very hot day!"

"Hey! Looks good! Thanks!" Syaoran smiled happily.

"Is it homemade?" Shulai raised an eyebrow in suspicion, staring at the smoothie.

"Of course it's homemade! I used organic chocolate, organic milk, and natural Stevia powder too— for those who are diabetic, of course!" Sakura sat back at her seat right between the two cousins. "Did I miss anything?"

"I'm your fellow slave for the rest of the week, Kinomoto," Shulai joked.

"Oh. You'll be busy doing things for Syaoran too," Sakura grinned.

"Right," Syaoran lowered his tone. "Moving on. Sakura, don't you know any summer events for kids where they can actually do volunteer work? I think Shulai would need something like that."

"Well… depends on what Shulai actually likes—"

"Find me something where there's a lot of cute girls in them!" Shulai joked again while Syaoran glared directly at him again. "Jeez, Xiaolang, lighten up! You know I was just joking!"

"This isn't Hong Kong and the kids in this town don't act like your so-called homies who pretend to be your homies so they got something to brag about, Shulai. The purpose of you being here so you can get yourself together and start all over, not bring your Hong Kong life in here."

"Alright, alright, fine! I'll stop." Shulai rolled his eyes.

"Actually, on the week before the summer festival," Sakura began, "there's a week-long beach and meadow field cleanup and setup for the festival. Lots of kids and adults participate there. It's the biggest seasonal festivals Tomoeda has because lots of outsiders vacationing for the summer will be here, so it is pretty much a big deal. Parts of the library will be closed during that week so we can participate in the preparation and cleanup. And then we get three days off after the festival for tear down and clean up, and then it'll be the Tomoeda Summer Sports Camp."

"Wow. Sounds fun," Shulai answered. "Guess this town is always busy even in the summer."

"Those weeks are the best weeks in the summer, in my opinion," Syaoran said with a smile, beginning to reminisce his experiences as a child. "They were my favorite period as a Tomoeda kid. My family and close friends and people I haven't met or have gotten to know yet get together and you know, become one happy and united town." He then turned his head towards Shulai. "If you're wondering, Shulai, yes, even the elite families in Tomoeda get their hands dirty for this festival and for the summer sports camp. The Daidoujis are even members of the festival committee because they mostly do all of the decorations and designs for the booths and the festival grounds. In short, you're no exception."

"Fine, whatever." Shulai shrugged his shoulders.

"Also," Syaoran cleared his throat. "I have some news to share with you. This was just announced at our cast meeting earlier today."

"Oh? What is it?" Sakura asked curiously.

"The shooting at Kagamineshi will be the last movie set that we'll be shooting and the footage will be completed."

"Hoe?!" Sakura gasped in shock. "I thought there will be more?"

"Hang on, just listen, Sakura," Syaoran calmed her down. "We're only coming back to Tomoeda right after that because we want to participate in the festival and the sports . Since the director and the movie crew are so generous for all our hard work and dedication, we deserve to have a relaxing summer before most of us go back to school in September. Lucky for me, the family wants me to stay here in Tomoeda until September for some reasons they haven't revealed yet."

"Hoe… I see…" Sakura took a deep breath. "Well, at least you get to stay here a little longer now that your family's here."

"Yeah. After the sports camp, there will be one more week of shooting, but not for the movie. They're mostly going to be promos and ads and of course, some music videos. In short, The Cool Rascals and all the other bands who created the soundtrack for the movie will be back on set again."

"Hoeeeeee!" Sakura shrieked in excitement and applauded. "We get to do music videos?! That's so cool!"

"Yup. Just a heads up. After that week— maybe it may take a little longer just in case— the shooting project is over and everyone goes back to Tokyo and move on with their other projects. The main cast will stay and another crew that specializes in commercials and music videos will be arriving. The projected deadline to complete all this will be before August, at least. Maybe earlier"

"Whoa," Shulai began his comment. "You sound really busy, Xiaolang. Whatever am I gonna do to myself?"

"I suggest you get yourself busy as well, Shulai— busy doing something for the good of the people, not fooling around and then get in to heaps of trouble with the law!"

"Alright already, Xiaolang! I get it! I'm a reckless moron!"

"I'm serious about this, Shulai! If you seriously want to serve me then you better start serving me today!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Shulai stood up and stretched his arms. "You got a restroom around here?" Syaoran pointed the direction further.

"Left side."

"Thanks." He made his way to the restroom, leaving the couple alone.

Meanwhile, Syaoran noticed Sakura's rather sad expression on her face. He moved his chair to sit closer to her, then placed his hand on hers underneath the table.

"It's almost over… I can't believe it…" Sakura muttered, then sighed.

"The movie shooting is almost over, but we're not over, Sakura."

"I know, but… then… I wouldn't be seeing you as much… I wouldn't be able to see you smile, wouldn't be able to hug you, wouldn't be able to kiss you and… "

"I know, Sakura, and I'm really sad about it too. But… sometimes being apart can be a good thing… it prolongs things that we have now. I mean we've only just begun, ne?"

Sakura nodded slowly. "Being apart… you mean… you don't really enjoy whenever I'm around that much?"

"No, not like that… it's just… how can I explain this…" _It's because of that stupid Li Curse… how long am I gonna have to suffer this stupid curse…? How can I overcome this… this inner lust I have for her… can't it wait until we're… we're old enough…?_

"And ever since I got to spend a good amount of time with Shulai-kun earlier today I can't see you within him. You're two completely different people."

Syaoran smiled. "I'm glad to hear you say that, that you're able to tell us apart. Most people can't."

She shook her head immediately. "He's not you and you're not him. You two are way too different from each other. I… learned a few things about him that are… um… controversial… but that's just the way he is. Who he is shouldn't reflect who you are. That's what I think."

He nodded, then moved his hand from hers and placed that same arm around her. "You have no idea how happy I am after telling me about this. I'm scared that he might do something really bad to you… like seduce you or something like that…"

She giggled softly. "I don't think he likes me that much, to tell you the truth. He even thinks Tomoyo's cute if that's what you're wondering."

"Heh. How immature."

Right then, the two began to find each other's eyes once again, and just as expected, the two drew themselves closer to each other, with Sakura closing her eyes slowly. Just as they were just inches away from each other, they heard a loud flushing sound coming from the restroom. Immediately they withdrew from each other, knowing that the third party was about to come out.

"Mou, Syaoran. You better move your seat back."

He chuckled. "Yeah, yeah." He shifted his seat back to its original place just as Shulai arrived back at the dining area.

"Dude, Xiaolang," Shulai chuckled, "I gotta admit, you really got your entire camper all custom-built."

"Of course, Shulai. You know how I am."

"Damn, how much did the parents lent you to make this?"

Syaoran broke in to laughter. "Me, borrow money from the parents? I'm an high-paying idol of Hong Kong and Japan, dude. I earn my own money and I earned real well to get this baby customized. It's probably the biggest investment I ever made and it's working perfectly for me."

"Jeez!" Shulai shook his head as he began to sip on his smoothie. "So you'll be traveling in this baby to go to that Kagamineshi place and back?"

"Yup, and right back to Tokyo after all this is done."

Shulai gave a curious expression. "So you still have to go back to Tokyo?"

"It's part of the contract with know, one of the enterprise's subsidiaries that's a talent agency?"

"Yeah. I know Sunbow."

"I currently stay at an apartment in Tokyo for work. I still have to go back there. While the editing of the footage is on the process, we have to go around the country to promote the movie and give press release interviews and all of that. I know, it'd suck being away from Tomoeda for awhile… but I've learned a lot of things from the family these past few days according to Wei."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"Well, there's gonna be a huge change within the heads of the enterprise. They're moving their main headquarters to Sendai, targeted date before Christmas. In turn, my immediate family and eventually majority of the clan will be moving to the Sendai area. Well, my family eventually moving back here. Targeted date would also be before Christmas."

"Hoe!" Sakura exclaimed from out of the blue. "Maybe if you move back here for good, does that mean that you'll even enroll as a 12th Grader here at Tomoeda High even if it's only for a few months for graduation?"

Syaoran gave a soft laugh. "We'll see…"

"Yay!" From out of the blue, Sakura immediately embraced Syaoran to herself without being aware that Shulai was just in front of them.

"You!" Immediately, Shulai stood up, and with his quick reaction, immediately dragged Sakura from behind by grabbing her arm, forcing her to separate from Syaoran. "I was right about you! You really _are _another one of those girls! Stay away from him!"

"Ouch!" Sakura gritted her teeth in pain. "You're hurting me!"

Immediately, Syaoran stood up and immediately pushed Shulai back. "Hey! What the hell are you doing? I'm only keeping you safe from girls like her! Who is she to embrace you like that anyway? She's not even in _our _league!"

"I didn't ask you to be my bodyguard, Shulai," Syaoran shouted at him. "You're the one to talk about girls like Sakura!"

"Why are you being so tolerant with someone like her anyway? She shouldn't even be hanging out with the upper class such as ourselves! She doesn't know her place—"

"Hey, back off, Shulai! Sakura's been my best friend since we were four-years-old, alright? She's also the first girl I've ever met in my entire life, so you don't have the right to judge any girl here in Tomoeda as if you know every single girl in this town in the first place! She's given you the Tomoeda hospitality earlier without complaints and then this is how you thank her?"

Quickly, Sakura released her arm from Shulai and began to rub her elbow from the pain. The look-alike cousin took a deep breath and sighed out. "Sorry, Kinomoto. I didn't mean to hurt you… it's just… reflex…"

"Reflex?" Syaoran began to laugh. "I thought seeing some cute girl and then you pounce on her like an animal in heat is your reflex?"

Although Sakura knew that Shulai was indeed a troubled soul at this point, she decided to give a bit of courtesy to him by an apology. "I'm sorry. I… I was just happy because… well… I'll get to see Syaoran more often now and… you're right… I should know my place… I won't hug him or… get near him like that again—"

With a swift reaction, she felt strong arms embracing her from behind. Shulai gasped in shock to see his future clan leader embracing the Kinomoto girl closely to himself. "You're my one-week slave, remember, Sakura?"

Sakura gulped nervously and nodded. "As your one-week master, I command to you to hug me whenever you feel happiness. I don't mind."

"Hoe?" Sakura found herself blushing.

"Eh?" Shulai blinked his eyes. "Are you crazy, Xiaolang?"

"Shut up, Shulai. I didn't ask for your opinion! For someone who thinks he's the smoothest when it comes to women, you sure are clueless to see what's actually going on between the Tomoeda girl and me."

Shulai fell silent at first as he continued to stare at the two. Moments later, he found his own realization. "No way…"

Sakura lowered her head, sighing nervously, while Syaoran gave a slight smirk, gently holding her tighter. "She's mine, Shulai. She's always been mine… since we were little. And I'm hers… all this time, I am hers. In short, we belong to each other."

The cousin immediately shook his head. "Does the elders know about this?"

"You'd be surprised."

"Hoe? Your elders know about us already…?" Sakura gasped nervously. "Oh no… I thought…"

"My father figured us out not too long ago, Sakura. Don't worry about it…"

"Unbelievable!" Shulai shook his head. "Keep in mind, Xiaolang, that when it comes to bride choices, I happen to have an authority to determine whether a certain girl is fit for you or not, and as of today, it's not very convincing— especially on this girl's part."

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped in shock. "What would you know, Shulai? I've loved Syaoran ever since we were little… ever since we first met even if we didn't understand each other back then… and I'm seventeen, so you can exactly imagine how long my love for him has lasted…"

Syaoran released Sakura from behind and then approached closer to his cousin. "I want to hold a meeting with my parents— and the elders— with you in it, Shulai. I'd like to know crystal clear as to how on earth you became one of the fools of the family to have a say with who I go out with."

Shulai shrugged his shoulders. "Sure thing. Better make it soon before you leave!" Then, he turned his head towards Sakura. "I'm keeping an eye on you, Kinomoto! If what you say is true, then I need to see it for myself!"

"You don't need to do anything for him, Sakura," Syaoran demanded. "He's just making a scene to make me look bad—"

"Oh please! Are you sure that's what you see me as? That's my other reason why I'm here, Xiaolang. Sure, I'm you're responsibility because of my reckless behavior, but you have become my responsibility when it comes to girls! Give and take and vice versa, man!"

At this point, Sakura found herself in the middle and completely stuck between the two look-alikes. Sure, it was a lot peaceful with just the two of them at the Wolf's Lair, but having this unruly cousin— and a doppelganger at that— was definitely going to give her headaches and heartaches on the side.

"Look… I… I'm not in the mood for arguing and… if you guys excuse me, I need to get out and refresh myself." She gave a bow to the two cousins and then ran out to the Wolf's Lair.

Once she found herself outside, she found Wei approaching her direction. Wei spotted her first and knew something had gone wrong.

"Ah, Sakura-chan!"

"Wei-san," Sakura murmured. "I'm gonna have a bit of fresh air and… well… I'll be back."

"Is there anything wrong, Sakura-chan?"

Though she wasn't very good at hiding her concerns, she simply answered: "All is well, Wei-san. The Li Boys need your help in the camper."

"I'm heading there anyway. I have… news… from the family… again. Hope you feel better, Sakura-chan."

"Thanks for your concern, Wei-san." She bowed to him and made her way out towards the open school gates.

As she was heading her way out, she spotted a stretch limousine parked in front. A female driver in a dark suit exited from the limousine and then opened the back door. Right then, Tomoyo exited with a hanger set of clothes slew behind her. Her best friends spotted her immediately.

"Hey there, Sakura! Where you heading at?"

"Hi, Tomoyo," Sakura sighed. "I… I'm really lost right now…"

Tomoyo turned to her chauffeur. "Will you deliver these dresses to the pink camper, please?"

"Certainly, Miss Tomoyo," she said, picked up the dresses, and made her way inside the campus.

"Sakura, let's talk in here." She entered back in to the limousine and Sakura followed her and sat across from her. Tomoyo locked the door so they can have some privacy.

"So, what happened, Sakura?"

Sakura twiddled her thumbs and then lowered her head. "I'm in big trouble, Tomoyo."

"Eh? What kind of trouble?"

"Syaoran and I promised that we wouldn't tell anyone, not even our parents, about our new relationship until the right time came… but somehow his dad found out and now Shulai-kun is acting like some elder and he doesn't approve of me being Syaoran's girlfriend…"

"Oh no, Sakura…" Tomoyo sighed sadly and switched her seat to the space next to her best friend. "Why on earth does Shulai-kun have authority?"

"I don't know… that's why Syaoran's really mad at him and probably his entire family because of something like this… I knew Shulai doesn't exactly see me as ideal girlfriend material but… now he hates me more…"

"Who cares about Shulai? All that matters is that you and Syaoran love each other, ne? You don't need anyone else's approval. As long as the two of you are happy. That's all that matters."

"I'm scared, Tomoyo. What if Shulai says something to Syaoran about me that he didn't like?"

"And you think Syaoran's gonna listen to him?" She embraced her best friend, offering her a shoulder to cry on, and Sakura freely accepted it.

"Shulai's just bitter because he can't get any girls since he moved here from Hong Kong," Tomoyo said. "Yeah, I've heard bits about him from Eriol and Meiling earlier. He's an A-Class clan blacksheep, that's for sure."

"I don't know how to handle people like him, Tomoyo, let alone a boy."

"The dude needs friends, Sakura. Maybe he's not exposed to the real concept of love. I mean, he's the guy who isn't even in to solid commitment with one girl, sleeps around girls for fun, and who knows what other types of trouble he makes. He can't do any of that here in Tomoeda so he's taking his anger out on you and Syaoran because he realized how much of an idiot he is when it comes to girls and relationships. Don't worry about him. He's just jealous."

Sakura sighed as she gently wiped off the tears from her eyes. Tomoyo reached for a tissue box and handed her a piece of tissue. "Hey, Tomoyo. Can I stay here for a bit? I just want to be alone for awhile."

"Sure thing, Sakura. You can stay as long as you want. I'm on break myself so I can stay with you if you want."

"Really? Can you?"

"That's what best friends are for, Sakura."

Sakura embraced her best friend, as Tomoyo allowed her to lean her head on her shoulder.

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**A/N:** Long time no see/hear, everyone! I have to apologize for the delay because I have been busy with job hunting and taking workshops and even "going back to school," so to speak. I am taking (free) online courses in web development in order to get certified and have a chance on actually getting hired and working in a position that I always wanted- web developer. And on Memorial Day weekend, I spent that entire weekend rebuilding my portfolio site for a potential employer. If things go well, I may finally have a job in an agency that handles one of the biggest anime/manga/video game cons ever to exist in the U.S., Japan Expo USA (it's the same as the famous Japan Expo in France, but it'll make its first debut here in the U.S. in the summer, so excited for that!).

Going back to this chapter, I've read some of your reviews regarding the Li Curse. If you noticed, it's not exactly a supernatural curse. It's something that traditional families just like to throw around to make their younger generations get paranoid over something. In this case, Syaoran's hidden desire for Sakura. Other than that, I got no other sidenotes to explain unless I missed something. If I did, just holler at it when you write your reviews or shoot me a PM LOL.

Shoutouts to the new followers and to those who added "Stuffed Animal" to their favorites. You already know the routine LOL.

Replies to all your reviews below:

**Dreaming Snow** - Hello and welcome aboard! I did point out in my last author's note that _by common knowledge_ that Alzheimer's Disease is the only disease that causes memory loss. And I did mention that I am no doctor either, so I'm not familiar with Korsakoff Syndrome and I've heard a bit about Huntington's Disease but wasn't aware that it also causes memory loss. So, hopefully that clears things up. ^^ Thank you for letting me know though. ^_^

**moon86** – Shulai may be causing trouble, but what kind of trouble? ^_^

**dancingfingers** – Yup, it's pretty much raging teenage hormones. A lot of guys (I have a brother and plenty of guy cousins and friends) who seem to suffer these problems so I thought I'd have a bit of a play for it. It's dumb but hey, worth a try writing about it LOL.

**Shadow74196 –** If it makes you feel happy, I didn't even learn how to talk properly until I turned six-years-old. Some people think it's embarrassing to live with that fact thinking they may be born dumb, but that isn't the case. I got through it, turned out I wasn't dumb at all, and you know how it goes. Anyway, take care and good luck!

**DualStarduster –** Glad I could help. My cousins actually got me these set of flash cards that has different topics in them and that I would write about them or what comes to mind on a piece of paper. It's proven a good help for me whenever I suffer writer's block, but sometimes I get lazy just doing that. There's also sites that has a list of writing prompts there, so that may help as well. In terms of Japanese movie making, I heard that depending on the producers and the director, it could go either way. Some would just shoot all scenes in one location and move to the next, some would go back and forth. Seriously we don't know specifically LOL.

As far as music goes, I'm pretty much old school. When I was a kid I grew up listening to the music my parents used to listen to ('60s-'70s), but I lived in the Philippines back then. I didn't get in to mainstream American music until we moved here and it was right after age 11. Eventually my tastes evolved and branching out to J-Pop and even a bit of Filipino music as well. Nowadays I don't even listen to the radio right now because most of the new music today just isn't my thing and would just refer to the music that I used to listen and love. I just find the song that has the right lyrics and insert it in the scene. They're not really random if you think about it.

**Ria –** Hope you did well in your exam! ^_^

**Littlepuppylost –** Hello there! Sorry for the late update but here it is LOL. It's too bad that Syaoran only exists in fiction and we all seriously would love to have a Syaoran to be our boyfriend in real life LOL. Hope this chapter helped answering your question regarding the "Li Curse." As for Shulai and Mai... hmm... LOL.

**StayAlive06** – True love always prevails no matter what! You shall see LOL.

**James Birdsong** – Long time no see. Welcome back!

**NollasBlack –** Thanks for your comment, always appreciated! Hope this chapter answers most of your questions LOL.

**Emilybooth3365 **- I'll write as much as I can, but considering my real-life schedule, it'll have to delay a bit. ^^

**Narqissa –** Take a short nap so you can rest your face from grinning LOL.

**Makeawishdreambig –** LOL. We shall seeeee...

**SakuSyaoLvr –** I noticed that when I uploaded ch. 17 (well, ch. 18 in FFnet standards) that FFnet didn't even send an automatic email alert which is why I didn't get as many reviews in ch. 17/18 than I expected. As far as vocabulary goes, that's another one of my weakness. Grammar is one thing, vocabulary is another. I thought that maybe you'd take the time to read my profile, but I'll tell you anyway. English is not my first language and even though I've lived in the US for almost 25 years now, it still isn't my first language. First thing, I don't speak English at home and that I only speak English outside. Second, when my family and I moved to this country I spoke no English at all. I learned and caught up with it by reading, but even then my vocabulary isn't quite built up yet that would be appropriate for writing. So, I apologize if my vocabulary seemed elementary and repetitive. I do use the thesaurus but I never find the right terms to use, plus there are some actions that I can only act it out but never know the verb for that type of action. You know what I mean, right? -_-

**Kimiko17** – Hello, long time no see too! Nice seeing you again!

**Takara01Fan (and the other fan too)** (on ch. 11, 12, 18) – First of all, thank you for taking the time to read my fanfic. Thank you for leaving a review as well. However, I will have to disagree with everything you said and I will explain to you why.

"_Takari01Fan - excuse me, but...your chapters are simply too long. emphasis on the 'too long'. please SHORTEN your upcoming chapters if possible_

_fan - (continuing from Takari01Fan) By shorten she means don't write anything unnecessary. however, the story is generally interesting"_

I've taken creative writing classes back in high school and college before and there is one thing I learned from the masters: There is NO SUCH THING as a chapter that is too long but THERE IS SUCH THING as a chapter that is too short. So in short, I'm not gonna split all 19 chapters that I wrote so far and then make this entire fic in to 40+ chapters because it's too much of a hassle. Second, each writer has their own way of writing their fanfics. Some writers write short chapters and some writers write long chapters. I'm obviously at the latter and if you're asking me to shorten the chapters that I already wrote before simply because you think they're too long, then I'm sorry, but the answer is no. Most CCS fanfic writers write short chapters and I am not one of those writers. I'm not gonna write short chapters just because almost every single CCS fanfic writer does. If you're asking me to shorten these chapters because you're looking for a quick read, then this isn't the story for you. I like to write stories that readers would actually take the time to read because if a chapter is too short, the impatience level for the readers for the next chapter would go out of control. Just ask the reviewers here yourself. You'll see what I mean.

Next point that I'd like to reply is your comment of "don't write anything unnecessary." First of all, I'm offended by this comment. Who made you the judge to determine if a story has "unnecessary" parts in there if you're not even the writer of the story, let alone not even knowing what the story plot is about in the first place? You don't. It's by general knowledge that the writer will determine the parts that are unnecessary after the writer's done with the first rough draft. And since this fic (and all the other fics in FFnet) are all rough drafts, that's when the writer- and the reviewers- can actually tell what is unnecessary and what isn't and decide whether they would rewrite it or not (most writers don't rewrite them- what they have written, they have written, as they say). As of today, since this story's not complete, there's nothing "unnecessary" anywhere in the story so far.

Final point are my author's notes. There is a reason why there are author notes in the first place. It's to give the author to explain her/himself of his/her updates, why the chapter/scene is being written the way it is, or to give explanations and meanings to certain facts, like Japanese terms, Japanese food or pop culture, or even history, etc. etc. The author's notes can also be used for authors to respond to the reviewers as common courtesy and appreciation that they're reading and taking the time to review your story. I happen to like communicating with the reviewers and since sending them PMs one by one is a hassle, it's better if they all read my replies from here. If you don't like long author's notes, then that would mean I would have to be rude to all the reviewers by not responding to them in one setting. You don't have to read the author's notes yourself, but wouldn't it be hypocritical of you knowing the fact that I'm reading your review, responding to your review, and then you decide to ignore my reply to your review simply because the author's notes are too long and that you're too lazy to even read what I have to say to you? I say that's being shallow and selfish, don't you think?

So, you don't like long chapters and you don't like long author's notes. I guess that equates to you not enjoying/not liking my story either. Thank you for being honest, I appreciate that, but I'm not going to make "Stuffed Animal" as a "short and quick read" and I'm not gonna shorten my chapters either and turn the fic from a 19-chapter story in to a 40+-chapter story. I hope you understand that. Again, thank you for reading, even if I know that after this, you're probably not going to read anymore. That's fine too. I'm not gonna complain. I can't please everyone after all.

**Lilicia (Guest) –** Hello and welcome! Sorry for the long wait, but hopefully this chapter answers your question! Stay tuned!

**Reader277 –** Thank you for reading. Hello and welcome! ^_^


	21. 20: The Punishment

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adrimarie_

**CHAPTER 20: THE PUNISHMENT'S END**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

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**QUICK NOTE:** I write all my author notes at the end of each chapter, so please, don't forget to read them once you reach the end of this page. I'm putting this "quick note" back on because some of the reviewers don't read the author notes below- **_My replies to the reviewers are included in the author notes below!_**

I will start moderating anonymous/guest reviews because I have a feeling that one of these reviewers is a troll. I don't take trolls lightly. I think some of you already know who I'm referring to now as I had to delete this person's review.

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Sakura spent a good amount of time, more like five minutes, just crying over her best friend's shoulder in her family limo. Tomoyo even suggested that they drive around the outskirts to enjoy the nature away from civilization so she could let all the stress out. In fact, the best friend decided that this was a good time for Sakura to meet a long-gone loved one so she can spiritually consult with her. But before they headed off, Sakura did headed back to the Wolf's Lair to find it empty. There was a note left on the table from Wei, who reminded Sakura that Syaoran already started his next movie shooting for the afternoon and that he had to take Shulai to the Plum Manor up the hills to meet up with the elders briefly.

When she got to her backpack to get her wallet, she realized that she had forgotten to bring her stuffed teddy bear Chiirou out. This was a good time for her to consult on her stuffed bear as well and decided to take him along with her.

Tomoyo had Yamazaki to inform the girls that she will be going out in a bit. Regardless of the whole one-week slave deal that they had, she knew she wasn't exactly cut out for being the slave and decided to break the rules a bit. Sakura was untouchable to the rest of the idols anyway with the exception of Syaoran and decided to drive along with her. On the way, they stopped by a flower stand nearby the local coffee shop to buy daisies and carnations.

Their final destination was a very little-known place that their parents dubbed as the "Best Friends' Flower Hill." This was the final resting place of Sakura's mother, Nadeshiko, and just like on the day she was first buried here, the never-ending cherry blossom tree and bunches of dianthus and carnation flowers surrounded the grounds still continued to bloom amidst the scorching summer sun. It was a good thing that a very cool and gentle breeze was present, so there was no need for the girls to protect themselves with sunblock.

Sakura couldn't remember the last time she visited her mother's grave aside from the routine dates. Unlike most Japanese who would spend their Christmas, New Year's, and Valentine's Day with their significant others, the Kinomotos would visit the Best Friends' Flower Hill and have their own little picnic or camp alongside their mother's grave. Maybe it was Valentine's Day after all.

When the two best friends got there, Tomoyo placed her bouquet on the stone while Sakura remained standing.

"Hello, Mom," Sakura began with a smile. "If it's been a long time since I last visited you, I'm sorry. But I'm here now. And Tomoyo too… and Chiirou. See?"

Tomoyo gave a soft chuckle and even bowed towards the tombstone. "It's been a long time, Auntie Nadeshiko. I'm just here to accompany Sakura, so I hope you don't mind me being here with your daughter."

Sakura gulped at first and then let out a sigh. "Do you remember Syaoran Li, Mom? You met him when you were still in the hospital. He's that really cute little boy with mocha brown hair and amber red eyes. Well… um… he's my boyfriend now. I hope you'd accept. He's a really good young man even though he's a major superstar and all. And soon… he's going to retire from showbiz and will continue on his way in becoming the future clan leader of the Li Clan. And… secretly deep inside I really do wish that he would… I mean… we would… spend the rest of our lives together… be in love… get married… have children… part of the reason so that your bloodline and legacy still continues on from our generation to the next."

Tomoyo patted Sakura on the shoulder and she also began to speak as well. "And also, Auntie Nadeshiko, I already know the promises you made with your best friends. You know, my mom and Li-kun's mom… and I guess Taeko Kashii too, one of the CBLW's screenwriters that if you get sons and daughters at your age, you'd do what you can to make them fall in love and eventually get married. Kashii-san never had any children. You and my mom had Sakura and me. And then Auntie Yelan had four quadruplet daughters the same age as Touya-niichan and then Syaoran came along. You know, it would've been Touya-niichan and one of the Li Sisters, but that didn't work out… and then there's Sakura and Syaoran… so romantic!"

"Tomoyo!" Sakura hushed and then changed the subject. "Well, I have a problem, Mom. I already know that you like Syaoran already the first time you've met him those many years ago. Dad likes him too. Oniichan will eventually get used to him. He'll deal. But on the Li Clan's side, not everyone likes me, I'm afraid."

"Oh Sakura… I wish I knew more about the Li Clan myself. Now I really do wish your mother was still alive."

Sakura slowly turned to her best friend. "Hoe? Why do you say that, Tomoyo?"

"Well, Mom told me that when the Lis moved in to Tomoeda, they were really private and secretive too. Back in college, when Uncle Xiaojin was still dating Auntie Yelan and invited her to meet his family at the Plum Manor at the hills, Auntie Yelan was so nervous that she wanted to bring a friend alone. Apparently my mom and Kashii-san were busy at that time, but your mom was available, so she went with Auntie Yelan to the Plum Manor to meet the Lis. In short, your mother was the very first Japanese person that the Lis met right here."

"What happened?"

"Well, maybe Auntie Yelan would be able to tell you more, but she told my mom that it was because of Auntie Nadeshiko being there and mingled with many of the Li Clan's elders, they were given a really good impression on Auntie Yelan that convinced them to accept her to become Uncle Xiaojin's wife."

"You know so much, Tomoyo. How come my dad never tells me these things?"

"Maybe because back then, your mom and your dad haven't met each other yet."

"Oh… that would make sense." Sakura turned to the gravestone once more and placed her bouquet at the front. "Mom… I'm scared. I mean the movie shooting of _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ will be ending soon. They're going to Kagamineshi this weekend and will be finishing the shooting over there for two weeks and then it'll be all over. Of course they'll still come back here to join the traditional Tomoeda festivities such as the summer festival and the sports camp, but after a week or two of commercial shootings and music video shootings… Syaoran will have to go back to Tokyo and tour around the country to promote the movie and… what if… what if I don't see him again?"

Tomoyo's eyes shifted right at her best friend. "How could you say that, Sakura? Don't you think it's too early to think of that after you've only been officially dating for like… two days?"

She lowered her head, leaving her arms limp. "I don't know what to think now… I'm just way too scared, Tomoyo. I mean, I thought it would be easy for me to avoid Shulai-kun considering how much of a player he is, but… he's just a strange one… he doesn't like me, doesn't like the way I look, heck he even thought I was wearing fake contact lenses to make my eyes green. He thinks Syaoran is under some kind of spell and that he's not being himself when I'm around him."

Her best friend shook her head. "And to think that he was trying to hit on me earlier today when you introduced me to him too… that Shulai sure is a strange one…"

Once again Sakura turned to her mother's gravestone again. "Mom… give me a sign… tell me what to do… please…" She closed her eyes, pressed her palms together and began to silently pray. Tomoyo did the same and both best friends gave in to the calm of the hill, letting the wind blow the flower petals and make the natural whispering sounds.

#

By the time Sakura and Tomoyo arrived back at the Tomoeda High School parking lot, they spotted Touya exiting one of the camping buses with a backpack. He just finished his second tutoring session with the idols and walking back out looking exhausted. Sakura hadn't kept in touch with her brother as of late simply because of their different one-week slave schedules and she sighed in relief to see her brother again.

"Been awhile, Oniichan," Sakura smiled. "You look like you've got your hands full!"

"Feh," Touya rolled his eyes. "Most of those idol dudes are a bunch of lazy asses when it came to their studies. Among the girls, it's only Hirashiki who's been slacking off." He then changed the subject immediately. "What about you? Where'd you two gone to?"

"We stopped by the Best Friends' Flower Hill for a breather," Tomoyo said. "And of course, to visit Auntie Nadeshiko."

"How come the two of you get to have breaks? I had to spend hours and hours getting today's lessons prepped up for those spoiled brats without a break! The only breaks I get is when I had to eat lunch and dinner!"

"Just three more days, Oniichan, and we'll finally be finished," Sakura patted him on the side.

Touya was silent for a bit as his eyes began scanning his sister from top to bottom. "You still are the same sweet and fragile little monster to me. Good."

"What?! There's no such thing as monsters who are sweet and fragile, mind you!" Sakura immediately retorted with her fists tightened.

"Sure there is," Touya grinned. "She's standing right in front of me right now." Sakura responded to her brother's taunt by punching him right at his left shoulder blade. "Ow, that hurts!"

"Jeez, Oniichan, when will you ever grow up? What happens if you and Kaho-neechan start to have children and that one of them happens to be a daughter? Are you gonna call her a monster too?"

"If she looked exactly like you, maybe I will!"

"Mou…" Tomoyo giggled until the two siblings ended up laughing altogether.

"Well, I gotta head back to the trailer and see what those divas have next on their list for me. Be sure you two have a hearty dinner now, okay?"

"Later, Tomoyo-chan," Touya nodded.

"Seeya, Tomoyo!" The two best friends parted their ways for the day, leaving the siblings alone.

"That Hiiragizawa kid finally gave me a break. I can go back home for a bit to visit Dad… and his colleagues. I bet you our house had become a science lab when I get there."

Sakura giggled. "Well, that's Dad for you. Always busy discovering new things and then get happy and fascinated and share the news with the entire world!"

Touya chuckled along, then nodded. "Let's sit at one of the nearby benches over there."

"Sounds good, Oniichan."

The siblings found an empty wooden bench not too far from the parking lot and sat together. "Well, I have to admit. Those things really does fit you, Sakura."

"Hoe? What things?"

"What Dad's doing. Always busy discovering new things… and then get happy and fascinated and share the news to the entire world."

"Really now?" She gave a sheepish grin.

"I guess you really are gonna follow Dad's footsteps to be an archaeologist… well not really an archaeologist specifically, maybe working in the anthropology field, somewhere."

Sakura nodded. "Dad is awesome. I can't imagine any other man being my dad other than the great Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto, Ph.D."

"Yup. He's done so much for the two of us since Mom died. And you know what's admirable about him? What he and Mom had is pure, original, true love. Since Mom died, he never removed his wedding ring and he never even brought any other woman in the house except for his colleagues back in college and they're always there for work."

"I know this may sound weird, Oniichan, but to Dad, Mom still lives on. I'm sure you feel the same way too. Sometimes I feel a little envious because you and Dad got to spend so much time with Mom. Look at me. At age three, she was already gone and I haven't even learned how to speak properly yet."

"You got me, kiddo!" Touya grinned, placing his arm around her. "You ain't the only Kinomoto Kid in this town, you know?"

"Hehe, you're right. I do have you, Oniichan!"

The two faded their laughter when Touya changed the subject. "So, considering that you still look the same to me, I guess he has been treating you well."

She gave him a puzzled look. "He?"

"That brat— I mean Li-kun."

She gave a faint smile. "He has been. Actually, I didn't feel like a slave at all. I don't know… it's hard to explain."

"Hey. You know. Since yesterday when we started this whole one-week slave thing, I realized a few things. Sure, I should've realized it before but I'm a self-absorbed, arrogant bastard so I ignored it all along."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Well… it's not like I hate the kid… it's just… I was just scared that one day that he'll take you away from me."

"Hoe?" Sakura chuckled. "But I'm only seventeen!"

"I know that… I mean… I just had the hunch that one day that you'll replace me for him being your number one person in your life— well aside from Dad, of course. But now I realized… I'm the one being taken away first instead."

"Mou… don't say that," Sakura shook her head. "I don't feel like that at all. If you meant getting married to Kaho-neechan soon, that's not how I feel at all. She's not taking you away from me or from Dad. Instead, we are gaining Kaho-neechan as a daughter and for me, an older sister. You're twenty-four-years-old now, Oniichan. And you'll be earning your Master's Degree in the spring next year too. It really is the right time for you to settle down. Getting married… have a beautiful honeymoon… find really good, high-paying jobs… buy a new home… have children… and you're gonna have the most beautiful children the whole world has ever seen. Dad will be a happy grandpa and I will be a happy aunt!"

Touya gave a chuckle. "Don't worry, I won't disappoint you. Kaho wants the children, hopefully it'd be one boy and one girl, just like how we are. Thing is, she wants to be a happy aunt too."

"Hoe…" Sakura slightly blushed. "I… I won't disappoint her either!"

"I don't mind being a happy uncle… it's just that the family name that you'll end up using is what's worrying me about—"

"Oniichan!" She laughed while pushing him on the side. "You're so mean! What if it's Syaoran?"

Right then, Touya's laughter faded. "Listen, Sakura. Here's the thing about Li-kun. I don't have to like the damn kid… but as long as he treats you right and that you are his one and only, then I should respect him as a man and as my brother."

Sakura grinned happily and threw her arms around her brother. "Thank you so much, Oniichan! You have no idea how much you made me happy right now!"

"Oh jeez…" Touya embraced his sister in return. "There's just no way of me to stop you from getting closer to that kid… and apparently that kid couldn't stay away from you either regardless that he's some teen movie star. Seriously!"

The siblings released themselves when they were interrupted by a particular ringtone. Touya knew immediately what ringtone that was and reached for his phone. "Hey hun, what's up?… What? Now?…" Quickly he turned towards the gate and stood up. Just across the street, he spotted a fancy-looking SUV with Kaho standing outside with Nakuru and four other giggling girls whom Touya identified as the Li Quadruplets waved and shouted right at his name.

"Hi Kaho-neechan! Nakuru-neechan! And hello too Fanren, Fuutie, Shiefa, and Feimei-neechans!" Sakura waved happily.

"Hi Sakura-chan!" The girls in the van shouted their greetings.

"Oh hell no…" Touya muttered to himself and returned to the phone. "Why? Where are we going?"

Across the street, Kaho spoke through her phone. _"We're hanging out at Mooncastle Diner for the night. Besides, Fanren will be presiding the meeting."_

"What— Fanren? What's she gonna do?"

Just then, Yukito arrived with his backpack and catching up his breath from running to the spot. "There you are, Touya! I guess you're talking to Kaho right now, ne?"

"What? You know about this?"

"Just a few seconds ago from Nakuru. Come on, before those idols show up at the campers or something, let's go!" Yukito warned him.

"Oh, right." Touya quickly turned off his phone and turned to Sakura. "Well, Yukito and me are gonna head off somewhere with our lady loves… and the Li Sisters too… um… somewhere…"

"You two have fun. Be safe!"

"See you, Sakura. Take care!" Yukito said his goodbyes as he and her brother ran across the street to the SUV, where the six ladies have been waiting.

"Bye guys!" Sakura waved happily at them as she watched them drive off.

#

She opened the door to the Wolf's Lair with her spare key and excitedly ran in to the bus. The first thing she did was to explain herself in a loud voice. "Hoe! Syaoran, sorry if I arrived late! I'll go ahead and make dinner right away!"

"Jeez, keep it down, will you? So damn loud!"

"Hoe?" Sakura whispered in surprise to hear Shulai's grumpy voice rather than the voice of her love. "Mou…" She marched inside to find Shulai at Syaoran's desk, with books open, notebooks open, and binder open. Conclusion: Shulai Li starting his schoolwork imported from hong Kong.

"Hoe! Where's Syaoran? How come you're alone tonight?"

Shulai lifted his head and rolled his eyes. "Guess he didn't call or text or whatever the heck he does to keep in touch with you."

"I was hanging out with Tomoyo and my mom and my brother, okay?" Sakura stomped her feet in disappointment. She proceeded inside Syaoran's master bedroom and placed her Chiirou bear on the bed and walked back out. "How come you're the only one in here?"

"Man. Guess he never did contact you. What a douche." Shulai shook his head and swung himself around to face her. "Syaoran's gonna go all-night at the movie set. He's gonna be eating dinner over there."

"Oh, I see. Guess I'll have to cook for just the two of us—"

"Oh, before I forget, he also said that even though he's gonna be eating dinner in the set, he refuses to eat what everyone else has to eat. He has a request— Hokkaido Ramen."

Sakura chuckled. "I guess that means Wei's gonna come back here to pick up his dinner that I made, ne?"

"You got it, sister, now start cooking!"

"Hmph!" Sakura glared towards Shulai. "And since you're my co-slave, you should be helping me cook dinner!"

"Well, Xiaolang isn't here so I don't have to do anything."

"Jerk!" Sakura gritted her teeth but proceeded anyway to prepare the ramen.

Silence fell as she concentrated on dinner, ignoring Shulai altogether while thinking of the types of tastes Syaoran likes. Despite of the family ties, she still believed in herself that she knew Syaoran more than anyone else. She knew to herself how likable she is as a person overall, even Syaoran's parents and his sisters like her. As she continued to boil the water to cook the ramen noodles, she began to think to herself at this point.

_How can the entire Li Clan like me? Sure, Uncle Xiaojin is the current leader but he may not have the power to go things his way when it comes to his son and his successor. I wonder how Auntie Yelan managed to get herself accepted by the entire clan? Well of course, she's Auntie Yelan, the most ambitious among the four best friends. She's the brains of the entire group. Of course she's found a way to make herself likable._

_Man, I wish I was a smart as she is… I could really use some help right now. I really need to find out how I can make the entire Li Clan like me, especially the elders. But first… I have to get this ingrate look-alike cousin of his to like me…_

She finished the rest of the ingredients and her version of the Hokkaido Ramen was looking perfect so far. She even took a taste test and the soup base was absolutely perfect. Just as she was about to finish, Wei arrived at the Wolf's Lair with a round thermal travel bowl that would contain the ramen.

"Good evening, Wei-san!" Sakura cheerfully greeted him. "I'm so sad that he wouldn't be eating dinner with us tonight, but I did my best with his request."

"Master Xiaolang will always be pleased." He placed the thermal bowl on the counter for Sakura to pour the ramen in. "He will also be returning very late today, so please, don't wait for him to return."

"Aww…" Sakura pouted sadly. "I guess I'll just have to try finishing my math homework then."

"We did speak about sleeping arrangements tonight, Sakura-chan. Master Xiaolang wants you to sleep in his master bedroom and also lock the door when you go to sleep."

"Hoe? But why do I have to lock the door?"

From out of the blue, Shulai called out to answer. "So that _he _doesn't arrive all H-minded and pounce on you and do stuff that I normally do with girls in bed!"

"Hoooeee?!" Sakura yelped in shock while Wei simply shook his head.

"Must you be blunt with the explanation, Master Shulai?" Wei asked with concern.

"Just speaking the truth, Wei," Shulai shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not underestimating Kinomoto her. She deserves the truth, at least."

Wei sighed deeply. "Fair enough, Master Shulai."

Sakura finished packing up the ramen in the thermal container and sealed it tightly, making sure that there were no spills when Wei delivers it to Syaoran at the set. "Well, here you go, Wei-san. I do hope Syaoran likes it."

"If it's prepared by you, Sakura-chan, I'm sure the young master would very much enjoy it."

"Thanks, Wei. You should eat dinner too. I should pack you some."

"No worries, Sakura-chan. I will be coming back to eat dinner with you."

"Oh! Okay then. Are you sure Syaoran would be okay over there?"

"Master Eriol and Miss Meiling are there, so not to worry."

"Oh okay! See you then!" Wei excused himself as he headed out with the thermal container, leaving both Sakura and Shulai alone once again.

"Well, I'm gonna go ahead and set the table so we can eat."

"I'm done studying for the time. I'm gonna go turn on the TV."

While Sakura began setting the table, Shulai propped himself on to the lounge seats and turned on the flat-screen TV masted on the wall with a remote control. The girl simply shook her head when she gazed her eyes at the lazy, slob-acting look-alike. How could any parent handle an unruly teenage boy like him, she thought. Maybe that was another reason why his parents sent him away so he can seriously change and be a normal son.

On the other hand, it was a good thing that he wasn't attracted to her. She'd rather have him rude and uncontrollable than him being lusty.

Once she was finished setting the table and serving the bowls at the counter, she heard Shulai called to her. "Hey, tonight is the TV showing of _Dragon Samurai_. We could watch right after dinner. It starts in two hours. It'd be like a late night movie thing!"

"Eh? A TV movie?" Sakura wondered curiously.

"Yeah. _Dragon Samurai _is Xiaolang's second Japanese movie and it actually won a lot of awards. This was like four years ago or something. Xiaolang was really young here along with Meiling and Eriol."

"Whoa… so all three of them were there…"

"Yeah. It's like one of those mesmerizing Wuxia films that Hong Kong is known for… except it's Japanese. I have to admit. It's my favorite movie that has all three of them in it. It was one of the hottest Japanese movies that was shown in Hong Kong movie houses then."

"Wow…" Sakura murmured. "I never really saw a single movie that has him in it before."

Shulai immediately snapped his head towards the kitchen area, facing Sakura. "You're kidding, right? You've never seen a single movie that has Xiaolang in it? What kind of a hellholle have you been hiding from?"

"I'm just not in to much showbiz, that's all. I like watching news and documentaries and sports on TV. If you ask Tomoyo and Yamazaki and all my other friends, they've probably have seen it."

"Bah. How boring." Shulai shook his head.

"Well, I'm almost done with serving the ramen at the table so you can sit at the table now."

Shulai suddenly stood up from the lounge seats. "You finish serving. I'm gonna head out and look for Wei so his food doesn't get cold."

"Okay!" Once Shulai exited the Wolf's Lair, Sakura gave a huge sigh of relief. _Okay… so Shulai-kun can't always be bad after all. Maybe he and Syaoran talked after I left or… something…_

Meanwhile outside the parking lot, Shulai stretched his arms. He found himself almost hypnotized at the colorful dusk looking down at them. Sure, there were colorful dusks such as this back in Hong Kong, but this was the first time that he felt completely refreshed, free, and most of all, at peace. It was a huge culture shock for him at first but eventually, he assimilated himself with the Tomoeda nature.

He looked around and there weren't that many people left. Majority present at the parking lot were teenagers around his age. Most of them were probably there for club meetings and outdoor sports practices. There was no sign of Wei yet so he decided to walk around the parking lot for a bit just in case he arrives.

As he walked past by the school gates, he spotted a somewhat familiar teenage girl standing under a nearby tree, looking rather impatient by the way she gazed at her phone and at her watch and the cycle starts over. Because light was about to disappear and there was no one around, he thought he would give this particular girl some company.

_No, I'm not gonna pick her up and do the sultry deed… flirting with Chinese girls and those who live in Hong Kong are easy. I'm not in Hong Kong anymore… _Shulai reminded himself. He approached her slowly and once he was close enough, his instincts were right in the money regarding the girl's identity.

"Oh. Hey!" Shulai greeted her with a short wave.

The petite long raven-haired junior immediately smiled at him. "Ah, Li-kun! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the movie set?"

Shulai gave a slight chuckle to himself. "Are you sure you're talking to the right Li?"

Mio Kuroda slightly got closer to him, then gave a soft gasp. "Ah! Shulai-kun! I'm sorry about that!"

"Nah, no worries. I get that a lot," Shulai gave a short grin. "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be at home around this time?"

"Well, actually I'm waiting for someone. We're gonna go to an open house event at Clow Reed University."

"Huh? Your parents? Siblings?"

Mio shook her head. "Nope. My entire family are in Okinawa for vacation. I have to stay home because of school activities and all that. I'm actually waiting for Sojiro-kun."

_Sojiro-kun, huh? I knew this chick's got a boyfriend! My instincts never fail me… _"Sojiro-kun… boyfriend?"

"Yeah. He's not from here though. He's from Nijibe, the next town over."

"Whoa… Nijibe, huh? I heard about that town from Xiaolang and Eriol and even Kinomoto too. Rival town, right?"

"Pretty much. I mean we rival in every category, but other than that, we're pretty much cool with each other."

"So I was told. The biggest rivalry between those two towns, supposedly, is in soccer."

"Yup. Soccer is the most popular sport around this town. Baseball and basketball come in second and third."

"Is that so?"

Mio nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! I'm a major fan of soccer and I'm currently one of the two team managers for the soccer team here at Tomoeda High. I met Sojiro-kun earlier in the school year when we visited Nijibe High School for their first match. I got lost on my way around their campus and he happened to be there. He was on his way to the field. He's one of Nijibe's leading forwards so… I guess our love of soccer… drew us together!"

"Interesting," Shulai gave a smirk. "You know, most of the boys in the Li Clan play soccer, you know. Eriol, for example. He was born and raised from the country where soccer was born."

"Ah, of course, England," Mio nodded. "What about you, Shulai-kun?"

Shulai began to whistle softly. "Oh… I played here and there…"

"Waaaah! You must be such an awesome soccer player then!"

"Eh. I'm an okay player."

"Maybe you should join the summer sports camp next month, Shulai-kun. It'll be a great way to make new friends!"

"Thanks for the offer. Maybe I will."

The two teens smiled at each other when they were interrupted by a fancy-looking black luxury car that just stopped right in front of them. The chauffeur stepped out and then opened the back door. Out came a rather preppy-dressed young man about Shulai's height with a smile that charmed the young lady next to him but somehow disgusted the Chinese boy.

"Sorry I'm late, Mio-chan. DId you wait long?" The preppy boy approached Mio with a concerned look on his face.

"Not really. A friend kept me company," Mio returned his smile, then turned to Shulai. "Shulai-kun, this is my boyfriend."

"Ah, thank you for keeping my girlfriend company while she waited for me. I apologize for the trouble." He offered Shulai a handshake as he accepted it. "I'm Sojiro Kisaragi of Nijibe, by the way."

"Li Shulai… formerly of Hong Kong…" Shulai answered.

"My! Will you look at yourself, Li! You look exactly like that Chinese celebrity star who just took the Japanese teen scene by storm! You've heard of Li Xiaolang, correct?"

"Actually, he's—" Mio was about to answer but instead, Shulai decided to play along.

"Who hasn't? He started his fame in Hong Kong."

"You know, you should enter showbiz, you know? You've got the looks and the build and possibly the charm for it!"

"Heh. I've been thinking about it," Shulai shrugged. "Well, you two better get going or you'll miss that open house event."

"Of course." Sojiro turned his head towards Mio. "Shall we go, love?"

"Yup! Let's go!" She turned her head towards Shulai just after she stepped in the car. "I'll see you tomorrow, Shulai-kun!"

"Sure thing. Have fun!" He waved at the couple as they drove away. Once the car disappeared from his sight, he began to murmur to himself.

_Sojiro Kisaragi, huh? You seem to be a decent guy. Now let's see what type of a punk you really are on the inside…_

#

Shulai was rather shocked to learn that Sakura invited her friends inside the Wolf's Lair to spend their time watching one of Syaoran's old movies on TV, _Dragon Samurai_. Although Wei allowed Tomoyo, Yamazaki, Chiharu, Rika, Naoko, and Yun in, Shulai on the other hand did not look very pleased. For one thing, Sakura called her friends when he went out to look for Wei without any form of permission. Unfortunately for him, she turned to Wei for permission beforehand knowing he was the closest to Syaoran.

Her friends already ate their dinner and invited themselves to the lounge area to watch some TV while Sakura, Shulai, and Wei began eating their ramen. Sakura and Wei had their short conversations over dinner while Shulai remained silent, savoring the delicious and scrumptious Hokkaido Ramen that Sakura carefully prepared for tonight. He admitted to himself that it was the best noodle soup he ever had. He just wouldn't want to admit it in front of both Sakura and Wei.

By the time they were finished and Sakura used the dishwasher to wash the dishes and the pots and pans, Wei excused himself again to head to the movie set to tend to Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling there. Once the teenagers were finally alone, Sakura and Shulai washed up and dressed in their PJs, seeing that their guests were already in their sleepwear. Tomoyo invited herself in to the swanky kitchenette and prepared popcorn in a microwave along with cans of unsweetened iced tea and Starbucks Frappucino-style iced coffee drinks. In just about a few minutes, the movie was about to start. Sakura arrived along with Chiirou in her arm.

"Time for the movie!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly. "Right, Chiirou?" She sat at the girls' side next to Tomoyo.

"Hey!" Shulai shouted to all the teens who were about to make loud noises in their chatter. "You better keep the entire area clean because Xiaolang hates his place looking like a pig sty!"

"You're such a party pooper, Shulai-kun," Chiharu rolled her eyes. "If you weren't so hot and good-looking and a complete uncanny resemblance to the ever-awesome Li Xiaolang, I would've kicked your ass right now!"

Shulai shook his head and turned towards Yamazaki. "This loudmouth here is your girlfriend? You gotta be kidding me!"

"Loudmouth? I'll show you—" Just as Chiharu was about to approach Shulai with violent attempts, Rika and Naoko quickly dragged her friend back. Shulai, on the other hand, smirked right at them.

"Calm down, Chiharu! I mean… he's Syaoran-kun's cousin!"

"Don't worry, we're all neat freaks ourselves!" Naoko reminded him.

"Yo Shulai, sit with us dudes over here!" He patted on a space next to him, while the girls sat at the adjacent sofa from them.

Once Shulai sat next to Yamazaki, he said "Is this how you always have your seating arrangements?"

"Huh? Nah," Yamazaki grinned. "Syao-chan was always in the middle. We're like his bodyguards and all that. Right, Yun?"

"Eh. You could say that," Yun shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, everyone, the movie's about to start!" Chiharu hushed everyone, then found her spot next to Sakura and Tomoyo. She then began to whisper to her. "Ne, Sakura. This is your first movie that has Li-kun in it?"

Sakura nodded "_Dragon Samurai _was one of Li-kun's best movies in his career. You'll love it, trust me!"

"I'm sure I will!" Sakura nodded. Silence fell when the opening credits began playing on the screen.

#

"Looks like everyone's done with their dinner?" Kaho announced to everyone present at their dinner table at the Mooncastle Diner. Because of Yukito being there, dinner was for free for their guests.

"All clean!" Nakuru cheered. "Come on, what's the announcement?"

"Should I do a drumroll?" Kaho joked as she gazed at the Li Sisters.

"What drumroll? Can we just get on with it?" Touya made his complaint as he sipped on his unsweetened iced green tea.

"Impatient, aren't we, Touya?" Kaho grinned.

"Well, alright, alright, let's get this over with before we take up all night and the elders of the families will get worried," Shiefa chuckled. She stood up from her seat and picked up a fork and gently chimed on her empty glass to get everyone's attention.

"Ahem," Shiefa began by clearing her throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, we're here tonight on a small dinner gathering to congratulate our dear sister and friend, Miss Fanren Li, as the brand-new senior youth coordinator of the Tomoeda Community Center. She recently got a call from the Parks and Recreation Head Commissioner earlier today that she got the job."

"Wow, a community leader, Fanren? Congrats!" Yukito praised Fanren as the rest of the table applauded. Fanren stood up slowly and bowed her head to give her thanks.

"Now that's out of the way," Shiefa continued, "now the real meat of the meeting starts now. I now turn to our new senior youth coordinator to lead the meeting off. The table is now yours, sister dear!"

The table applauded again as Shiefa sat back down. Fanren remained sitting as she brought out a professional-looking folder with a notepad inside and a pen. "Anyway, the job actually isn't effective until September, however there's a bit of a shortage of staff in the youth services office this summer, so as a preview, they asked me if I can start working officially tomorrow. And with that, I already have an assignment."

"Wow!" Nakuru gasped. "What assignment is that?"

"Well," Fanren continued, "as you know, this season's biggest youth event is the summer sports camp. There's already different coordinators who will be handling each sport event, but I was assigned to handle the soccer team."

Touya almost spit out his green tea and burst in to laughter. "Are you kidding me? They placed you as coordinator of the soccer team?"

"In case you have forgotten, Touya Kinomoto, I was team captain of the Tomoeda High School girls' soccer team from 11th Grade till graduation, and now that I've mentioned it, we even kicked your asses at the boys vs. girls exhibition game twice in a row under my leadership, so you better recognize and shut up!"

"It's too bad that the girls' soccer team has been cut out of the school budget three years ago, so Sakura-chan wasn't even able to play soccer in high school and decided to just stick to the cheerleading squad," Nakuru sighed. "Man…"

"Besides, I may have the power to relieve you and Yuki-chan from that ridiculous one-week slave thing for the rest of the week," Fanren added.

"What? Are you serious?" Touya gasped while Yukito calmed him down.

"Our ears are open now, Fanren. Don't mind him. He's been stressed from the whole one-on-one tutoring bit with the idol kids," Yukito grinned.

"Damn lazy asses…" Touya rolled his eyes referring to the idols he had to tutor earlier today.

"Anyway, the soccer team. Tryouts for the team will start tomorrow and we'll be making our decisions this weekend. Because the idols will also be participating, they're being split up in to two groups. Xiaolang, Eriol, Meiling, and that Hirashiki girl will represent Tomoeda. The rest will be representing Nijibe. I think that's what they said. Xiaolang and Eriol do plan to join the soccer team, and since they'll be away in two weeks, we were able to contact Kagamineshi Middle School for permission to use their soccer field so the boys would be able to practice by playing soccer with the middle school boys' team over there. The producers and cast members already made deals with the youth services council earlier today and the idols will be given an hour and a half to participate in team tryouts. Some of them will stay here and some of them will travel to Nijibe. I don't know which one of the other idols play soccer other than Xiao and Eriol, I mean there are other events in the sports camp after all. But as part of the deal, Director Terada will give time for the boys to practice with the middle school team over there…"

During Fanren's presentation, Kaho began jotting down notes. Fanren continued on. "On the final week of July, we all know it's the annual festival set-up and clean-up where everyone in town are required to participate. Soccer practice will be reduced to an hour and it will be in the late afternoon. The idols and the movie crew will be arriving back here on Thursday night."

"Seriously? Thursday night?" Feimei blinked her eyes. "So technically, they're not gonna be in that Kagamineshi place for two weeks. They're gonna be there for a week and five days!"

"Right…" Fanren glared at her sister, showing that she didn't want to be disturbed during her lecture. "Anyway, moving on. On Friday, the idols will be split to their respective teams. Xiao, Eriol, Meiling, and Hirashiki will remain in Tomoeda, the other idols will be moving to Nijibe to do their event practices with the Nijibe team and likewise with our team. Also on that Friday, Xiao, Eriol, Meiling, Hirashiki, and whoever movie crew who will stay in Tomoeda will be joining our final set-up day for the festival. A few select media will be visiting both Tomoeda and Nijibe to interview the idols again about the conclusion of the shooting and of course, the summer sports camp—"

"Ooh!" From out of the blue, Fuutie interrupted. "Does that mean Ai Aihara of the _Oshare-na Teens! s_how will be back again?"

From out of the blue, Fanren exploded. "Can you let me finish what I'm trying to present here?! Stop interrupting me!"

"Eek!" Fuutie yelped while Shiefa hushed her.

"Sorry about that, Fanren. Please, keep going," Shiefa spoke in her usual mature way.

"Ehem," Fanren coughed again. "The summer sports camp itself will be televised, however they will only shoot the events in which the idols are involved with at both sides. To make the story short, the soccer match between our team and Nijibe will be nationally televised. The soccer game is the final eevent of the camp, so it will be at Saturday night. We've got the rest of the week during camp to practice and prepare."

"Wow, that sounds really huge," Yukito made his statement. "So, what do you need from this, Fanren?"

"Well," Fanre smirked, "this is the part where I get to have the power to bail you two out from the whole one-week slavery punishment starting tomorrow."

"Yeah? And?" Touya asked curiously.

"You did well being assistant coach last year's summer camp, Yuki-chan, that's what I was told. Apparently the head coach is currently at his grandparents' village somewhere down south and couldn't coach this year's team, so I'm promoting you as the new head coach."

"Seriously? Really?" Yukito exclaimed in enthusiasm. "Awwwwright!" He pumped a victory fist upward as Fanren hushed him.

"Touya, you'll be his assistant."

"Excuse me?" Touya raised an eyebrow. "Why is Yukito the head coach and I'm the assistant? It's usually the other way around where I'm the master and he's the deputy!"

"Don't ask me. I only know what I was being told. You're good at defensive plays anyway so you get to coach defense while Yuki-chan can coach offense. Besides, everybody loves Yuki-chan!" She grinned.

"That's right!" Nakuru nodded with pride. "Everybody loves Yuki-chan! Even Syaoran-kun wished that Yuki-chan was his big brother instead of you Touya!"

"Who says I want to be that brat's big brother?" Touya protested.

"Right. Anyway," Fanren interrupted so she can continue on with the meeting. "The summer camp will also have the usual events from last year, such as the three-legged race, couples sprint, food-eating contest, scavenger hunt, and all that. The summer camp committee also suggested that each of the major sports teams— soccer, basketball, and baseball, will have their own cheerleading squads. Kaho signed up to be the soccer team manager while Nakuru volunteered to be the choreographer for the cheerleading squad."

Touya raised his hand as Fanren pointed at him. "Wait, why is Nakuru the choreographer? I was thinking if my sister can just be the choreographer instead?"

"I'm not suggesting Sakura-chan because most likely she'll try out for the soccer team—"

"Say what? She's a girl!" Touya gave a glare.

"Who says the soccer team is an all-boys soccer team, Touya?" Fanren argued. "I don't know how updated you are with the younger generation of teenagers today, but buzz has been flying around that they want to see a Kinomoto-Li Power Pairing reunion on the soccer field!"

"Huh? Well there's you and me, Fanren. Me being the Kinomoto and you being the Li."

"We're adults, Touya, we're not even qualified!" Fanren rolled her eyes. "For once, please be serious!"

"Don't sweat it, Fanren," Shiefa interrupted. "Touya's just nervous because Sakura-chan may actually try out for the soccer team. After all, anything so she can get close to the one she loves the most."

"Huh? What makes you think that your bratty little brother is the one she's got the hots for, huh?"

"You really are dense, you know that, Touya?" Kaho shook her head. "Everybody can see it, it's in their eyes— even I can see the way those two look at each other!"

"Whatever…" Touya shook his head.

"Moving on. Shiefa, Fuutie, and Feimei will be responsible for the finances of the soccer team. Since our family is the one who's gonna be sponsoring the expenses, it's only fitting that the other three sisters will be checking the finances to be sure that we're not overspending and all of that."

Shiefa sighed. "Fuutie and Feimei can be my assistants. I'll be the head financial analyst here."

"Huh? How come you always have to be the leader, Shiefa? Just because you're the first-born among the four of us quadruplets, doesn't make you the leader!" Fuutie exclaimed.

"I'm the one earning an MBA in Finance and Actuarial Science and I have the best grades in math. If it weren't for me, Xiao would be an idiot in math right now. Better recognize!" Shiefa stuck her tongue at her two sisters, while Fuutie and Feimei simply glared right at her.

"Okay, that's about it! Tomorrow morning, the idols and their one-week slaves will be having a meeting regarding this, so in short, you two will be off the hook first!" Fanren gave a nod.

"Sounds good," Touya grinned. "Hell, this beats tutoring whiny, bratty lazy asses who call themselves idols, that's for sure."

"Agreed," Yukito said. "Those same idols are really picky with the food they eat. They really need to appreciate more good food, you know?"

"Any questions, everyone?" Fanren asked before she officially concludes the meeting. Everyone shook their heads. "Great! Meeting's adjourned! Let's all go home and have a nice sleep. Gotta wake up early tomorrow morning!"

"About time…" Touya muttered. The young adults stood up from their seats while Shiefa proceeded to stack up the dishes so the busboys can pick these up easily on their trays.

#

Some two hours later, Sakura gave a frightened expression on her face while clinging on to her Chiirou, hiding her face partially behind the stuffed animal. While the rest of the teens expressed their excited and content reactions to the movie after it ended, the green-eyed girl stayed at her own corner shivering in fear. Tomoyo noticed this immediately and sat next to her.

"What's the matter, Sakura? It's just a movie!" Tomoyo chuckled. "I gotta admit, Syaoran-kun's really good in there! No wonder the movie won so many awards and him winning for best young actor and best newcomer too!"

Sakura pouted and raised her head. "No one told me it was a horror movie…"

"It's not a horror movie, Sakura, it's a supernatural phenomenon-type of epic story!" Naoko corrected. "Man, best movie I've ever seen! How come I didn't watch this when it first came out?"

Chiharu sighed, patting Sakura on her shoulder. "Good grief, Sakura. You're seventeen-years-old and you're still scared of ghosts?"

"There's ghosts in my house basement, I know it!" Sakura randomly yelped. "Whenever my brings ancient old artifacts and stuff in to the house, you know ghosts are bound to come out at night…"

At that moment, Shulai burst in to laughter after seeing the green-eyed girl's reaction after the movie. "Good grief! Don't tell me you're afraid of monsters and ghosts?!"

"Hey, give it a rest, Shulai-kun!" Rika began defending her friend. "Sakura's been scared of ghosts and monsters since she was little!"

"And ever since then," Yamazaki added, "she refused to participate on events that involved the spooky stuff and the usual courage tests that we normally hold here."

Shulai faded his laughter but instead shook his head. "Unbelievable. A seventeen-year-old girl scared of ghosts and demons even if they're on TV. Does the clan leader know about this?"

Yun almost broke in to laughter. "Dude, you question about your future clan leader's true feelings for Sakura-chan?"

Right then, Shulai faced directly towards Sakura. "The Li Clan does not accept cowards! Just speaking the truth here. Better I tell you know than find out yourself later. I just saved you the time."

Sakura remained silent while Tomoyo placed her arm around her. "Don't listen to him. Sakura, you want to sleep now?"

Sakura had been silent all this time and simply gave her a nod. "Alright then. I'll walk you to bed." The two best friends stood up as she aided Sakura to Syaoran's bedroom.

"Hey, Kinomoto! Don't forget to lock the door behind you after Daidouji leaves!" Shulai abruptly shouted while Tomoyo quickly snapped her head at him.

"Keep your voice down, Shulai-kun! She doesn't feel like talking when she's like this!" She closed the door behind her once they entered the bedroom.

Once the two girls sat on the side of the bed, Sakura immediately dropped Chiirou to her lap and embraced Tomoyo to her. "Mou… I wish you'd stay and sleep with me tonight, Tomoyo…"

Tomoyo knew everything about Sakura, most especially her weaknesses. Sakura was known as a tough cookie hidden behind a sweet and innocent face and a cheerful, heartwarming smile, but she also had her own weaknesses that made her vulnerable as well. The sight and sound of lightning and thunder, for one thing, really frightened her. Ghosts and demons, even if they exist or not, was another.

"Syaoran will be back soon, don't worry," Tomoyo whispered to her.

"But Syaoran told me to lock the door once I come inside here to go to sleep. He's gonna sleep at those bunker beds with Shulai and Wei."

"What? Seriously? I guess he just wants to respect your femininity, Sakura. That's how sweet, caring, and loving he is towards you."

"But… I don't like sleeping alone after watching that movie…"

Tomoyo slowly picked up Chiirou from Sakura's lap and handed it to her. "Here. Just pretend Chiirou is Syaoran. Then you wouldn't be alone anymore."

Sakura slowly grabbed Chiirou from her and then held him tight to her. Right then, she nodded. "I think… I'll be okay."

"Good. We have to get back to our trailer now. Sleep well, Sakura."

"Thanks, Tomoyo. Goodnight."

Her best friend helped tucking her in. As she was making her way to the door, Tomoyo turned to Sakura. "You want me to leave the lights on for you?"

Sakura quickly nodded. "Would you, please?"

"No problem. See you in the morning!" Tomoyo waved at her as she exited the room.

"Hoe… this is embarrassing… I can't believed I just showed one of my embarrassing weaknesses in front of Shulai…" Sakura murmured to herself and then turned to Chiirou. "I hope you can help me sleep well tonight and not get any nightmares…"

Once she held Chiirou tight to her, she then closed her eyes, trying to get some sleep. But before she did that, she followed Syaoran's instructions by locking the door first.

#

The clock reached 2:30 a.m. and the idols and the movie crew finally finished all of their scenes and were heading towards their respective camper buses. Syaoran exchanged his goodnights withi his fellow co-stars and crew while reaching for the keys to his camper door. Once he and Wei entered the camper, they both found Shulai awake. Well, he was lying down on his bunker bed, but his bedside lamp was on,with him holding a sketchbook and drawing something on a pencil.

"Why aren't you asleep yet, Shulai?" Syaoran asked curiously. His look-alike cousin placed his sketchbook down and then shot the same glare towards his future clan leader.

"Welcome back to you too, Xiaolang. Eh, it was fun. Had some friends over and watched your movie on TV."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "Which movie was it?"

"The movie that got you your first award, _Dragon Samurai_. Since it was my favorite movie I let Kinomoto invite her friends over. Of course, everyone was at awe even until now except for her. Who would've thought she's such a cow—"

"Why didn't you tell her that it was a supernatural fantasy movie? She hates those types of stories!" Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Hey, why you blaming me, Xiaolang? I didn't now she's scared of _that _stuff in the first place! But seriously, how is the clan going to take her seriously if she's such a—"

Syaoran simply ignored him and moved forward to his door. Immediately, Shulai reminded him. "Uh, may I have to remind you that the door to your room is locked?"

Still, he continued ignoring him and then reached his hand inside his pocket. Out came a set of keys, in which one of them just happened to be the key to his bedroom. This, of course, shocked his cousin.

"What the— you have keys to your own room? That's cheating!" Shulai exclaimed. "What about the Li Curse? How about that, huh?"

"Goodnight, Shulai. Go to sleep." Right then, he opened the door and immediately shut the door behind him, locking it at the same time.

Once Syaoran entered, she spotted Sakura looking completely frightened while clinging on to Chiirou. He approached her and then sat next to her. Few seconds later, Sakura's eyes immediately opened and gasped happily.

"Syaoran, you're back!" Quickly she threw her arms around him while he gave a soft chuckle.

"Yeah. I'm back. Most of the scenes are finished now." He embraced her back as Sakura leaned her head in security on to his shoulders. "Why are you still awake?"

"I'm scared… I'll get nightmares…"

Syaoran sighed and then gently rested his chin on top of her head. "This is why I never convince you to watch most of my movies, Sakura. They're mostly supernatural mystery action genres and I know how much you hate ghosts and monsters and demons and the like…"

"… and… and you died in the end! I really cried but I was mostly shivering at the same time!"

He gave a chuckle. "The Dragon Samurai, Ryuu, was the one who died to save the people I'm still here."

"But still… you played Ryuu-kun and… he left his true love so the ghosts won't have to haunt their town anymore…"

"Well, I'm here now, Sakura." Still, she continued to cling on to him as he quickly tried to release himself. "Hun, lemme go wash up and change first…"

"Mou… I know Shulai and Wei said that you'll be sleeping in the bunker beds with them but… could you just sleep here with me instead?" She pouted along with the fearful look in her eyes.

_Damn… how can I say no…? _Syaoran's voice spoke along with a sigh. He was still aware that this so-called Li Curse may activate his carnal need for her but at the same time the poor girl was horrified just because of a movie. He already reminded both Wei and Shulai that he chose to endure the curse by not getting near her as much as he used to and this was just the first step. He already broke his word when he unlocked his room door himself with a spare key.

On the other hand, he was already there in his room with a frightened Sakura on his bed. "Sure, Sakura. I'll be here."

Sakura sighed in relief along with a smile as Syaoran grabbed his sleepwear and headed for the restroom. She tucked herself in the blanket with Chiirou in her arms now.. There was even a time where she overheard Shulai arguing with her little wolf regarding his sneaky access to his locked room without even informing him or Wei. Although the argument was in Cantonese, just the volume of Shulai's voice was enough for her to determine he was not happy with the way Syaoran is handling things.

Some moments later, Syaoran returned in his white t-shirt and black sweatpants, neatly hanged his used clothes on the clothes hanger on the wall, and then proceeded himself to the bed next to Sakura. Without hesitation, Sakura crawled out of the blanket, placing Chiirou next to the edge of the bed, and then embraced Syaoran by the waist, resting herself against his steel-hard chest while Syaoran wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm happy you're here with me…" Sakura muttered.

"I'm glad to hear that," Syaoran grinned. "So, what parts of the movie scared you?"

"Just… just the part where the ghosts and demons started invading the village and… kidnapping the children and even killing the elders and the parents… and the fact that those monsters turned the kidnapped children in to slaves… and… anything that has those creatures in them!"

"Ah, just sleep them off of your mind," he answered. "They won't invade your dreams."

"But I'm scared… I get nightmares every time I see scary scenes in a movie… or a TV episode of a drama or something… that's why I can't sleep because I don't want to get those nightmares…"

Syaoran remained silent and instead he gently pulled her closer to him, now with both arms surrounding her in protective mode. He softly whispered: "I'm not going anywhere, Sakura. When you feel scared, you know I'm always here…"

She then gave a sigh. "Are you angry?"

"Eh?" He blinked his eyes curiously. "Angry at what?"

"At me… for not overcoming this childhood fear."

"Why would you think that? I heard Shulai-kun getting angry earlier… even though he was speaking in Cantonese."

"Feh, he's only bitter. Don't pay attention to him. He's just mad because I have a key to my own bedroom door even though I specifically reminded them to tell you to lock the door."

She slowly gazed up right at him. "Why did you unlock the door and let yourself in? I thought you're not going to sleep next to me tonight?"

"I had to check up on you after I hear from Shulai that you watched one of my movies on TV earlier today because I know how much you're horrified at those things. That's why I never mention anything about my movies to you, never suggested to you that you should watch any of them."

"But I really do want to watch a movie with you in it, Syaoran. Don't get me wrong."

He nodded. "I understand. Well, when _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_ comes out in the theaters, probably in the winter this year or early next year, then you can watch it."

"Mou…" Sakura found herself giggling without even realizing that their small talk was gradually helping her get over her fear. Likewise for Syaoran, this small talk was gradually helping him not to feel aroused due to the so-called Li Curse.

_This is good. Just talking… _he thought to himself. _Now I won't have to worry about getting all frustrated and aroused…_

"Well, let's sleep now. We have to wake up really early in the morning."

"Hoe? But… I wanna talk some more…"

"We'll be having another meeting. It'll be the meeting in which some of you one-week slaves may end your services as of tomorrow. Yeah, the director reminded us about it earlier. That's why we had to finish as much as we can tonight so we wouldn't have to do as much for the rest of the week."

She found his deep amber eyes gazing right at hers, however the only expression she could give him at this point was sadness. "But… I like being your one-week slave. It's like… I get to be closer to you and… do so many good things for you… and I really like cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner for you…"

"You'll find out what's gonna happen at tomorrow's meeting. I already set my phone alarm up so we can wake up together." Still, her expression still remained sad while he gave a soft chuckle. "Alright, alright. What else would you like to talk about?"

"I want to know, Syaoran… how can you put up with me? I'm probably the most uncute, unfeminine, and the lamest girl in town who's still scared of ghosts, monsters, lightning, and thunder… you probably got annoyed with me on that day when you had to carry me on your back because Oniichan and Yuki-niichan played a mean trick on me…"

He shook his head. "We were only five-years-old back then. It was during those dumb courage tests at the summer sports camp. You were grouped with your brother and Aniki to go through the dark forest where there was rumors that it was haunted by ghosts. Luckily my sisters and I were not too far away from you when you were left alone and started screaming. My sisters were already scared enough going through the forest so I went to look for you myself."

"Thanks so much for rescuing me, Syaoran. It was then that I began to realize that you truly are someone special to me. While everyone else laughed, you're the only one who made me feel better when I'm down."

He lifted his head and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "It's because your smiles and your cheerfulness makes me happy. If you're sad and down, I would feel sad and down too."

Sakura nodded with a light smile on her face. "Me too. I get sad when you get sad, so I want to cheer you up so you can be happy. And then I'll be happy again."

"Yeah," he chuckled. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Will you vow something for me, Sakura?"

She gazed right at him when she lifted her head. "Hoe? Sure, of course."

"No matter what happens… for better or for worse… expected and unexpected… even if things become heartbreaking… always trust me always. Okay?"

She faced him directly and nodded. "Of course. I already trusted you ever since we first met."

"I just want you to keep this in mind whenever unexpected things may happen abruptly, Sakura. I'll do whatever I can to protect you from harm and from anyone else, whether they're family, friends, or foes. I may have to do something you may not like or may hurt you, but keep in mind that I'm only doing what I had to do to protect you and your privacy from the tabloids." He paused for a bit and noticed her puzzled look as he continued. "Remember, I'm still a celebrity. Tabloids and paparazzi still follow me around and probably will still be once I take on the clan's leadership seat. And when they spot me with someone they find intimate, they'll do whatever they can to dish out the dirt from them as well. I'm sure as of now, the tabloids or the media don't know about you yet and I intend to keep it that way."

"I… I understand… but I wanna do something to protect you too."

"Don't worry about me, my life's pretty much an open book since I was born. It's you who I worry about. I'll do whatever I can to protect you no matter what it takes. That's my vow to you, Sakura."

She nodded slowly and embraced him tightly to her. "Okay. I'll remember." Right then, she gave a yawn, which made Syaoran pleased for the night.

"Good. You're sleepy now. Go to sleep."

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "Goodnight, my sweet prince."

"Goodnight, my Ying Fa." They gave each other quick kisses as she closed her eyes in a sounding sleep. Syaoran, on the other hand, waited to be sure that she goes to sleep completely. Once he could hear her breathing, he proceeded to closing his eyes and get in to his own sleep.

_Day 2 of the Li Curse. Survived._

#

**Wednesday (One-Week Slavery Day 3)**

The alarm clock on Syaoran's phone rang, and surprisingly, the one who slept later than the other was the one to wake up first. He reached for his phone and checked the time as 5:30 a.m. The said early morning meeting was scheduled at 7:00 a.m. and this was a good time for him to get ready before his lady love wakes up. He then placed his phone back on his side table and realized that Sakura's arms were completely clinging on to him.

My, she looked so peaceful and alluring in her sleep! He couldn't help himself but not to get up from his bed and just watch her sleep instead. The damned Li Curse wasn't helping him either, now that he was beginning to feel the tingle crawling within him.

Quickly he turned his head away from her and slowly rolled himself free from her arms. _Dammit, no good! It's early in the morning and I'm feeling it again!_

Good thing she hasn't waken up yet once he set himself free from her arms. He softly tiptoed to the restroom to wash up. Both Wei and Shulai were still asleep in their respective bunk beds. He wanted to make sure that he and Sakura get up first before these two were to wake up.

After he washed himself up and had a quick change of clothes, he tiptoed back in his master bedroom, where he found Sakura still sleeping soundly, in which he was replaced with Chiirou in her arms now. He gave a silent chuckle as he sat at the edge of the bed near Sakura.

Just as he was about to reach for her with his hand, something else immediately took control of him. Without even realizing it, his hand began to gently trace her cheek, and before he knew it, his fingers began to trail down to her neck, to her shoulders, and then to her bare arm. If only she was lying back instead of sideways, he would have had access to one of her sensitive spots as well.

_What… what am I doing…? But then again, she said it's okay as long as it's me, right? Um… just a little bit… it'l be okay… right?_

He was about to repeat again, but this time, she turned herself around, and was now facing him. He was startled a bit but eventually caught his composure back. Goodness, he thought to himself. She was smiling during her sleep! She must be having a wonderful dream. Luckily for him, her angelic smile distracted the Li Curse from making him doing something he shouldn't be doing. He found himself smiling along as he watched her.

Moments later, her lips began to murmur, which made the Li Curse take control of its victim once again. "Syaoran… am I not pretty enough for you…?"

He swallowed nervously and began to think to himself. _Dammit, stupid curse… don't make me take advantage of her here and now…_

To make things worse for him, her words began to murmur again. "Don't stop… Syaoran… please… don't stop…" At this point, he just wanted to lock himself in the restroom and wait until someone knocks on the door. He had to take control over the curse and protect Sakura from his budding lustful ways.

_I'm not listening to Eriol's options… I have to endure this. This is nothing, dammit! If I can work my way around my 16th birthday challenge, I can work my way around this… except I can't have Shulai violate poor Sakura for my sake… no way…_

Right then, it dawned on him. His mind muttered Shulai's name in the picture. Maybe this would help a bit. After all, he still is the master of the Wolf's Lair and he's got both Sakura, Wei, and Shulai looking up to him. As a master, all he had to do is to be just that— a master.

He got up from the bed, stormed out of his bedroom, and then shook the bunk bed in which Shulai was sleeping. The shaking already annoyed Shulai to the point where he got up and cursed out his words.

"Friggin— what's the big idea?!"

"Good morning, Shulai. Finally you're up."

The look-alike glared right at the future clan leader. "What the hell's the big deal, Xiaolang? Don't you know what time it is?"

"We have an early morning meeting, all of us, so wash up, dress up, and wake Sakura up for me."

"Fine, fine, I'm getting up—" Just as he was about to get up, he immediately realized the latter part at the list minute. "Wait… the last part… say that again?"

"You heard me, Shulai. Go wake Sakura up."

"The eff?! Why do I have to wake that wanna-be chick up?"

"Hey! You talk about her that way and I'll rip your head off. Now hurry up!"

"Antsy bastard…" Shulai shook his head as he proceeded to the restroom. Once he did, Syaoran led out a sigh of relief.

He proceeded to Wei's bed and gently patted his trusted guardian on the shoulder. Wei slowly woke up to find his young master looking down at him. "Oh my, good morning, Master Xiaolang! Is it that time already?"

"I'm sorry, I meant to have Sakura wake up first before the two of you but… the curse…"

Wei slowly got up, rubbing his eyes. "So you are having Master Shulai wake the young Sakura-chan up, correct?"

"Do I have a choice? I don't think I'll survive with this stupid curse on me, Wei…"

"Well, considering Shulai is not attracted to Sakura-chan as much as you are, it should be fine."

Right then, Shulai, all dressed up with just a red t-shirt and blue jeans, proceeded to the master bedroom, where Sakura was still sleeping. While Wei was getting up, Syaoran decided to spy on how his cousin was going to wake up his beloved girlfriend along with a pillow that he grabbed from Wei's bunk bed..

Shulai looked down at the sleeping Sakura with a rather displeased expression. He then shook his head and slowly stepped backward. Without hesitation, he kicked the corner of the bed, shaking it a little. "Hey! Stop snoring and get your ass up! You got breakfast to make and I'm hungry as hell!"

This was why a pillow was necessary at this situation. Syaoran flung the pillow right at Shulai, which fortunately for him, was a direct hit. "Ow! What the hell was that for, Xiaolang?"

"I said for you to wake her up, not scream and complain at her just because she's sleeping!" Syaoran warned him.

"That's what I'm doing, aren't I?"

"By kicking my precious bed? Is that how you wake up all the chicks you slept with?"

"I have strict and proper manners with girls, Xiaolang, in case you're clueless about this. I treat them well because they are delicate creatures."

"And you _still _kicked the corner of my bed, you ungrateful bastard!"

"What the hell— you want me to touch her just so I can wake her up? As in… _touch _her?" Once again, Syaoran threw another pillow at him. This time, Shulai shifted his body to the side, missing the pillow. "Ha! You missed this time!" Even if that was the case, he did not expect a third pillow that immediately hit his face. "Ow— goddammit Xiaolang!"

Syaoran continued to glare at him as Shulai continued to rub his head and faced the peacefully sleeping Sakura again. Reluctantly, he began to gently prod Sakura on her shoulder to see if she would react. Not only that, his tone also became a little less harsh. "Hey. Wake up… uhh… you better or your else your man is going to molest you— ow!" Another pillow landed right at his face. This time, he wasn't going to back down. "That's it, Xiaolang! I don't care if you're my future clan leader, but you're toast!"

Shulai ran after Syaoran when Sakura's voice suddenly spoke, which caught the attention of the two cousins. Of course, it wasn't the type of attention that would please them. Consider it more towards the awkward level.

"Syaoran… you're… you're so hard… and hot… and… so strong…"

"Gah!" Syaoran shrieked with his eyes opened wide while Shulai dropped his head, slowly walking away from the area.

"I don't wanna hear this… she's your problem, Xiaolang. Leave me out of it." He lifted his head and turned towards his cousin. "Just do something with her, Xiaolang. _I'll _make our breakfast." Without other questions, Shulai proceeded to the kitchen and much to Syaoran's surprise, the troubled teenage player actually knows the ways of the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Syaoran had to figure out how to wake Sakura up without letting the Li Curse get in to him. Those words Sakura just murmured from his sleep even made him feel the way she described him: Hard, hot, and strong. In fact, he can already feel it and he simply wanted to run away and hide from her.

Suddenly, he started to have a revelation. When he confessed indirectly to Sakura of his feelings for her, was that really him or was it the Li Curse who did the talking for him? He wasn't exactly this bold to any girl at all, even with Meiling, but to the one he loves the most? His boldness must be the curse talking, but he was very certain that his confession to her was absolutely real.

He began to curse himself to calm down and keep his cool and under control. He had to wake up Sakura or they will miss the morning meeting. He swallowed and exhaled, then finally stepped inside his room.

Once he arrived at the front of his bed, Sakura then began to stretch her arms while murmuring again: "Syaoran…"

This was no time to watch. He needed to answer. "Good morning, Sakura. We better get ready for the meeting…"

"Oh no!" Immediately, Sakura got up with eyes wide open. "I can't believe I overslept! I gotta go make breakfast—"

Syaoran immediately stopped her by taking her right in his arms. "Don't worry about that. Shulai is making breakfast instead."

Sakura's eyes opened wide in surprise as she lifted her head towards him. "Shulai-kun… can cook?"

"He volunteered to make breakfast instead since you wouldn't wake up."

She gave a rather guilty-looking expression. "I'm really sorry, Syaoran… it's just that… I had such a wonderful dream…"

He gulped nervously. "A dream, huh…? Um… what's it about…?"

She immediately blushed. "D-do I have to tell you… everything…?"

"Well… unless if you want it to come true, sure!" He just had to know. He wanted to know if she too was thinking of those things involving him, and if this was true, he would probably won't have much of a hard time to deal with the Li Curse. Otherwise, he didn't care anymore.

"Well… um… you were playing soccer out in the field and…" Sakura couldn't believe that she was actually telling him what her dream was, however, she didn't want to sound obvious and decided to go slowly. "Well… you were really… really… hot… and… you were playing hard… real hard… and… the way you made that goal against the goaltender… it was so strong… and…"

Although Sakura's dream wasn't what he was expecting, he figured that him looking dangerously sexy from every angle was beginning to turn the naive young girl on. He then gave a grin. "So, you want to see me play soccer, all strong and sweaty?"

"Er… well… um…" She immediately blushed.

"And it's summer and… there's no rule in non-professional soccer that I play the game without my shirt on—"

"Hoe!" She shrieked again, placing her hands on her ears. He answered with a snicker.

"Well, you better get dressed. We'll have breakfast soon."

"Okay…" Sakura sighed deeply as she headed to her bag to grab her new change of clothes and headed to the bathroom.

At this point, Syaoran dropped himself on to his bed, burying his face against one of the pillows, and began to pound the mattress surface with his fist repeatedly. _She was only dreaming about me playing soccer… and I was thinking of… something else… Damn this Li Curse!_

#

Because Shulai took awhile to make breakfast— what can you say, he wasn't exactly used to making his own meals in the kitchen in his everyday life— he, Syaoran, Sakura, and Wei had to bring their breakfast along outside at the central court patio area of Tomoeda High School, where the meeting was to be held. Just like the Sunday meeting regarding the one-week slavery, the non-idols were already gathered together. The only difference was that they were sitting at patio tables, there were even allowed to bring their refreshments and breakfast, and the fact that Shulai happened to be with them.

Sakura stared at her bento box, where the breakfast Shulai prepared was stored. She spotted fresh fruits in one section, spice-scented French Toast complete with a small cube of butter and honey on the main section, and on one of the smaller sections, two rather strange-looking cracked eggs that looked like internal body parts of an animal almost gave her a shock. She began to stare at it, curious as to what these eggs tasted like.

In the meantime, Shulai ate his breakfast bento just like any ordinary breakfast. That also included his two cracked eggs, in which he peeled off the shell and revealing dark-colored eggs inside. Sakura watched him take a bite off of his egg as the unruly look-alike met her green curious eyes.

"What?" Shulai wondered. "What the hell are you staring at?"

"Um… sorry to interrupt your breakfsat, but… what are these eggs?"

Shulai almost broke in to laughter but instead took a sip off of his unsweetened iced tea bottle. "You've never had tea eggs before?"

"Well… um… no…" Sakura gave a nervous smile.

"Fine, you're forgiven," he sighed. "They're tea eggs. They're a staple of Chinese breakfast. More of a snack, really."

"Tea eggs? How come they're all discolored and all that?"

"The process is simple, Kinomoto. Boil the eggs first, crack the shell lightly so there's openings to get to the inside of the egg, and then boil them again in a tea mixture that consists of spices, soy sauce, and tea leaves. This is Hong Kong style so we used Po-lay Tea as the tea base."

"Wow. That's… interesting…" She then continued to stare at her own eggs. "Po-lay Tea?"

"Err…" Shulai blinked. "I guess you Japanese know it by its Mandarin name, Pu-erh."

"Ah! Yes, I know Pu-erh Tea! They're really good!"

"Don't knock till you try it, Kinomoto," Shulai warned her. "Your man's crazy about tea eggs."

Sakura showed a bit of blushing on her face. "Syaoran's favorite snack? I'll try!" With her fork, she took a piece of the tea egg and tasted it. "Wow! This is quite flavorful!"

"Heh, you oughta be lucky you're eating that, Kinomoto. That's an ancient family recipe that only a select members of the family know about."

"And your French Toast is really delicious too," Sakura admitted as she began eating her toast. "It's amazing that you can cook— I mean, not discriminating or anything."

"Hey, I do what I can to win attention, you know," he smirked. "You wanna impress Xiaolang, you better start learning how to make your own tea egg."

"Hoe?" Sakura blinked her eyes. "My own tea egg?"

"Well yeah. Make up your own recipe that's actually healthy and tastes good."

"Hoe… I don't think I'm that good of a cook…"

Right then, Tomoyo, Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko arrived. The girls greeted each other as they sat on the same picnic table as Sakura and Shulai. "So, Li Shulai. Why are you here?" Chiharu asked curiously. "Shouldn't you be with the idols right now?"

Shulai rolled his eyes. "Do I look like an idol to you?"

"You look so much like Li Xiaolang, so… uh… yeah?" Chiharu retorted.

"Hmph. I don't think there ain't enough room in Japanese showbiz with two look-alikes on the spotlight, you know. Just like how there is no room for two or more for the clan leadership."

"He's got a point, Chiharu," Rika said, agreeing with Shulai's statement.

"Whatever," Chiharu rolled her eyes.

"Ne, you should try these tea eggs!" Sakura pointed at the dark-colored eggs. "I know it doesn't look tempting but it's really good! Shulai made our breakfast today because I overslept."

Tomoyo nibbled at the egg and gasped. "It's delicious!" She then turned towards Shulai. "Mou, maybe you should teach us how to make tea eggs."

Shulai grinned. "Kiss me first and you've got yourself a deal—"

"Shulai-kun!" Sakura shrieked, glaring towards Shulai. "She happens to be my BFF, you know? And some guys may even get jealous if they see her kissing you!"

"Hey, I don't do stuff for free, you know?"

Tomoyo chuckled. "Shulai-kun sure makes a hard bargain. I haven't kissed a boy before even though I already had a boyfriend… I guess I'm saving my lips for my one true love."

"Fair enough." Shulai shrugged. Right then, the males arrived, with Ken Bunchin still bringing along leashes of ten dogs that he had to take care of for the idols. "Whoa. What's with the dogs?"

"These are the idols' pets, in case you haven't— whoa!" Ken suddenly shrieked. "But… why are you here? Shouldn't you be with the idols now or something, Li?"

"Who the hell is this schmuck?" Shulai muttered while Sakura cleared her throat. "What?"

"Be more courteous to these guys. They're locals, okay?" She warned the disgruntled teen, then turned to the boys. "This isn't Syaoran, guys. This is his cousin, Shulai. He recently moved here to Tomoeda to… start a new life. Shulai, these are Takuya Sakamoto and Ken Bunchin. Takashi Yamazaki, you already know. The two older ones behind him are my older brother Touya and the one in the glasses is his best friend and our next-door neighbor, Yukito Tsukishiro."

"Oh great. Sakamoto rolled his eyes. Another Li, and the worst part, he looks like the cocky bastard of an heir to Tomoeda's richest family…" Sakamoto rolled his eyes.

"Heh, looking like him is already a curse to me," Shulai answered. "But don't hate because we're smarter and better-looking and the fact that your family business is now a subsidiary of ours."

"Argh! Do you have to mention that in public?!" Sakamoto tightened his fists while Ken stepped in.

"This isn't the time to fight, guys. We don't wanna cause a scene that would attract the public," Ken sighed. He turned to the ten dogs whose leashes were on his grasp. "You'd scare these dogs and then we'd disturb the peace and we'd get in trouble on all sides!"

"Hmph. Fine." Sakamoto rolled his eyes and scooted away from Shulai.

The table was big enough for the entire group and decided to sat around the seats as well. Ken had no choice but to sit at another table to accommodate the dogs.

"This had better be good, this stupid meeting," Sakamoto complained. "I'm sick and tired of doing their dirty laundry. Why wear so many damn clothes in one day, seriously?

"Relax, you loudmouthed douche," Touya spoke in a confident tone, referring towards Sakamoto, of course. "Let's not assume what this meeting's gonna be about. Let's just see what happens."

By the time the commotion was about to continue, Naoko's phone began to ring. Last time that happened, they were informed that the other party lead by her Korean idol boyfriend Yun was arriving. This time, they already knew that they were about to come.

"Yup. They're coming," Naoko warned them.

Yukito stood up and faced the rest of the group. "Alright, let's just be more uniformed because I'm sure they're gonna be sitting at the tables across from us, so let's line up in a particular order. Guys to the left table, girls to the left." Just as he instructed, the teens, which surprisingly included Shulai, did as he told them to.

"Sitting at the front bench: Yamazaki and Li-kun. Behind will be Touya, Sakamoto, and Bunchin."

"Where are you gonna sit?" Yamazaki asked curiously.

"With you two," Yukito smiled. He then turned to the girls. "Chiharu-chan, Rika-chan, and Naoko-chan, sit at the back. Tomoyo-chan and Sakura-chan, sit at the front."

Once they followed Yukito's instructions blindly, with Ken struggling a bit with the dogs, he sat on his spot next to Yamazaki and Shulai. They waited patiently while Shulai gave a yawn.

"I don't get why I have to be in this meeting. It's not like I'm included in this mess," Shulai muttered to himself.

"You look way too much like him, kid," Touya glared at Shulai. "It's bad enough that I get to see your cousin almost everyday, and then there's you."

Shulai quickly turned to Touya. "Do I look like I wanna be here?"

"You better keep that mouth of yours clean or there's gonna be trouble real soon—"

"Hey, come on, guys, knock it off." Yukito sighed. "I know many of us are tired, disgruntled, and I'm sure we all want to go home, but for today, let's all calm down and use this meeting as a rest period, alright?"

"It better be a rest period," Chiharu complained. "I'm sick and tired handling their fan mail with so much of these fans saying the same thing over and over again."

"Yoooo~! We're here!" Right then, everyone at the tables fell silent once they recognized the voice calling them.

"It's Yun!" Naoko stood up, recognizing her Korean idol boyfriend's voice. She spotted Yun and waved at him. "Over here!"

When Yun and the idols appeared, they faced them first. "Hey, this is neat!" Yun grinned. "Boys on one side, girls on the other." He turned to the idols. "Well, you all know where you're gonna sit! There's empty tables next to theirs—"

Though the idols took their designated tables, Syaoran and Eriol sat at the local boys' table with Syaoran sitting on the empty seat next to Yukito and Eriol sitting next to Touya. Meiling sat on the empty space next to Tomoyo's. Some of the idols even complained.

"Why are you sitting at the wrong table, Meiling?" Mai gave her complaint.

"I'm still sitting at the girls' side, you know," Meiling stuck her tongue at Mai.

"Anyway," Yun cleared his throat as he took out his notebook again. "We're having a meeting because there are, guess, more changes! I know, it's Day 3 of the One-Week Slavery period, but there's nothing wrong with updating everyone regarding everyone's progresses, right?"

Yamazaki interrupted. "You really love being facilitator of everything from the Mochiron game to this, don't you, Oh Yun Hwa?"

"Don't worry, Yamazaki, you'll have your turn soon," Yun simply grinned. "You're our student council president after all!"

"Right," Yamazaki glared as Yun proceeded.

"So, the updates so far: For the past three days, approximately 200 fan mails were sent out with the photos of their favorite idols— total. The blogs and videos were also updated just in time that the number of site hits significantly increased, which is indeed a good thing. The laundry are always completed on time, dirty laundry in with clean laundry return on the same day; the pets are getting enough food and exercise needed; and the idols are very satisfied with their breakfast, lunch, and dinner from Mooncastle Diner and they found their confidence in their math and science classes thanks to Kinomoto-senpai's tutelage. Tomoyo-chan's make up and costume handling for the girl idols were precise and efficient, even Hirashiki admitted that she's grateful for Tomoyo hiding her… uh… mosquito bites… for the shooting. Sakura-chan knows how to please her master, as the top star of this movie always arrived energetic and ready for work. Overall, everyone's doing a great job with their tasks, so give yourselves a hand."

Everyone applauded while others gave sighs of relief. After the applause faded, Yun continued on. "Moving on. There have been changes, once again, which are somewhat good changes. Now, because of your great efforts these past three days, some of you are possibly going to end your punishment starting today."

The locals gave mixed reactions, while Sakura began to have a worried face. _I know being a slave for one week sucks, but… if I end my punishment today, that means I won't get to spend as much time with Syaoran as I used to. Hoe…_

"Now," Yun continued. "Let me ask this question. Who among all of you— both locals and idols, okay— play soccer? Raise your hands up high so I can see you!" He then rose his hand immediately.

"Say what?" Yamazaki interrupted again with his low, suspicious tone. "Come on now, Oh, that's gotta be the dumbest question of all, man. You already _know _which one of us plays soccer!"

"Just raise your hand so the meeting would look more convincing!" Yun answered, still with his hands raised.

"Fine, fine…" Yamazaki sighed.

"Well then, go ahead, raise your hands! Don't be shy now!" As a result, all of the boys and Sakura raised their hands. "Okay, so most of you do play soccer. Put your hands down now." Everyone lowered their hands. "Now, raise your hand if you've played soccer in an actual soccer team for more than two years!"

This time, the hands were reduced to Sakura, Syaoran, Eriol, Yamazaki, Shulai, Touya, and Yukito. Right then, Yun proceeded. "Well then, today is actually tryouts for the Tomoeda soccer team for the upcoming summer sports camp in August! If any one of you plan to try out for the team later today, your one-week slavery punishment ends today."

"Oh hell yes!" Yamazaki pumped a victory fist up in the air, while Touya and Yukito exchanged hi-fives, knowing they were finally off the hook from this ridiculous one-week slavery punishment. Now both of them know that they owe Fanren Li for actually guaranteeing them that they will no longer have to do any duties for the spoiled idols.

Right then, Mai brought up another complaint. "Wait— even green eyes here is bailed out? I mean she's a girl!" Of course, by green eyes, she meant Sakura.

"Hoe? What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura glared immediately at Mai.

"I never said the soccer team is all-boys, Hirashiki," Yun corrected her. "Even the baseball teams, basketball teams, and all the other teams are co-ed. No gender segregation for summer sports camp."

"Hoe, that means I can try out too for the team, Yun?" Sakura asked excitedly.

"The soccer boys miss you, Sakura-chan, so by all means, please try out for the team."

"Yay!" Sakura jumped up excitedly while Tomoyo and the local girls cheered along with her.

Meanwhile, Syaoran turned his head towards Shulai. "So, you played soccer in a soccer team before?"

"At the Hong Kong Youth Elite division, Xiaolang," Shulai grinned. "Been playing since elementary. Of course, I ended up slacking off for about a year now so…"

"By all means, try out, Shulai," Syaoran said. "Just don't use this as an excuse for you to pick up chicks."

"You want me to start my life over, right, Xiaolang? I'm exactly doing that right now."

Meantime, Yun hushed everyone. "Hold on, everyone quiet down. I'm not done yet." Everyone went silent as they let the facilitator continue on. "I was given notice that Kinomoto-senpai and Tsukishiro-senpai obviously aren't qualified to try out for the team because of age, however, they're very capable coaches for the team. Therefore, the senior youth coordinator would like to have Tsukishiro-senpai be the head coach while Kinomoto-senpai will serve as his assistant."

"I still hate the assistant part, but sure, anything just to win this," Touya made his statement.

"Second, I was also given note that the Kinomoto Household is currently a mess right now as the owner of the house had gathered more of his colleagues back at the university to work on the translations on some scrolls and those books, which means that Kinomoto-senpai and Sakura-chan would still have to sleep over at the idol campers at the parking lot…"

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped. "You mean we can't go home yet?"

"Sakura, the house is a mess right now. Dad turned the house in to a research center. We could probably get home and pack up more stuff for the tryouts but we can't sleep over there," Touya said. "I stopped by there last night and saw it myself. I knew Dad was gonna do something without telling us…"

"Well, okay then." Though she gave a worried look, deep inside she knew she was delighted. After all, that would mean that she would get to stay in the Wolf's Lair with Syaoran, regardless that two more occupants, namely Wei and Shulai, would also be present over there.

"The four main idols," Yun continued, "only have nighttime scenes left before they take off for Kagamineshi this Saturday, so in short, all four of them are free during the day starting today. Meiling and Hirashiki are free to tour around the school campus or even stop by soccer tryouts to watch."

"Waaaii!" Meiling suddenly shrieked in excitement. "That means I get to see Kuze-kun there!"

"Yes, Meiling," Yun nodded, "you'll get to see Kuze-kun there."

"Thank you!" Meiling giggled while Mai rolled her eyes.

Chiharu cleared her throat and raised her hand. Yun pointed right at her. "So, the rest of us who aren't trying out… what happens to us?"

"Oh, as always, you continue on with your one-week slavery punishment."

"Argh… shouldn't have asked…"

"But no worries! Tomorrow will be cheerleading tryouts so we can have our powerful cheerleading squad for the summer sports camp, so you girls may be off the hook too!"

"Aww. No fair," Tomoyo sighed sadly. "I'm neither. I guess I'll have to endure the rest of the week slaving…"

"Aw, don't cry, fair lady." From out of the blue, Shulai stood up and decided to make his poetic move. "Should you ever feel alone, you know I'm available—"

"Hey!" Ken suddenly stood up from his seat. "Just who are you to flirt with my girl?"

"Hahahahaha! Your girl? You got a receipt to show me that she's yours?" Shulai broke in to laughter while Ken was about to advance at him. But before that was about to happen, Eriol stood up and interrupted them.

"You know, we're still in the middle of the meeting, so could you two please, sit down?" Eriol frowned at the two. Knowing that he had a point, Shulai and Ken sat back down and let Yun proceed with the meeting.

"Well, that's it for today! We'll probably have another meeting! For those trying out for the soccer team later today— that would be in two hours actually— here at the Tomoeda High soccer field, congratulations, you're now off the hook. Dismissed!"

Once everyone parted to their own ways, Sakura caught up to Syaoran and walked right next to him. "So, I can still stay in your Wolf's Lair, right? Or do you want me to move somewhere else?"

"Huh? No, of course not! Of course you can stay, silly!" Syaoran grinned.

"Really? I'm so happy!" Once again, she threw her arms around her boyfriend, as he chuckled in return, arms around her as well.

Of course, this short yet sweet moment did not suit two of their own relatives. Shulai was one. Touya was another. The older Kinomoto stepped in between them to interrupt their moment.

"Hands off, kid!" Touya warned him.

"No can do, Touya-senpai," Syaoran grinned. "Not until your sister lets me go."

"It's not Syaoran's fault, Oniichan. I was the one who threw my arms around him— because I want to hug him!"

"Well fine," Touya said. "You can hug him as long as you want. It'll be your last one anyway. You can stay with me in the same camper now that you're off the hook."

"I don't want to!" Sakura stuck her tongue at her brother. "I wanna stay with Syaoran!"

"If Dad finds out you're staying alone under the same roof with a boy—"

"You can sleep over in my camper if you like, Touya-senpai." Right then, Touya was distracted to hear Syaoran's proposal.

"Say that again?"

"I said you can sleep over in my camper if you worry so much about your sister," Syaoran said. "I don't mind at all. The more, the merrier!"

From behind, Shulai also caught up to them. "Are you serious, Xiaolang? You're having another Kinomoto sleeping over the Wolf's Lair?"

"It's my camper and I am the master, in case you forget, Shulai, so shut up," Syaoran responded.

"Fine! Do what you want!"

"Sounds fair to me," Touya raised an eyebrow. "But none of that flirting or whatever with my sister when I'm around, got that?"

"Are you sure you're using the right words, Kinomoto?" Shulai snickered. "You had just advised my future clan leader that he can't flirt with your sister when you're around, but when you're not around, he can do everything else with her. Are you sure about that?"

"Whatever!" Touya blasted. "You're much of a snot-nose as him, aren't you, you little bra—" Before the two were about to argue, they realized that the two people in subject of their argument already went ahead of them. "Hey! Wait for us!"

With that, Touya and Shulai ran after Sakura and Syaoran, with Syaoran already holding her hand.

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**A/N:** I apologize again for the delay, but June will be another hectic month for me. Here's another not-so-long chapter, but I need a "bridge" chapter that would connect from the "one-week slavery" scene to the upcoming Amber Emeralds luncheon.

I will go ahead and proceed to my replies to the reviewers from last chapter, but first, shoutouts to the new followers and those who added "Stuffed Animal" to your favorites. I really appreciate it as always. But before I start responding to the reviewers, I have one thing to say to that one reviewer who I had to delete that comment:

It's obvious you don't read the author's notes, which also means that you're too damn lazy to even read my response to your so-called "reviews." Now you're telling me that I should "lessen" the love/romantic scenes between Sakura and Syaoran just because they're "too yucky to read"? Uh, did you even read the summary and that this story is under the **ROMANCE/HUMOR** category? This ain't _Cardcaptors_, dude(tte). If you want to read a "romance" fic that doesn't even have any romance scenes, you can go watch the botched-up dubbed version of CCS. You've seriously crossed the line and I'm not making any of those changes just because you demanded for them. You're not the only reader of my fic and I couldn't give a damn if you stop reading my fic. You're not my loss anyway.

Okay, now that's out of the way, moving on with the responses:

**dancingfingers** – Yup, it's about time to introduce Shulai and get to know him more. Glad you like him so far, more or less LOL.

**Narqissa** – Imagine yourself being in a family like Syaoran's. For one thing, it's easy to determine that Syaoran and Shulai aren't exactly the best of friends. For all we know, maybe Syaoran was just exaggerating about Shulai and that Shulai isn't as bad as everyone thought. As for the Li Curse, you know how Eriol loves to tease, right? (^_-)

**Littlepuppylost –** LOL, this is only one chapter. More of Shulai coming up!

**Guest (Lilicia?)** - Sign up for an FFnet account soon so you won't have to go through the whole review moderation bit. Glad I was able to answer your questions from last chapter. I'm also happy that Shulai did make you wonder about him, who he really is and what his real motives are. Keep on reading! ^_^

**shadow74196** – I'm 1/8 Chinese (from my mom) and most of Chinese customs and mindset is the same as majority of Asia in general so I feel you with the parents expecting things from you. Next time, please let me know what you think of the story so far and if you can, sign up for a free account at FFnet (no need to be a writer to have an account) so you won't have to go through the whole review moderation thing. ^_^

**DualStarduster –** I live in California also (SF bay Area to be specific) so you ain't alone LOL. I have to admit that when I first enrolled in school here as a 5th grader I couldn't speak a single word of English. I was better at writing and reading though. I didn't learn how to speak fluently until I was in 7th -8th grade. That's how much of a late learner I am LOL. And also nothing to be embarrassed about. Most of my Filipino friends can't speak Tagalog either and my younger siblings can't speak Tagalog as well (mainly because they were really young when we moved here and they were more exposed to English than Tagalog, so yeah...). I think you're done with school already, right? ^^

**Little Wolf and Cherry Blossom –** Thank you for reading and welcome! English isn't my native language either but I try anyway. ^_^ Hope this update doesn't disappoint you.

**SakuSyaoLvr** – Believe me, I keep a thesaurus handy but sometimes the alternatives to a word I wanted to use just doesn't fit. Also, there are some things/actions that I don't know the right term of, so that's another reason why vocabulary is one of my weakest problems in writing. Keep on reading!

**Just a reader –** Review when you can. Don't have to be every chapter. Either way I always appreciate reviews/comments/suggestions/questions because in that way, I'd be able to respond and connect to the readers. I'm doing the best as I can to update faster but things are getting busier for me these past few days, but I'm still hanging there LOL.

**Emilybooth3365** – Thanks!

**Ria** - "wait and see." LOL.

**Sakura 42002 (on both ch. 19 & 20)** – Shulai is coming over to school so that Syaoran would be able to watch over him and that he would be able to make new friends. That's pretty much the general reason. Thanks for reading, and don't worry about not reviewing all the time. It's not required to review every single chapter. Just review when you can. ^_^

**moon86** – I wonder what's gonna happen next... now that Touya will also be staying over the Wolf's Lair camper along with Sakura, Syaoran, Wei, and Shulai LOL.

**Misaki Sayuri** – Hello and welcome! I think you need to "type your review for this chapter" there. ^^


	22. 21: The 7 Soccer Studs & a Sweetheart

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adri Mars_

**CHAPTER 21: THE SEVEN SOCCER STUDS AND A SWEETHEART**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

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**QUICK NOTE:** I write all my author notes at the end of each chapter, so please, don't forget to read them once you reach the end of this page. I'm putting this "quick note" back on because some of the reviewers don't read the author notes below- **_My replies to the reviewers are included in the author notes below!_**

* * *

It didn't take long for Syaoran to admit two more people to stay in his Wolf's Lair. After all, he needed allies to balance off the enemies underneath his roof. In short, he offered his fellow idol cousin, his aniki, and his local BFF to stay in the Wolf's Lair at the duration of the soccer tryouts. At this point, he now has (possibly) three allies to counter his two foes in his stylish camping bus along with his trusted guardian and the girl he loves. Indeed a happy soccer family.

For the first time this week, Wei was now driving the camper, carrying the boys, his love, and two more unexpected guests who invited themselves without permission, back towards their neighborhood. They had to pack up more of their things along with their soccer gear before they head back to school for tryouts. Syaoran isn't particularly pleased, but then again, it's usually fun when there's more people around. Somewhat.

"So, what exactly is your excuse for sneaking in to my camper, Daidouji?" Syaoran began to question Tomoyo, who was now sitting comfortably at the lounge seats, checking her cellphone.

"Hey, leave the poor girl alone," Shulai suddenly defended Tomoyo as he invited himself next to her. He then turned to her with a grin on his face. "It's okay to tell the truth. It's fine to let him know that you couldn't stop thinking about me."

"Eh?" Tomoyo blinked in surprise as she began to slowly scoot away from Shulai.

"You sure are full of yourself, aren't you, dear cousin?" Eriol, who is sitting at Tomoyo's other side, interrupted. "What makes you so sure that you're the one she's thinking about?"

Shulai rolled his eyes. "Come on now, Eriol. It just makes sense. If Xiaolang is so hung up on Kinomoto, I'm pretty sure the sweet and lovely Miss Daidouji would feel left out. After all, almost everyone in town thinks that Xiaolang and Daidouji would make a perfect couple and just to make them happy, I'm available."

Eriol shook his head. "In case you aren't aware, she just got out from a relationship not too long ago and she's trying to move forward. And right now, I believe her mission is to make her best friend happy with the one she loves the most. Eh, Xiao?"

From out of the blue, Tomoyo answered, not towards Eriol or Shulai, but to the one who originally asked the question first. "My parents are in Sendai for a meeting or something and had to take the family limo. Since I got no ride home, I decided to hitch a ride with you guys. After all, I'm your neighbor across the street, Li— I mean Syaoran-kun."

Syaoran simply shrugged his shoulders. "Makes sense." Right then, he turned to the end of the lounge table, where he spots Yun with his legs rested on the table, also checking on his phone.

"And as for you, why are you in here for? You don't even live in our neighborhood!"

Yun looked up and simply grinned. "I'm a neutral party and I'm trying out for the team too and I get lonely when all of my loved ones are together under the same roof!"

"You have Yanagisawa, for goodness sakes! Why'd you leave her over there?"

"She'll be alright. She encouraged me to go with you guys since I got nothing else to do until soccer tryouts start. Besides, I already got my gear and everything ready at one of the trailers anyway, so it's all good!"

"You're wasting your time already by riding along with us when we're eventually gonna go back there anyway," Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on now, Li," Yun chuckled. "You need more allies than enemies, ne?"

Tomoyo tapped Eriol to give way for her to exit. "I'm gonna hang at your kitchen and be with Sakura, since she and Touya-niichan are making some refreshments. Talk to you later!"

"But of course, my dear." Eriol grinned and made way for her. Once she disappeared on the scene, Syaoran took a seat next to Eriol, with Yamazaki appearing on the scene.

"Over here, Taka," Yun invited the local boy to sit next to him as Yamazaki placed a huge open box of giant Pocky sticks. Each of the boys took one and began to nibble. "Well then, as I was saying, you're gonna need allies over enemies, Xiao."

"Just who exactly are the enemies in here anyway? May I ask?" Shulai raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Erm… just a figure of speech, Shulai," Yun grinned nervously. "Besides, we all know Xiao— the future clan leader who would rather turn his enemies in to allies instead of crushing them simply because they're his enemies. Right, Xiao?"

Syaoran nibbled on his Pocky stick while replying to Yun with a shrug. Meanwhile, Eriol finished his Pocky stick and began to continue on with the all-boys conversation. That is, all teenage boys' conversation. "Now that it's all of us guys here, maybe it's time for Shulai and myself to fill you in more with the Li Curse, Xiao."

"Excuse me?" Syaoran choked on his stick and ended up coughing, while Yamazaki and Yun opened their eyes wide with surprise.

"Li Curse? What the heck is that?" Yamazaki scratched his temple.

"Eriol, why don't you shut up and stop spreading about my problem to everyone else outside the family?" Syaoran warned him, but rather than heeding, Eriol continued on.

"Xiao is now eighteen-years-old. In Hong Kong, he is considered a legal adult already. Somewhat. But because the Li Family is a very special, somewhat mystical family, and the fact that he's the next in line to the clan leadership seat, he's got some… quirks…"

"Quirks? Uh-oh…" Yun muttered. "That can't be good."

"Oh, that depends on how you look at it, my dear Yun," Eriol continued.

"Eriol?! What the hell? Didn't I tell you to shut up already?" Syaoran gave him another warning as he was about to turn his head away from the group, trying to avoid the conversation.

Still, Eriol continued on. "As you know, Xiao is a complete babe magnet whether he likes it or not. Heck, even Shulai here is a babe magnet in his right— except he actually takes advantage of it for his own pleasure."

"Hey, not all the time!" Shulai defended himself. "What's wrong with having fun while being heroic at the same time?"

"Heroic? What's that supposed to mean?" Yamazaki began to wonder again.

"According to the ancient scrolls— even Shulai knows about this— there is also a legend in which the clan leaders and the heirs to the leadership seat possess what they call the Golden Elixir."

The latter words somehow caught Syaoran's attention and slowly turned his head back. "Golden Elixir? That's the first time I've heard of that…"

"Not your fault, Xiaolang," Shulai said. "The elders like to keep a lot of things hidden from other family members, most especially the heirs, but since Eriol is kind enough to support you all the way, he's spilling the beans."

"What?!" Syaoran exclaimed. "What the hell is that Golden Elixir thing? Are you screwing with me again, Eriol? You guys are making this up!"

"Hey, don't blame us," Eriol said. "We were just being told by the elders about this."

"Since when?"

"Oh… for awhile now…" Eriol nervously grin while Syaoran immediately glared at him. "Calm down, Xiao! It's nothing bad. In fact, it's the upside of the Li Curse!"

"Upside…?" Syaoran began to bury his head through his arms against the surface of the table.

"Preach on, Eriol! What is this enchanting Golden Elixir? Is it like medicine or something?" Yun continued to ask more questions.

"Ah, I'm about to get to that part," Eriol grinned. "The Golden Elixir is the true proof of a Li male's right as the next clean leader. It is also the pure essence in which only clan leaders and heirs to the clan leadership naturally possess to identify themselves and of course, to create another heir in the next generation as the next in line to the leadership seat. Know what I mean?"

The boys, with the exception of the rather bored Shulai, only gave puzzled expressions on their faces. Eriol chuckled and continued. "Uncle Xiaojin definitely possesses the Golden Elixir within him, and in turn, Xiao also has the Golden Elixir flowing through him. It's because of the Golden Elixir that so many of the delicate female race are becoming so attracted to him. The lucky girl who will be bearing the future clan leader's child also gets benefits also. The Golden Elixir not only strengthens the future heir's well-being, but it also gives lengthy longevity powers for both the clan leader and the mother of the heir!"

"Say what…?" Syaoran muttered in a low voice, looking more suspicious at Eriol's rather informative discussion.

"The Li Curse is becoming stronger and more potent because technically, the Golden Elixir that's flowing through you is… well… overflowing."

"Overflowing…? What exactly does that supposed to mean?"

"Well, the curse couldn't wait for you to release the Golden Elixir for your future heir to the clan leadership, Xiao! It's calling out to the entire female race and find the right potential bearer of your future heir—"

"O… kay…" Yamazaki blinked, muttering. "That sounds… wrong.".

"You're telling me…" Yun muttered with bewilderment in his expression.

"What the— that sounds disgusting!" Syaoran exclaimed. "Why are you telling Yamazaki and Yun about my internal dilemma, Eriol? It's bad enough that my life is already an open book!"

"Oh calm down now, dear cousin. I'm just letting your childhood buddies know that you are having this extraordinary dilemma and that I'm sure they're willing to help you get through this. Right, Shulai?"

Shulai shrugged. "Now I'm beginning to wonder why I was born to look so much like you and pretty have much the same level of sex appeal as you. Maybe my father stole some of that Golden Elixir from your father to produce me." He sighed and continued on with his remark. "Man, it's really hard to be a Li…"

Yun then began to scratch his temples again. "Um… so… how do we know that Xiao actually has the Golden Elixir or not? I mean… how do we get to see this… Golden Elixir? And how does it look like?"

"Er… about that…" Eriol suddenly found himself a loss of words. "Well… um… how should I say this…?"

"That's right, Hiiragizawa. I wanna know how we get to see this… this Golden Elixir that you're rumoring about… and actually see the proof that this brat is actually the next clan leader." From out of the blue, Touya joined in the conversation, with Yukito peering in from behind.

"Oh God…" Syaoran muttered, hiding his face once again. "You guys are messing with me, seriously! There's no such thing as a Golden Elixir or whatever you call that, just like how you guys kept going on about the Li Curse…"

"Oh come on now," Yukito smiled, "if it's a male thing, there's nothing to worry about. The girls are in the master bedroom with Tomoyo-chan helping Sakura finish her math homework, so the confidentiality is guaranteed. You can tell us with no shame. After all, Touya and I are the adults. We'll understand."

"I seriously don't wanna hear this…" Syaoran moaned in disgust. "I mean, just hearing about it is making me hurl right now…"

"Well, if you must know…" Eriol began, "huddle up…"

As the boys, including Syaoran, huddled together, Eriol began to explain it step by step. After he was finished, Syaoran withdrew immediately from the huddle.

"No! No! Hell no!" Syaoran blasted. "I'm not gonna do _that _just so you perverts could see how it looks like and if I have it or not! That's just… that's just gross, man! I wouldn't mind if it's a needle that you use to draw blood in those blood drives, but _that_?!"

"The Golden Elixir isn't exactly in your blood, per se, Xiao. It's actually at…"

"I don't wanna hear it, Eriol!"

"Why are you so uptight about that, Xiaolang? I do it all the time," Shulai casually responded, shrugging.

"Because you have a dirty, indecent mind, so that's nothing new to you!" Syaoran blasted at Shulai as his look-alike cousin simply answered him with a bored yawn.

"But how are we gonna find out if the whole Golden Elixir thing really exists or not? Here's the chance for you to prove those elders wrong, Syao-chan!" Yamazaki grinned. "Besides… all we need is a little drop of that Golden Elixir of yours—"

"You're frickin' disgusting, Yamazaki! I rather get run over and die than doing… _that_!" Syaoran continued to defend himself.

"It's okay for you to feel that way, Syaoran," Yukito grinned. "Even Touya here is still ashamed and shy about this very sensitive subject even though he already did it at your age—"

"Yukito?! Did you have to announce that to all the douches in this bus?!" Touya immediately stormed out his shyness while the rest of the boys gave mixed reactions.

"Whoa. Way to go, Kinomoto-senpai," Yun grinned. "Well, you're a man, so it's only natural."

"Frickin'…" Touya dropped his head, covering it with both his hands.

"Oh, and I almost forgot one more thing. The Golden Elixir tastes like peach juice… as in the mythological Peaches of Immortality—"

"Eriol! God dammit shut up! Don't even go there, you hear me?!" Syaoran suddenly blasted his anger at him when the the camper suddenly halted. "Huh? The bus stopped?"

Wei appeared from the driver's seat and announced to everyone. "We're home now. Please do pack up your necessities for the soccer tryouts."

"Oh right. Let's go, everyone!" Yukito called. After the boys exited, with Yun tagging along Syaoran, Eriol, Shulai, and Yamazaki to the Li Residence, Sakura and Tomoyo followed from behind.

"I'll be waiting here at the driver's seat, ladies," Wei said.

"Mou, Wei-san," Tomoyo began. "I'm hearing loud voices from the boys earlier while I was helping Sakura out with her math homework. What were they talking about?"

Wei gulped and gently patted the girls' shoulders, pushing them gently to exit. "Well… I don't think I have permission to speak about the subject matter."

"Oh, alright then." Tomoyo exited first before Sakura did. Just as Sakura was about to step out, she quickly turned around to face Wei.

"I overheard about a Golden Elixir. Is that like medicine or something?"

Wei almost choked at the question, but quickly recovered his composure. "I'm afraid I am the wrong person to ask that question, Sakura-chan. I apologize."

"Oh, no worries! I'll just ask Syaoran later on!" She waved at Wei as she made her way inside her home to pack up her things for soccer tryouts.

#

Some minutes passed and those who went to pack up their soccer gear returned to the Wolf's Lair. Touya and Yukito were outside the camper bus to do a bit of maintenance with Wei to make sure that there weren't any defects within the bus's mechanism. After all, in just a few days, this camper will be going through a long drive.

Once the teens got to the camper, they realized that the future clan leader himself hasn't arrived yet. The boys began to worry when Eriol volunteered to return back to the Li Residence.

"I'm going too!" Yamazaki stood up. "I worry about my best friend too!"

"And… me too!" Yun joined along as well. With that, the three turned directly towards Shulai, who remained silent at the situation.

"What about you, Shulai?" Eriol asked curiously.

Shulai raised an eyebrow. "Not my problem."

Meanwhile, Sakura and Tomoyo exited from the master bedroom to gather along the boys. Right then, the bob-haired brunette noticed her love missing in the picture. "Hoe? Where's Syaoran?"

"He's still inside the house. The lads and I will check up on him," Eriol said.

"Wait, I'll go with you—"

"Uh," Yamazaki interrupted. "I think it's best if you and Tomoyo-chan stay here. You see… it's a guy thing…"

"Hoe? But… but what if he's hurt? I don't want to just wait here worrying about him…"

"Trust us on this one, Sakura," Eriol said, "it's a guy thing. Shulai may probably better explain it to you—"

"Excuse me?" Shulai raised an eyebrow. "Why do I have to explain to her about this entire situation? Don't get me involved in such trivial matters, Eriol!"

Eriol suddenly patted Shulai on the shoulder. "You don't want the worried lass to stay worried now, would you?"

Shulai rolled his eyes and turned to Sakura. "There's nothing wrong with Xiaolang, so sit back and relax."

Sakura swallowed nervously and sat across from Shulai. The boys immediately left to head back to the Li Residence. Meanwhile, Tomoyo sat next to Sakura, then Shulai scooted to the left to make room. "Please feel free to sit here, sweet Daidouji-san! I'm free!"

Tomoyo chuckled. "Nice try, Shulai-kun, but I'm gonna be Sakura's guardian starting today, therefore I'm gonna be sitting next to her instead!"

Shulai shook his head. "Kinomoto sure has a lot of bodyguards, doesn't she?"

"Sakura is Tomoeda's most precious treasure!" Tomoyo answered with pride. "Most people think that just because they see a beautiful rich girl— or a handsome rich guy— they already think that he or she is the treasure of the town. It's the inside of a person that makes that person treasured by all."

Shulai shrugged. "Ah well, whatever!"

Right then, Yukito entered the bus with a binder in one hand and carrying a backpack. He sat with the teens at the lounge area. "So far, so good. This camper's ready for the long roads this weekend. Touya just went in to the Li House to grab an empty gasoline can for the road."

Sakura peeped through the window to see Touya and Wei entering the house. She became curious at first, then sat back down. "Earlier at my house, Touya was right. Downstairs and the basement are a total mess. There were more people in his team other than Sayaka-san, Dr. Chen, and Dr. Mie in there. And papers are all over the place! No way Touya and I would be able to sleep with all the mess and the noise."

"Well, aren't you glad you get to stay with Syaoran for the rest of the week even though you're no longer doing the one-week slave bit, Sakura," Yukito grinned.

Sakura grinned happily and found herself blushing again. Who wouldn't if you're a girl in love with a boy whom you feel is the most wonderful person you've ever met?

Right at that point, the boys including Syaoran and Touya exited the gates of the Li Residence. Wei was at the entrance of the camper waiting for the boys to enter. Once Syaoran entered, he remained silent and immediately proceeded to his master bedroom. Sakura was about to say something to him but he did not even look at her. This made her worry.

The boys sat at the lounge table area again with Shulai giving a curious expression on his face. Eriol sat next to him and muttered: "The future clan leader is in serious shock right now."

"Oh? Why?" Shulai asked curiously.

"Uncle Xiaojin and Grandpa… erm… proved him wrong."

"About what?"

"About the Golden Elixir, of course! They proved Xiaolang wrong about it!"

"Why? What exactly did they do to him?" Shulai raised an eyebrow of curiosity.

"Oh, Syao-chan argued with your elders that this whole Golden Elixir thing was all fiction and that he thought the entire family is screwing with him, so I think they drugged him or something and then… yeah… got a few drops of his Golden Elixir from him. Sure enough, it was like… sticky liquid gold!" Yamazaki exclaimed happily.

"Eh?!" Shulai gasped while Sakura and Tomoyo bared their own reactions with huge open eyes. "You mean there _really _is such thing as the Golden Elixir?"

"What? I thought you knew all that, Shulai?" Eriol exclaimed at his cousin.

"Actually," Shulai spoke, "I know all about the Golden Elixir, but for once I was actually on Xiaolang's side about that whole thing being made up. I was just playin' along you know?" He grinned and patted Eriol on the side.

Yun simply began shaking his head. "Who knew that Golden Elixir was real… I mean me, Yamazaki, heck even Kinomoto-senpai here saw it with his own open eyes!"

"Hoe?!" Sakura exclaimed and turned to Touya. "Is this true, Oniichan?"

Touya, looking rather shocked, simply nodded his head. Then he began to mutter. "Just because of the Golden Elixir, I now support you and that brat being in love with each other and… all that."

"Hoe?!" Sakura stood up, glaring right at her brother. "What on earth is this Golden Elixir anyway?!"

"Erm… in the near future, you'll find out," Eriol grinned his answer.

"Is it some kind of a special medicine or something?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Ne," Tomoyo nudged her best friend. "Maybe you can check up on Syaoran. He probably went straight to his bed because he's not feeling well."

"Good idea, Tomoyo."

Right then, Wei stepped inside the bus and turned to the passengers. "Well then, let's head back to Tomoeda High School, everyone." He turned his head towards Sakura. "The young master just needs to rest for now. The drug effects will eventually wear out in five minutes."

"Drugs?! Why is he taking drugs?!" Sakura exclaimed in shock.

"It's… it's medicine, Sakura. He's not like getting high or anything," Eriol reminded her. "But yeah, check up on him. Maybe he'd love to have your company for now—"

"Are you sure about that, Eriol?! We're just heading to school and they won't have enough time to sha—" Immediately, Eriol covered Yamazaki's mouth and then turned to Wei.

"Let's head back to school, Wei." He turned his head back to Sakura. "Please, Sakura-chan, do go visit Xiao."

As Wei turned on the ignition, Sakura approached the master bedroom. Sure enough, she found Syaoran lying down on his bed with his eyes closed. The Wolf's Lair camper began to drive out of the sidewalk and making its way to their final destination.

She entered the room and slowly sat down at the side of the bed next to him. Indeed, Syaoran was lying on his bed with his face buried against the pillow. She didn't want to disturb him, knowing the position he currently was in, but she also kept in mind that the two of them have elevated to the next level of their relationship that she now has the right to know what was going on with him.

"Syaoran…" She whispered softly as she slowly leaned over to him, close enough to his ear. "Are you alright, Syaoran?"

No answer. It looked like the future clan leader was sound asleep. Sakura moved closer to him and began to tap him on the shoulder. Without expecting anything, she found herself completely off-guard when her hand was immediately grabbed, landing her on the bed right next to him. When she got her composure back, she found him pinning her down as if she was the prisoner and he her captive.

"Hoe! Syaoran, you're awake?!" She then swallowed nervously right when she noticed his amber eyes gazing at hers deeply. "Are you… alright…?"

Right then, he gave a deep sigh and released her by switching himself back to his side of the bed. He sighed out once more and answered. "I'm not… I'm… drugged…"

Sakura got up and gazed down at him. "What's wrong? What did they do to you?"

He shook his head. "It's… it's a long story… I rather not have you hear of it."

"But… but why?" She pouted. "I'm your girlfriend and… I mean, don't I have the right to know?"

"It's not that, Sakura. Of course I trust you. I'll tell you everything." He slowly got up and kissed her on the cheek. "This one is… well… it's disgusting… even I feel sick just… thinking about it…"

"Mou…" She smiled, then slowly she pushed him down on his bed so he can rest. "I know… is it because you think it may sicken me?"

He sighed again. "Ugh… I know I shouldn't be afraid to tell you things that are… sensitive… but I think your brother being overprotective just rubbed on me."

"Hoe? How's him being overprotective got to do with this?"

"I mean… I want to protect your innocence too. I… I'm just concerned about how you're going to react if I told you about… this…"

"Try me, Syaoran. You know I've never spilled a single secret that we shared together… okay, maybe except when Tomoyo's around…"

"Tomoyo is like the female version of Eriol, so I know how it's like," he sighed. "Well, if you feel you're ready, then I'll tell you."

She lied down next to him and took him by the hand. "So, what happened, Syaoran?"

"You and Tomoyo probably overheard it earlier, but the guys and I were talking about this thing called the Golden Elixir."

She nodded. "Well, I overheard a little bit about it. Is it some kind of a medicine or something? Could it be just like the Water of Immortality legend?"

"Well… yes… a little bit yes… but… um…" He swallowed nervously, feeling reluctant to continue. "How can I explain this without being disgusting about it…"

"If you don't tell me everything then how would I help you?" She answered with a concerned tone.

"You're right, Sakura. I… I shouldn't be too conscious about it… but… um… the Golden Elixir is… this natural substance that's inherited from one clan leader to the next. I thought it was all myth that was made up by the ancestors or something but… earlier I was proved that such a thing exists…"

"Hoe? Really?" Her voice rose in to a more intrigued tone.

"My father and my grandfather drugged me when they handed me a cup of green tea and I fell unconscious for about two minutes. When I came to, my father held a covered vial with a glittery gold… substance. I demanded how in the world they extracted it from me and he explained to me that they did… something… while I was unconscious…"

"What exactly did they do to you?" Right then, he swallowed first and exhaled, then he began explaining to her in full detail.

Her eyes slowly opened wide with a rather shocked expression on her face. Once he ended his explanation, she immediately wrapped her arms around him. "Oh poor Syaoran… You're in pain…"

He nodded slowly. "I'm sorry I ignored you earlier when I got back. It's just that… I needed to lie down for a bit until the drug wears off.. But… I learned that it's because the Golden Elixir in me has become very potent that the Li Curse has gone to effect. If I would've done that deed two years ago then things would be a bit smoother for me with this curse. But because I didn't, this is happening to me right now."

"Mou… so now you're suffering… the curse and this Golden Elixir thing is making you act like Shulai?"

Syaoran wanted to laugh at her curiosity, comparing his rather awkward situation to his girl-philandering look-alike cousin, but kept his composure. "In a sense… yes."

"Oh no, that's bad! You know it would break my heart if you end up… acting like Shulai-kun with some random girl and—"

"No, it's not like that with the curse and the Golden Elixir, Sakura," he interrupted immediately. "Yes, my mind is becoming like his with this curse and that Golden Elixir, but it's not with any random girl at all."

"Hoe? It's not?"

"No…" From out of the blue, he regained his strength back and pinned her down on her side of the bed again with him right on top of her.

"Syaoran!"

"I'm sorry… but it's you, Sakura… that's why I'm doing all I can for this past week to keep a bit of distance from you so I wouldn't have to do this to you… but the problem is, the more I stay apart from you the more I desire you!"

She gazed right at him, now with a feared expression on his face. She reached for him and placed her hand on his cheek. "I… I told you before, Syaoran. I love you… and I know you love me the same way too… and… as long as it's just you and me… we can make a lot of special moments together… even with this…"

He shook his head immediately. "It's too early, Sakura. I know deep inside me I really want to do this with you… but you're only seventeen. I already made a vow to you and myself that we won't go to the next level until you turn eighteen."

"But the curse and this Golden Elixir may kill you, Syaoran… I'm worried…"

"The curse and the Golden Elixir knows that you're the only one in my heart, thus you are my target of my hidden desires. I don't want just hugging and kissing and cuddling… I want more… that's what this curse is doing to me, Sakura…" Again, he went back to his side, covering his eyes with an arm. "I have to endure this as much as I can… and we shouldn't do these things just for the sake of the curse." He turned his head towards her. "I want us to do this because you want to… at the right time and at the right place… alright, Sakura?"

She gave a rather sad sigh, feeling that he still didn't have much faith in her. Either that or he was just way too proud to ask for any help, let alone from a girl like Sakura. She scooted closer to him and gave out a sigh.

"I'm sorry if I'm not that desirable…"

"Huh? What?" He turned his head quickly towards her with a puzzled reaction. "Why would you say that?"

"Well, Shulai doesn't even find me attractive. In fact, he thinks I don't live up to the clan's standards of being a potential… Li Girl."

He shifted his eyes opposite of her. "That's Shulai, Sakura. He doesn't know anything about love and relationships. Despite that he's fooled around with so many girls in his life, he's never been in love before. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

Still, she continued to ramble. "Am I… I mean… am I really sexless? I can't help it if I'm not… well-endowed—"

He immediately placed his two fingers on her mouth to keep her quiet. "You want Shulai to get attracted to you so you can feel that you're worthy to be with me? Are you kidding me? You want me to have competition against him over you?"

Quickly she shook her head. "I mean… I don't mean it that way…"

"Then you have nothing to worry about. He's not the one who's going to determine whether you're worthy or not. I rather have no other guy get attracted to you so that I'll know that you're all mine!"

_He gets really jealous easily! How sweet and romantic!_ She reached for his face, gently tracing her finger on to his cheek, with a smile on her face. "I'm sorry for saying that, Syaoran. It's just that… I get insecure a lot…"

He scooted closer to her, slipping an arm underneath her neck to give her a bit of support. "I had a talk with my father and grandfather earlier before they… uh… drugged me. Yeah, they talked to Shulai before that. It's not about you not being… um… well-endowed… it's just that Shulai doesn't know you well enough as a person to make him feel that you really are worthy of being with me. He's representing the elders, Sakura. It's one of his duties assigned to him after all the crap he's been through."

"Syaoran…"

"I don't like how they're handling things when it comes to me, Sakura. My father's just too gutless to deal with the elders as a clan leader. According to the clan's laws, the clan leader also has the power to change family traditions which also includes the selection of the potential wife of the future clan leader or even dealing with the leadership seat tests and all of that. My grandfather couldn't do it and now my father couldn't do it." He turned to stare at the ceiling. "When I take the leadership seat, that's the first thing I'm going to do is do the things that clan leaders should be doing and become completely opposite of my father and my grandfather."

"That's… that's a huge responsibility, Syaoran. But you can't do it alone. You need major support. There's your family and of course there's me… and all your friends here in Tomoeda."

He turned to her and smile. "I know, Sakura. Thank you. I know I'm a stubborn jerk and I'm a selfish bastard but… I could use all the help I can get."

She responded with a smile and nodded. "You can do it, Syaoran. With your plans to change the clan for the better, you will surely bring a lot of impact through the entire clan… and even all of Hong Kong too."

"Maybe." He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "I have to show admiration and respect for both my grandfather and father for their marriage decisions though."

"Hoe? What do you mean?"

"Well, my grandfather broke and changed the marriage rules first. Rather than marrying some tycoon's daughter, he married the house maid, my grandmother. Unfortunately she died when I was really young, so I didn't get to know her more, but my father said she was indeed a wonderful mother and eventually a strong leader along with my grandfather. You know my mother. She may be from a well-off family but her liberal and ambitious mind really gave a slight scare towards the elders and all the staunch snobs within the family that not very many of them are sure if she was fit to be part of the family. I mean, my mother has her own assets she used her own money for. Some of the Lis still don't like her, but they have to admit that the Li Clan's businesses and other assets have become stronger than they were before my father married her."

"Auntie Yelan is so cool though," she sighed. "I still don't understand why your family still don't see Auntie Yelan as a member of the family. I mean, she and Uncle Xiaojin love each other and she bore four beautiful quadruplet girls and the very handsome and smart you!"

"My relatives' view of my mother has no importance, so you don't have to worry about it. The fact of the matter is, Mother is the sole wife of the current leader of the Li Clan and she is also my mother and they can't do anything about that. The… um… Golden Elixir is flowing within me. That's proof enough that they have no choice."

She simply smiled and cuddled herself next to him. "You know, Syaoran, even if you're not the future clan leader or if you don't have anything, as long as you are here and alive and well, you'll always have me."

He gazed at her and returned the smile. "And I'll always be with you, Sakura. No matter what." At the end, the two kissed tenderly, with the boy drawing her closer to him, deepening his kiss even further.

When he withdrew, Sakura giggled. "I guess the drug worn off now?"

"Oh yeah. I'm well now." Right then, he returned to kissing her, a lot deeper and more tender than it was before.

Apparently, even the shortest moments had to end when they hear knocking on the door. Syaoran had to withdraw from Sakura as she called out towards the door. "Hang on a sec, I'm coming!"

She was about to get up from bed when Syaoran called out in a more abrupt reaction: "What do you want?"

"Uhh… quick meeting at the lounge room. You okay over there Syao-chan?" Both lovers took a sigh of relief. There was only one male who would call the future clan leader with that nickname.

"Yeah, we're coming, Taka," Syaoran answered. He let Sakura approach the door first to make it look like he just recovered from the effects of the drug. Sakura also made sure that she looked prim and proper as always so no one would be able to tell what was really happening in the room.

When Yamazaki, Sakura, and Syaoran appeared at the dining area, Tomoyo scooted over to let Sakura sit, followed by Syaoran and Yamazaki. Touya and Yukito were standing, with Yukito leading this small meeting.

"Okay, just really quick. While we were out getting our stuff for tryouts today, I received the playbook and materials from the former coach, so we're pretty much good to go. I also got an email too from the youth coordinator responsible for assembling this year's soccer team against Nijibe. Li-kun and Hiiragizawa-kun and even you, Oh-kun, even though you're the stars of our team, you still have to try out just like the rest of us."

Eriol raised an eyebrow and turned towards Syaoran. "Is this for real, Xiao? You and I still have to go through tryouts? We're the stars representing Tomoeda here. I thought we're guaranteed a spot in the team already?"

Syaoran shook his head. "Fanren is the youth coordinator, Eriol."

"Who on— Cousin Fanren? As in your sister Fanren?"

"Why? How many Fanrens do you know in your life, Eriol?"

The British teen turned towards Yukito. "Li Fanren is the youth coordinator? Since when?"

"Since yesterday," Touya answered for his best friend. "And yes, she said those words even last night after the meeting."

"How lame," Eriol sighed. "Always sticking to the standard procedures, that Cousin Fanren."

"Eriol, don't be lazy. After all, you wouldn't be an honorable British soccer player if you slack off," Syaoran warned him.

"Alright, Xiao, I'll try out just like the rest of you," Eriol moaned.

Right then, Yun raised his hand. "I'm not exactly one of the idols. Well, I'm an idol in Korea, but over here I'm more of like behind-the-scenes choreographer, you know?"

"You still have to try out like the rest of us, Yun," Syaoran reminded him.

"Oh. Right. You got a point there…" Yun sighed and buried his head against the table.

"Well then, moving on!" Yukito continued. "About the tryouts, Eriol-kun, Fanren's intention was that you and Syaoran-kun and Oh-kun would be trying out to see which string you're going to end up when the game starts. First string, second string, that kind of deal—"

"Hah!" Eriol boasted. "I just happen to be the star striker of my old secondary school soccer team. It would look really bad on me if I ended up becoming second string. I'm a star and I'm British— think about it!"

"Get over it, Eriol," Syaoran shook his head. "Your British-ness isn't going to guarantee you a spot on the first string if you don't try out like every other potential player out there. If you slack off today, then you _will _end up in second string!" Syaoran warned him again.

Shulai raised his hand to interrupt. "I don't mind being in second string. I'm not that much of a star player anyway…"

Syaoran shifted his eye towards his look-alike cousin with suspicion. "Right, Shulai. Second string."

"Trust me on this one, Xiaolang. I play better when I'm in the second string." He simply gave him a wink.

"Whatever, Shulai. Do what you want," Syaoran shrugged his shoulders.

Yukito continued after he lightly coughed. "There's going to be a bunch of coaches and seasoned soccer players who will be checking up on you. You will be doing the usual drills and then we'll be playing a game. Tryouts will be on for three days starting today. Friday afternoon will be the time that you will be getting the final results. The committee's going to make sure that you find out your placement within the team before you guys take off for Kagamineshi. While you're in Kagamineshi, you idol boys will have time to train along with the Kagamineshi Middle School boys soccer team in their field so you can keep up with your practice. When you guys return in two weeks, you will be resuming soccer practice for the weekend, with Saturday during early in the day before the festival. You'll be given a day break on Sunday from practice because the entire town will have to tear down the festival and then set up for the camp."

Eriol interrupted. "Well, we arrive back here from Kagamineshi at Friday night and then we've got the day rest on Saturday so we have time to prepare to have one more final special shooting during the festival. I don't mind helping out on the tear down and the set up for the summer camp."

"Even if you don't want to, Eriol," Syaoran answered, "you still have to do it anyway. As you know, among my four sisters, Fanren is the most demanding."

"Tell me about it," Touya rolled his eyes. "She's been like that since middle school. She still is like that."

"Since it's going to be just two teams, Tomoeda and Nijibe, unlike the usual division in to smaller troops," Yukito continued, "just like a summer camp, we're all gonna be camping out by sports teams. For instance, we'll be having our own camping area at the grass plains close to the practice soccer field over there. All of the major sports events will be taking place at the CRU Sports Complex. We're just using Tomoeda as our training ground and Nijibe will be using their town as their training ground. The summer sports camp starts on Monday and ends in Saturday. The soccer match against Nijibe will be at Friday night, so we've got the entire summer camp week to practice and prepare. We'll be having two team managers. One of them is Touya's beautiful fiancee, Miss Kaho Mizuki. I don't know who the second one is but most likely it's going to be one of the high school soccer players' girlfriends from that jewels clique."

"Jewels clique?" Sakura wondered and turned to Tomoyo. "I wonder if Yuki-niichan meant the Amber Emeralds?"

Tomoyo quickly raised her hand. "Yes, Tomoyo-chan?" Yukito called her.

"Who's responsible for the equipment? Like uniforms and stuff? If you haven't found anyone who will be dealing with that, I volunteer to handle that!"

Yamazaki turned towards Tomoyo. "You're volunteering to work with the soccer team? I thought you only support the cheerleading squad?"

"I'm gonna give my support to the cheerleading squad too," Tomoyo grinned. "But with Sakura being in the soccer team, I really want to design a really fitting soccer uniform that would suit all players, as well as making sure they're coordinated with the cheerleading squad too. I still gotta find what our team colors are gonna be."

"Navy blue and gold, Tomoyo," Yukito answered for her.

"Ooh, really nice combo! Noted!" Tomoyo cheered.

From out of the blue, Shulai smirked and combed his hair through his fingers. "There's no denying it, sweet Daidouji-san. It's okay to let the rest of the boys here that deep within you just want to take a glimpse of me out there in the field. I understand you."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes while Eriol shook his head at his cousin. "You're so full of it, Shulai."

"Oh? Then I suppose you feel that she's here just so she can take an everyday glimpse of you out there in the field, Eriol?"

He blushed right at the question. "If that's the case, Shulai, then so be it." He winked directly at Tomoyo, with the raven-haired girl simply shook her head and ignored him.

"Eriol, Shulai, knock it off!" Syaoran warned them, shaking his head at the two.

"And that's about it," Yukito concluded. "We'll talk more about the other stuff later during tryouts." Right then, the camper suddenly stopped. Wei arrived at the dining area.

"We're back at Tomoeda High School, everyone."

"Great," Syaoran stood up. "Thank you, Wei."

Wei headed outside first, followed by the rest of the passengers, with Sakura and Tomoyo exiting the camper last. Syaoran, Eriol, and Yun stayed behind for a bit as Wei, being their manager, requested them to have a quick short meeting.

"Master Shulai," Wei called for the third Li cousin. "I ask of you to stay for a bit as well."

Shulai, who was attempting to walk alongside Sakura and Tomoyo, with him next to Tomoyo of course, halted after hearing Wei's voice. "What? Why? I'm not an idol! Have you mistaken me for the future clan leader now?"

"We're trying out for our placement in the soccer team, Shulai, not pick up girls," Syaoran gave him another warning. "I know what you're up to…"

"What? I'm checking out the cute Daidouji girl, Xiaolang. Why the hell would I wanna hook up with your girl who don't even look like a girl?"

Syaoran was about to advance in to him with fists ready as Eriol stopped him by placing his arm in front of him. "Calm down, Xiao. You ought to be grateful that Shulai is trying to start competition with me instead of hitting on your precious Sakura."

"Eh?" Syaoran blinked, gazing at Eriol. "So, you really _do _have a thing for Daidouji? You weren't just playing the lovesick fool that you've always been?"

"What the—" Eriol gasped. "I thought you already knew, Xiao! I was giving signs already every time I talk about her!"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Yes, I've seen the signs. I just didn't know if they were for real or not considering how good of an actor you are."

"What? Are you serious about that, Xiao? I know I act things out but when it comes to love, I'm serious!"

"Oh god, this is lame," Shulai rolled his eyes and reluctantly climbed back up the camper again. "I thought I was gonna be a new local Tomoeda boy now. Why the hell do I still have to hang out with the two of you?"

"You're my responsibility, Shulai, remember?" Syaoran argued. "I can't let you screw around other people again, especially that you're in foreign grounds. At least get to know the culture and the mindset of the people here first."

"Hmph. Fine."

Once again, Yun raised his hand. "You got something to say, Yun?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"I should be out there with Yamazaki and Sakura right now then. I'm not exactly in Korea you know where I'm a public figure. I'm more of a behind-the-scenes guy—"

"You're not exactly a local boy yourself either, Yun," Syaoran answered.

"But I will be once I settle down with Nao-chan!" Yun grinned.

Meanwhile outside, Yamazaki, Sakura, and Tomoyo were waiting. "Yo! You guys coming or what?" Yamazaki called out.

"Just go ahead of us, Taka, we'll meet you there!" Syaoran answered.

"Okay then," Yamazaki shrugged his shoulders.

"See you at the field, guys!" Sakura waved happily as she, Yamazaki, and Tomoyo made their way to the field. In the meantime, Wei closed the door behind them as he began the short meeting with the rest of the Li Boys.

#

Much to everyone's surprise, the practice soccer field at Tomoeda High School had a very active presence. Hopeful soccer players— in its entirety all male— staff, and non-soccer player enthusiasts gathered at the spot as if everyone was waiting for a major game to begin. For new head coach Yukito, his assistant Touya, and long-time teen soccer players who came with them, it was rather overwhelming for first day of soccer tryouts.

The two young adult best friends were already reminded that they only had three days to assemble their team. Touya had been team captain before at their middle school boys soccer team, but in high school, Yukito seemed to have won the hearts of most of their teammates due to his openness, fairness, and how he treated his fellow teammates as his brothers rather than lower-ranked players that got him the vote for team captain. Unfortunately for those players, Yukito was a rather reserved young man back in high school and opted for Touya to remain as team captain with him being assistant. In the end, the two best friends became co-captains instead throughout their years in high school, even though Yukito was the favorite of majority of their team.

Now, here they are, both happily engaged and nearing marriage and are now back to managing a soccer team again. This time, it was the committee who decided to switch the the roles, with Yukito being head coach and Touya the assistant. The other soccer coaches from respective schools and youth organizations within Tomoeda were present and the two had a short meeting with them to learn how the tryout process was going to be.

Tomoyo did not break her own personal habits when she arrived with a very state-of-the-art digital video camera all charged up and ready to go. Sure, still had the rest of the week to finish her one-week slave duties, however she decided to ignore it and immerse herself more with the soccer team tryouts. After all, not only that her beloved BFF Sakura would be there to earn a spot in the team, the town's most popular local boy named Syaoran Li would also be in the same scene. She vowed herself to become a new Amber Emerald and she wanted to make the rather neglected Amber Emeralds fan club happy with this very raw video footage.

Sakura separated herself from the rest of the boys, where Yamazaki was already exchanging hi-fives with the familiar faces including their former power goalie Kenichi Kuze and the current high school team captain and one of the co-presidents of the Amber Eemeralds, Naoki Murakami. She sat at the benches at the sidelines to change her sneakers and socks and put on her soccer knee-high scoks and her soccer cleats.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the awesome Amber Emeralds, here we are at the first day of the Camp Tomoeda soccer team tryouts!" Tomoyo began to shoot her video focusing on the field filled with boys hoping to make it in to team as well as the sidelines, where plenty of non-soccer players— girls mostly— stood and sat to check out who's who among the team candidates.

She continued on her narration. "For just a tryout day, so many people showed up— namely non-soccer player girls sitting at the sidelines hoping they can take a glimpse of their favorite soccer hunk! However, what's surprising is that majority of the screaming girls are coming from both the Wolfpups and the Moonies! In fact, I can even spot the Wolfpops president and the Moonies president, Chiharu Mihara and Rika Sasaki, present at the sidelines along with all these screaming fangirls holding up signs bearing the names of two of Japan's hottest male teen stars— Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa!"

"Hoe?" From out of the blue, Sakura interrupted Tomoyo's flowing narration. "I wonder why Syaoran and Eriol… and even Shulai… stayed behind while we went ahead?"

Tomoyo pressed the pause button on her camera and lowered it down. "I think Syaoran is doing all he can to protect you from all the media hype." She scooted closer to her so they can have a more quiet conversation. "He's a very greedy, uptight boy, you know."

Sakura giggled softly. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, it's all because of true love, Sakura!" Tomoyo chuckled along. "He'll share whatever he has to the masses: his talent, his dedication, his smile, his looks, and his hot body, but he won't share his true love to the public. Besides, no one knows around town that you and Syaoran are officially together… except of course, the Amber Emeralds are having high hopes that the two of you would be for real, you know?"

Sakura sighed and nodded. "Syaoran works so hard… sometimes I worry about him that he might collapse from all the hard work he's been doing and not wake up… I really want to help him, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo placed her hand over her best friend's. "The Lis have a total immense pride. I was rather surprised that Fanren-neechan became the new youth coordinator. I actually wanted to laugh when she wanted Syaoran and Eriol to try out too like the rest of the players. I thought to myself, 'sure nuff, that's the pride of a Li!'"

The two girls broke in to laughter until they ended it. Tomoyo continued on with her teasing. "Well, that and, you know, he and Eriol just had to step out of the field looking all hot and sexy and make those crazy girls at the sidelines scream and faint! Shulai-kun would probably be doing the same thing so he can pick up some girls."

"Mou," Sakura snickered, "but Shulai-kun has a thing for you… and even Eriol too, I think!"

"They're both full of themselves," Tomoyo sighed deeply. "It's a darn shame. Ken Bunchin was also full of himself when we're still together. Now he's playing the good boy type just so he can convince me to get back together again." She shook her head and yawned. "So many boys, so little time."

Sakura gave a soft laugh. "Well, that's because you're beautiful and you're smart and witty and you're technically the most popular girl in all of Tomoeda!"

"I wish I was in your shoes, Sakura," Tomoyo admitted. "You're also beautiful and alluring in your own way too, it's just that no one ever notices your special traits except for the ones closest to you. You're in love with only one boy who loves you in return with no competition at all. I wish I had that kind of young life too."

"Mou, I do have competition," Sakura sighed. "Syaoran doesn't, but I do. You see those bunch of girls at the sidelines there with banners and uchiwa fan signs that has his name and his face on it? Plus those idol girls too… like Mai Hirashiki… and probably those rich girls in Hong Kong who try to sway the Lis in to their favor, you know?"

"Ne, Sakura, you should have more faith in Syaoran," Tomoyo patted her on the shoulder. "His eyes and his heart is only for you, you know that. I have to admit that those idol girls and some of the other girls from the elite girls are prettier and more attractive than you—"

"You're prettier and more attractive than me," Sakura shyly grinned.

"— what I mean to say is, so many of those girls want a piece of Syaoran to themselves. Despite that looks-wise that they're on the same level as Syaoran, there's just no way that he would ignore you and turn to them instead. You just need to trust him more."

Sakura swallowed nervously. "Tomoyo… last night… that was exactly what Syaoran said to me when we were talking. He was trying to calm me down and not be scared because of that movie we watched. The way he said those words felt so true to me, as if it was a vow to me."

"That's how much he loves you, Sakura. So, cheer up. Keep your chin up and smile."

Sakura lifted her chin up, as Tomoyo instructed her to do so, and then gave a smile. Tomoyo giggled and began to tape her. "Waaai, you've got such an adorable smile!" Sakura simply responded to the camera with a peace sign.

Tomoyo continued on with her narration. "And here, we have Tomoeda's most athletic girl with a heart of gold: Miss Sakura Kinomoto! So, Sakura, tell us a bit about your history with the beautiful game of soccer!"

Sakura laughed. "Do I have to?"

"Of course you have to. This is a special raw documentary that I plan to send as part of my admissions to college, you know? I'm not just doing this for the Amber Emeralds. Come on, work with me!"

"Okay, okay," Sakura chuckled as she quickly fixed her chin-length bob. "Well, simple. My dad was a soccer player during his younger years and he was also co-captain of the Tokyo University soccer team. My older brother Touya is also a soccer player since elementary and also played soccer in CRU also. Now he's assistant coach of the Camp Tomoeda soccer team. I grew up most of my life without a mom so I inherited a lot of guy stuff from both Dad and Oniichan. They're the most awesome, most special people in my family and I couldn't ask for anything more."

"So, how long have you played soccer, Sakura?"

"I've played soccer since I was in elementary as a recommendation by our P.E. teacher, Matsuyama-sensei, who was also the head coach of the Tomoeda Elementary soccer team. There weren't too many girls interested in soccer at that time enough to form a girls' soccer team, so I joined the team with the boys. At first I thought I wouldn't be accepted because I'm a girl, but all the boys are really cool and friendly and welcoming. They really treated me as if I was really one of them. I played with the boys in elementary school and then I played for the girls soccer team during middle school. I was really looking forward to playing for the Tomoeda High School girls soccer team but the school cut off the girls team by the time I graduated middle school due to lack of funding, plus the former coach there was a little sexist and wouldn't allow girls in the team, so I stuck with the cheerleading squad and the track and field team. By the time the former coach resigned and the new coach allowed girls in the team it was too late. I became a 12th grader and had no choice but to quit on my other activities so I can focus on studying for college entrance exams. Track and Field for me has lesser stress since I'm an endurance runner, not a sprinter, and it clears my mind, so I decided to stick to that."

"So, you haven't played soccer for three years now?"

"Well, I still play soccer, like recreational soccer. I sometimes play at the Tomoeda Youth Center soccer team with my brother and even though it's just recreational, it's still a lot of fun. I know that I'm gonna have fun for this year's summer camp, whether I end up being on the second string— or not even making it to the team at all— I'm just happy to know that I'm going to take part in the camp one way or the other."

The video interview continued. "Looking at the lineup of the potential players at the field right now trying to get in to the brand-new Camp Tomoeda soccer team, they sure are ultimate eyecandy! I mean if you check out the sidelines, there's plenty of the young female population waiting at their spots to check out Tomoeda's hottest guys around, in addition to seeing hot idols Li Xiaolang and Eriol Hiiragizawa and even renowned Korean idol Oh Yun Hwa in the picture, do you feel a little concerned or weary that plenty of those girls may be giving you hostile looks because you're still the only girl trying out for the team?"

Sakura gave a giggle. "Those girls should've learned and embrace soccer when they were little, then no one has to get jealous, ne? Besides, it's only tryouts. I may not even make the team for all we know."

"And last question, with all these hot and sexy guys ready to sweat and ooze out their sexiness to make the girls squeal out in the field, being the only girl there, how can you cope with that?"

"What a question, Tomoyo!" Sakura laughed. "I've lived my life living with two of the hottest guys in Tomoeda— my dad and my brother, so no biggie." She ended her reply with a big thumb up.

"Of course, Sakura, I forgot about that," Tomoyo laughed. "While everyone is waiting for the tryouts to start, could you give us a demo on how you handle a soccer ball? Just for kicks!"

Sakura grinned and turned behind her to see a bag of soccer balls. "Sure thing!" She ran to the bag, grabbed a ball, then began to play with it using her feet, her knees, and her head without letting the ball drop. "Like this?"

"Perfect, Sakura!" Tomoyo gave her a thumbs up. Sakura continued playing with the ball until they immediately heard roaring female screams coming from the sidelines. "Uh-oh, looks like the star players have arrived!"

"Hoe, they're here!" Sakura exclaimed and stopped playing the ball.

Tomoyo turned off her video camera and lowered it. "I do hope Syaoran and the others do come this way to the sidelines where we are now so I can take shots of them too!"

"Hehe, if not right now, maybe later when we get our break, ne?"

"If they don't come here at all, make them, especially Syaoran," Tomoyo winked.

Sakura giggled. "I'll do my best, Tomoyo!" She saluted at her, placing the ball back in to the bag.

Meanwhile while the crowd is on a rage once Syaoran, Eriol, Yun, and Shulai, who happened to appear with a baseball cap and sunglasses, took the field, the two team managers, namely Kaho and Amber Emerald junior girl Mio Kuroda, arrived with a huge rectangular-shaped cooler, where the players' iced bottled water is located. Sakura and Tomoyo greeted the two ladies.

"You girls really look good today!" Sakura complimented the two managers.

"You look up and ready to go while staying your cute self as always, Sakura," Kaho chuckled. She and Mio placed the cooler right next to them. "You girls are early to day. The tryouts doesn't start until fifteen more minutes, so you have some time to do a few warmups, stretching, all that."

"I know I have a habit of being late most of the time," Sakura said as she sat down on the grass and began to do her arm and leg stretches. "But with sports tryouts like these I can't afford to be late."

"That's good to hear," Kaho chuckled. She then turned towards Mio, who was examining the soccer balls inside the huge bag. "You girls know Mio Kuroda, right? She's going to be our second team manager."

"We've met," Tomoyo said. "Hi there, Mio-chan!"

Mio lifted her head and waved at the two 12th grade girls. "Hello Daidouji-senpai, Kinomoto-senpai!"

"Mio-chan, just call us Sakura and Tomoyo," Sakura answered. "Eventually, we're all gonna be good friends, ne?"

"Well… alright then… Sakura-senpai and Tomoyo-senpai!" Mio grinned.

"It's a start," Tomoyo laughed.

"Well, it's a bit of a last minute thing," Mio began to explain as she sat closer to Sakura. "You see, for the second team manager position it's the guys from the high school soccer team who gets to select, since they know their high school girls real well."

"How is it last minute?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"Well," Mio began, "I started becoming team manager of the school soccer team last year as a 10th grader, but then today having me as team manager became a little controversial."

"Guys are so paranoid," Kaho rolled her eyes. "I'm already marrying one myself."

Sakura chuckled at Kaho's statement. "Why controversial? If you started last year and you're one of the current team managers this year, how can you be controversial?"

Mio sighed deeply. "They found out that I'm currently dating Nijibe High's star striker, Sojiro Kisaragi, and you know how it is with the whole Romeo and Juliet thing…"

"Oh, that," Sakura gave a soft chuckle. "Well, I don't know you that well yet, Mio-chan, but I can already tell that you have a good heart and good intentions as a person. Any guy would be so lucky to have you and that he wouldn't dare break a heart of someone as sweet as you. Kisaragi-kun couldn't be that bad…"

"Well, some girls among the Amber Emeralds all think he's hot, but they supported me on my quest to win his heart before."

"Aw, how sweet and romantic!" Tomoyo chuckled.

Mio sighed deeply. "I felt really sad when Kuze-senpai actually voted against me being the second team manager under Kaho-san because of my relationship with Sojiro-kun. I mean, he was always my mentor at everything. He's never voted against me before. He was always supportive. Even Murakami-kun was skeptical about me. They're afraid that because I'm so in love with Sojiro-kun that I may end up spilling their secret tactics. They should know I would never do such a thing!"

"Hey, that sounds like that idiot fiance of mine with Sakura-chan," Kaho complained with a frown. "Why are guys so paranoid when it comes to their close female friends?"

Sakura sighed deeply and patted Mio on her shoulder. "Don't worry, once tryouts start, they'll forget about you and Sojiro-kun and focus more on their game."

"I hope so," Mio nodded. "I know Sojiro-kun and I are together but we rarely talk about soccer at all. The only time we talk about soccer is whenever he talks about what happened to the past games he played. He'd never ask me about the Tomoeda High soccer team at all. When I'm with him, I feel really safe and secure, like I can be me whenever I'm with him."

"We're really happy for you, Mio-chan," Tomoyo smiled. "As for me, I just want to enjoy my new freedom being a single girl right now. I'm not ready to get in to another relationship yet."

Mio nodded. "We're really sorry about your breakup with Bunchin-senpai. I've heard rumors here and there. You'll find someone way better than him."

"Ah, don't worry about me, Mio-chan. Right now, I enjoy being a matchmaker!" She gave a snickering chortle at the end. "Ne, Sakura?"

"Hoe? What about me?" Sakura nervously chuckled.

"Waaaah of course!" Mio cheered happily. "Tomoyo-senpai is a brand-new member of the Amber Emeralds! That must mean that Tomoyo-senpai is going to get Sakura-senpai and Li-senpai together, ne?"

_Oh, that's right, _Sakura thought to herself. _She doesn't know that Syaoran and I are already together… _Right then, she went along with the charade and gave a nervous laugh. "I… I don't know about that… I mean Tomoyo's a very persistent girl, you know?"

"Ohohohohoho!" Tomoyo laughed as she and Mio held each other's hands. "This is going to be the sweetest moment ever for the Amber Emeralds! We'll finally get to witness all the sweet moments that you will be sharing with Syaoran-kun!"

"Mou… did you have to say that out loud… I mean he's already out there! What if he hears us?" Sakura whispered at the two squealing high schoolers.

"Rather too late warning them about that," Kaho said. "Look who's coming toward us."

Quickly Sakura, Tomoyo, and Mio turned their heads towards the field to see Syaoran, Eriol, Yun, and Shulai coming towards their direction. Mio immediately panicked and stood up, wiping off the grass from her sweatpants, and quickly bowed towards them.

"Hi Sakura," Syaoran greeted, pretending that everything was the usual.

"Hello there soccer-loving ladies!" Eriol greeted along.

"Hi guys," Sakura smiled. "Hi Syaoran!"

"So, I overheard some giggling over here," Syaoran gave a slight snicker while combing his fingers through his messy mocha hair. "You girls wouldn't happen to talk about how hot and sexy and luscious I am now, would you?"

"You?" Eriol snickered. "You'd wish! They're only mentioning your name because everyone loves you more when in secret they're talking about how dashing and romantic I am!"

"So conceited, both of you!" Sakura stuck her tongue. "Kaho-neechan and Mio-chan were just talking about their boyfriends and Tomoyo and me were just squealing like fangirls because we're hopeless romantics!" She then turned to Mio, who still remained bowing. "You guys know Mio-chan, right? She's the our second team manager!"

"Oh, right," Syaoran nodded. "Kuroda-san, right?"

Mio lifted herself and nodded. "Good to see you again, Li-senpai… and Hiiragizawa-senpai… and Oh-senpai too… as well as Shulai-kun!"

"No way…" Shulai muttered as he slowly removed his sunglasses and baseball cap. "How'd you know it was me?"

"Because Li-senpai is standing in front of me. If he was you, you'd never call me Kuroda-san," Mio grinned.

"Oh. Right." Shulai sighed.

"So, so," Yun suddenly joined in the girls. "What's so awesome about your boyfriends that made you squeal? I wanna squeal too!"

"You're an idiot, Yun-kun," Tomoyo laughed. "Naoko would be so mad that you're not squealing about your deep relationship with her!"

Just as the conversation was about to continue, they hear Yamazaki's voice calling for them. "Oiii! What the hell! The tryouts are out here in the field, not in the sidelines! We're starting early since it looks like there's no one else coming!"

Sakura shrugged and turned to Tomoyo and the two team managers. "Well, I guess we have to get going." She and Tomoyo hi-fived while Kaho and Mio gave her a thumbs up.

"Good luck out there, Sakura-senpai!" Mio cheered, then turned to the boys. "And you boys as well!"

"Have fun out there!" Kaho cheered along, while Tomoyo remained silent and concentrated on her video camera.

"Looks like the Amber Emeralds are now waiting for their show, Sakura. Let's make everybody jealous," Syaoran gave a wink.

"Silly Syaoran!" Sakura laughed. She ran ahead, with Syaoran catching up to her. Eriol, Yun, and Shulai followed the two from behind.

#

For the entire Wednesday, everything consisted of intense soccer training from the usual exercise warm-ups, an endurance jog for a mile around the track, and of course, playing soccer games against each other with the players chosen by the coaches. The first day of tryouts ended sometime at 5:00 p.m., but before that, they had more meetings with Yukito the head coach and Touya the assistant to let them know what was to come on the second day of tryouts.

At around 6:00 p.m., the idols had to go back to the movie set in Tomoeda High School to do their night shoots, but before that, Wei prepared a scrumptiously delicious dinner for the soccer players. The sleeping arrangements during dinner was also announced as well. Originally, the Wolf's Lair will be consisting of the Kinomoto SIblings, Shulai, Wei, and of course, the owner himself, Syaoran. Starting tonight, the Wolf's Lair will consist of those same people, but in addition, Yukito, Yamazaki, Eriol, and Yun. To top it all off, Tomoyo even invited herself to be part of the Wolf's Lair inhabitants as well. For those around Tomoeda who knew Tomoyo well, there was absolutely no escaping her. Apparently, that fact also applied to Syaoran and the rest of the idols.

Syaoran decided to give up his master bedroom to the girls as he decided to sleep at the bunk beds outside his room alongside the rest of the boys. It sounded like a plausible and fair idea to keep the girls safe from any unwanted "harm," however as for Shulai, he was already having suspicion that Syaoran may probably have more tricks up his sleeve. In addition, he also had to keep an eye on his new competition, Cousin Eriol Hiiragizawa, for any of his sneaky moves towards the girl he's currently eying on, Tomoyo Daidouji.

11:00 p.m. came and both Sakura and Tomoyo were already tucking themselves in to the Syaoran's overwhelmingly comfortable bed. Just like any other girl friends sharing beds at a slumber party, they had to have a girl-to-girl chatter. Sakura and Tomoyo did just that.

"My gosh… I can't believe we're sleeping on Syaoran's bed!" Tomoyo softly giggled. "I can't believe that he actually let you sleep on this very bed— right next to him!"

"We didn't do anything, okay?" Sakura blushed heavily. "It's just… well… we cuddled…"

"I believe you, Sakura," Tomoyo laughed. "There's a saying that people can easily tell when a girl has lost her purity or not. If you ask me, you're still the sweet and plain and pure Sakura that I always knew."

"Thanks, Tomoyo," Sakura smiled. "He's really sweet and gentle to me though… and very overprotective too. He said he would wait until I'm eighteen for him to… um…" She couldn't find herself continuing through the details and instead found herself blushing once more.

"You don't have to tell me all the details, Sakura. I think that's really sweet of him. Not only that he loves you, but he's very respectful of you too!"

"Yeah. He really is a wonderful boyfriend… I just wish I don't have to feel so insecure all the time."

"I've noticed something about Syaoran though which I really think he would make such a perfect boyfriend for you," Tomoyo laughed. "While you're worrying about your insecurity, Syaoran does the inevitable by making the girls jealous of you instead of him making you jealous. The way he stood next to you all the time whenever you do the role calls, do you warm-ups, and whenever you ran the mile around the track he was running with you, and even when a part of your leg was sore, rather than the team manager patching you up, he patches you up himself… seriously, I really do envy you."

"Mou, nothing for you to envy about, Tomoyo. You're so beautiful like a goddess. You can get any guy you want!"

Tomoyo shook her head. "It's not that easy, Sakura, you know that. But thanks for cheering me up."

"This will get better, Tomoyo. Maybe not now, but definitely in the near future! You'll finally find the right guy before you even know it!"

The two girls lied down, tucking themselves in. "Ne, Sakura. Don't you just wish it was Syaoran who was next to you instead of me?"

"Hoe?" Sakura blushed immediately. "Oh come on, I can survive without Syaoran sleeping next to me. And I'm also happy that you're sleeping next to me too! It's a whole lot better than sleeping next to Oniichan."

The two girls laughed. "Ne, you and Syaoran must always love to cuddle with each other, keeping each other warm even if the night itself is warm," Tomoyo giggled. "And then before you go to sleep, you'd be whispering sweet nothin's on his ear while he talks all sexy and dirty that would make your mouth water—"

"Waaaah Tomoyo!" Sakura squealed, placing her hands on her cheeks. "He's… he's not like Shulai!"

"Of course, but that's because he only loves you and only has his eyes on you. I bet deep inside you're imagining you and him doing the lover's deed!" She winked at her with a teasing grin.

Sakura simply tucked her head inside her comforter to hide from Tomoyo. "Mou… I can't take it… I… I think I'm going to die thinking about… those things…"

"Aww… I just think you're very excited to know that you're Syaoran's girl," Tomoyo smiled. She stretched out her arms while yawning. "Well then, ready to sleep?"

"Yup. Ready!"

"Talk to you in the morning, Sakura."

"Yup. See you in the morning, Tomoyo. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight!"

Sakura turned off the side lamp as the girls finally fall asleep, making sure that she did not forget her Chiirou stuffed animal in her arms.

Two hours passed by and there was a slight creak sound from the master bedroom door. Making a tiptoe sound on to the floor, a whisper was heard coming from the bed.

"Syaoran…"

With Sakura softly murmuring her love's name, she unknowingly turned her body towards Tomoyo's side, dropping Chiirou right on the floor. Unknowingly, she no longer has Chiirou in her arms, which means she might get a bad dream that night.

Unknowingly, whoever entered Syaoran's master bedroom picked up Chiirou from the floor, then tiptoed back outside.

#

**Thursday (One-Week Slavery Day 4)**

Wei also cooked breakfast for the almost overloaded Wolf's Lair. The surprising fact of it all was that Sakura and Tomoyo woke up first before the boys did. Much to the girls' surprise, they found Syaoran and Eriol sleeping on the floor at the master bedroom in sleeping bags rather than sleeping at the bunk beds. Sakura remembered immediately that Syaoran did have his keys to the master bedroom. Shulai would be outraged again if he sees his future clan leader ending up in his bedroom again close to Sakura rather than actually sleeping along with the boys.

Sakura planted a soft kiss on Syaoran's forehead and let him sleep. She let Tomoyo use the restroom first to wash up before she did. After Tomoyo was done, she proceeded to the kitchen to offer Wei some help, Sakura took over the restroom to wash herself.

When she was finished, Sakura, now changed in to her plain t-shirt and knee-length shorts, ready for the second day of soccer tryouts, headed back to the bedroom to place her PJ attire in to her duffel bag. She proceeded to fix her bed when suddenly, she realized something was wrong with the picture.

"Chiirou!" Sakura gave a soft yelp with a completely shocked expression on her face. _Oh no! Where'd Chiirou go?_

She began to search for her beloved teddy bear starting from underneath the pillows to even underneath the bed. She had to find it before Syaoran wakes up. After all, that was a special Tomoeda stuffed animal Syaoran made for her before he left for Hong Kong seven years ago, and she was very well aware of the possible impacts of the legendary Tomoeda stuffed animal according to the Book of Keroberos.

_No… it can't be… but I was holding him when I was asleep… where could he be…? Syaoran's gonna be so angry if he finds out!_

Just as she was about to slip underneath the bed, she almost panicked when Syaoran made slow motions in his sleep. She swallowed nervously and proceeded under the bed.

No sign of Chiirou under the bed. No Chiirou above the bed and under the pillows. Maybe Syaoran or Eriol may have it and they were hiding it in their sleeping bags. She decided to look for her precious Chiirou much later when Syaoran is not in his room.

Some forty-five minutes later, the boys including Syaoran and Eriol woke up from the fresh and alluring smell of hot waffle breakfast. Wei, and Tomoyo did most of the preparations and the set-up of their morning breakfast. After the boys were finished washing and cleaning themselves up, they proceeded along with breakfast.

"So," Touya began the table conversation. "Why weren't you on your assigned bunk bed, Li?"

"Which Li are you talking to?" Shulai asked curiously as he took a bite off of his maple-drenched waffle.

"The big screen idol Li," Touya glared.

"Your problem now, Xiaolang," Shulai grinned.

"Shut up, Shulai," Syaoran raised an eye towards his cousin. "It was really late night. I believe we got back at around three in the morning. Correct me if I'm wrong, Eriol."

"2:58 a.m. to be exact, dear cousin," Eriol answered as Syaoran wanted him to.

"Well, rounded off to three in the morning," Syaoran continued. "I had to get in to my room to change in to my PJs. Apparently Eriol forgot his own set of PJs from the house so he had to borrow mine. At that point we were completely out of energy, so rather than slaving ourselves to head back out of the room to the bunk beds, we decided to sleep on the floor in my room."

"Relax now, Kinomoto-senpai," Eriol grinned. "I was there with him. I made sure I don't let him sneak on his bed just so he can sleep next to his precious cherry blossom!"

"And he wouldn't be able to sneak on his bed anyway," Tomoyo smiled. "I was already there taking his spot unless if he was disrespectful enough to kick me out of his bed."

"In short," Syaoran continued, "nothing happened last night, so you can sigh in relief now, Touya-senpai." And sigh in relief, Touya did.

"Hope everyone had a good night's sleep despite that Syaoran-kun and Eriol-kun finished their night scenes really late," Yukito said, sipping on his mug of coffee. "We've got a lot to do later out in the field. I got new drills to introduce to all the players and of course, more of the players who didn't get a chance to play an actual game yesterday will be able to play today. The rest of you, you can rest and watch the game or you can train on your own."

"Thanks for letting us know, Yuki-niichan," Sakura grinned.

Wei coughed softly to interrupt. "I was also reminded by the Lis to also inform you of Master Xiaolang's and Master Eriol's schedules as well, Tsukishiro-san. They have their day and night shootings today, however they will still be at soccer practice, which will take place this afternoon. I will make sure that Master Xiaolang and Master Eriol do arrive at the field on time."

"Thanks for letting me know, Wei-san," Yukito grinned. "Well then, everyone eat up!"

No more words were exchanged at this point as they finished their breakfast. Once they were finished, they helped clean up the kitchen, get themselves ready for the day, as Syaoran and Eriol proceeded to the exit with Wei for their movie shooting.

Sakura quickly ran outside to catch up to Syaoran and quickly embraced her boyfriend tightly. Syaoran found himself chuckling as he wrapped his arms around her in return. It took about a minute for the two to separate from each other.

"What's with the long hug, Sakura?" Syaoran grinned.

"Well," Sakura gave a slight blush, "um, you won't laugh… or get mad… if I tell you this…?"

"What is it?"

Right then, Eriol and Wei knew that they were going to have a lover-to-lover moment and decided to walk ahead of them, leaving Syaoran behind. The two continued on with their short talk.

"Um… see… last night… I… I had this really… scary dream…"

"Scary? How scary is it…?"

She gave a long sigh and then answered him in a whisper. "Somehow… being apart for to weeks may even drive us apart…"

"Huh? What the hell kind of a dream is that? You know that's not gonna happen!" Gently he rubbed her sides with his hands. "Sakura, forget about that dream."

"I know it's no big deal, but… why is it that I'm having this bad feeling that… something bad's gonna happen that would drive us apart…? Oh, I really hate feeling these things…"

He slowly pulled her towards him and then tenderly kissed her. "There's nothing for you to worry about, my Ying Fa. Remember what we talked about the other day… about trusting each other, ne?" She nodded slowly.

"No matter how much it hurts, we have to trust each other… no matter what…"

"That's right." He leaned over and gave her a peck on the forehead. "These scenes I'm gonna be doing would be love scenes with Hirashiki, so it may take awhile to get them right. But I promise I'll get to the soccer field in time for practice. If not, Eriol will let you know. I promise."

"I'll be waiting with positive vibes, Syaoran," Sakura smiled.

"I look forward to seeing you in action at the field today, Sakura."

With that, the two kissed, this time deeper than the kiss he gave her few moments ago. This particular kiss became a whole lot more demanding, wanting, as if this would be the last kiss they will ever share together before they go to their own ways. The way he held her to him made her feel like he just refused to release her and that he refused to go to the movie shoot and would rather stay with her the entire day. She felt his demand and she also felt the same level of demand for him at the same time.

Some moments later, they withdrew from each other.

"Good luck with your love scenes, my Chiirou-kun!"

"I'll be thinking of you, my Ying Fa." They kissed again, as Syaoran released her, making his way to the scenes. Sakura waved at him from behind, but at the same time she was biting her bottom lip.

_I really hope so, Syaoran. I really hope you're right. I hope losing Chiirou would not cause some kind of omen between us…_

Quickly, she ran back in to the camper and in to the master bedroom. Even right after Syaoran and Eriol cleaned after themselves of their sleeping equipment, there was still no sign of Chiirou. She checked her bag, Tomoyo's bag, even Eriol's bag. She even looked through Syaoran's perfectly-neat closet and there was still no Chiirou in sight.

It was then that she decided to tell a few of the people regarding her missing Chiirou. She started off with Yamazaki first, but had no knowledge. Then she turned to both Yun and Shulai.

"Was that the dark green stuffed animal you were carrying during that Mochiron game thing at Xiaolang's party? There's actually some meaning to that?" Shulai asked curiously but with a slight sarcastic tone.

"Hey, don't hate now, Shulai," Yamazaki warned him. "Syao-chan actually made that stuffed animal for her when they were little."

"Hot damn, even the cool and collected Xiaolang is actually in to the whole stuffed animal thing?" Shulai tried to restrain himself from laughing when Yun joined in the talk.

"Shulai, if you're gonna start becoming a local boy here in Tomoeda then you better get your ass up at reading her dad's bestseller, 'The Tourist's Guide to the Book of Keroberos.' The whole history and the passages about the Tomoeda stuffed animal and all of that."

"Seriously, Oh? You're in to this too?" Shulai shook his head.

"It's a huge big deal here in Tomoeda, man, especially for the lovers like Sakura and your cousin," Yamazaki said. "If anything happens to that poor stuffed animal— or worse, destroyed— a very bad omen will befall upon the two lovers. Sakura doesn't want that."

Sakura nodded and gave out a huge sigh. "I don't understand… it can't be far away… I must have dropped it on the side of the bed while I was sleeping last night. But there's just no way that it would just disappear like that… and if I did drop it, Syaoran or Eriol may have seen it, probably pick it up and place it next to me or even at the side table. Nothing!"

Tomoyo overheard the commotion and then embraced her best friend to her. "Look, we've got a busy day today, so after we're all done, we can look for Chiirou. Alright?"

Sakura gave a deep sigh. "Gosh, I hope we find Chiirou immediately, I'm going paranoid with the whole bad karma and everything…"

"We will, don't worry," Yamazaki patted her on the shoulder. "You better tell Touya-senpai and Yukito-senpai too so they can help out as well."

"I will. But you guys, promise me, especially you, Shulai… please don't tell Syaoran about this."

"What the— you don't want us to tell Syaoran that you lost your Chiirou stuffed animal? Are you crazy, Sakura?" Yun exclaimed in shock.

"I… I just don't want him to be angry with me for being careless…" Sakura pouted.

"I don't think he'd be mad at you for losing some stuffed animal, you know," Shulai rolled his eyes.

"You may never know, Shulai, come on, give Sakura a break," Yamazaki frowned, then he turned his head towards Sakura. "Alright. We'll keep this from Syaoran for the time being, but if we can't find Chiirou by the time these idols leave for their next stop, then you're gonna have to tell him."

Sakura sighed deeply. "Alright. Deal."

"Well, since we got lots of free time until soccer tryouts, let's start searching," Tomoyo said. Sakura eventually told Touya and Yukito and now they find themselves searching the entire Wolf's Lair for Chiirou.

Some minutes later, they found no single trace at all. Not even a single clue. This only had to mean one thing. Someone must have sneaked in to the master bedroom, found Chiirou, and decided to be a jerk by stealing the stuffed animal away from its owner.

Shulai was the last person to be in the master bedroom after everyone gave up on the search. He did have a hunch when he began to sneeze endlessly. Everyone headed for the bedroom to check on him.

"Shulai!" Sakura exclaimed as she reached for a box of tissues and handed it to him. "What's the matter?"

He gently wiped his nose while shaking his head. "Chamomile…"

"Chamomile?"

"Can you smell a trace of it? It's right close to the bed."

She and Tomoyo approached inside and began to sniff a bit while Shulai quickly exited the door. Few seconds later, Tomoyo could detect the smell. "Angel Baby Lavender & Chamomile."

"Eh? You can even detect the name of the scent too?"

"Mom is also an avid fan of colognes and perfumes, especially the ones that are homemade. Angel Baby Lavender & Chamomile is every trendy girl's favorite cologne right now, however that brand is so expensive that only the elite girls including models, celebrities, and such can afford them. My dad gave me a bottle of it but I haven't really used it yet."

"Frickin' hell!" Shulai shouted as he continued to wipe his nose. "That's one of my main weaknesses— I'm allergic to chamomile!"

"Hoe, I don't wear that much cologne," Sakura pouted. "In fact, I don't have any chamomile-based scent at all!"

"I only got a Satsuma body spray as my scent," Tomoyo said.

"Well, that can only mean one thing," Yukito interrupted. "Since none of us obviously wore chamomile-based scent, that means someone must have sneaked in to the camper and in to the room. We don't know who it is and we don't know why that person came in here in the first place, but whoever that may be, he— or she— must be the one who have stolen Chiirou."

"Seriously this doesn't make any sense," Touya shook his head. "Why would people be stealing a raggedy old stuffed animal anyway? I mean sneaking in to steal money and jewelry, sure but what the hell, a stuffed animal?"

"Whoever decided to do such a mean thing to Sakura is seriously gonna pay!" Tomoyo tightened her fist.

"Oh man…" Sakura moaned with so much worry. "Whoever stole poor Chiirou, I hope he… or she… would be considerate enough not to ruin the poor thing. Syaoran worked so hard to make Chiirou for me. I would be more heartbroken if anything happens to Chiirou."

"Well, at least we got one little clue," Shulai shrugged his shoulders. "We just gotta find the bitch who loves to wear that damn lavender and chamomile cologne and then we'll be in business."

"In the meantime," Tomoyo said, "let's go around the campus and ask a few students if they knew anyone who loves to wear Angel Baby Lavender & Chamomile."

"Yup. Let's do that," Yukito nodded. They decided to split up in to smaller groups as they proceeded on their search.

#

Afternoon came and the second day of soccer tryouts commenced. As Wei vowed, Eriol arrived on time from the shooting as well as their on-the-set lunch. When he arrived on the field, those who were not playing a practice game today were rather shocked to see him arrive by himself, in which Sakura, who had been doing her efforts in practicing her ball-handling skills from her feet, her legs, up to her head.

The boys decided to keep mum about Sakura's dilemma regarding her missing Chiirou stuffed animal from Eriol, knowing how close he is towards the amber-eyed future clan leader. Even Sakura became fearful of Eriol as of this point knowing that he can also be as observant and calculating as her best friend Tomoyo.

"Hoe? Eriol, where's Syaoran?" Sakura asked curiously as she caught the air ball right with her hands.

"I have no idea," Eriol frowned as he arrived to the group and exchanged hi-fives with the players. "He said that he had to stay a bit later to redo a few scenes with Hirashiki. I opted to stay right after and wait for him, but I was kicked out of the scene by the director."

"Wow, must be a really difficult scene to be re-shot," Yamazaki scratched his head.

"It's a love scene, Yamazaki," Eriol said. "Doesn't matter which party is the one who's having problems, they're pretty important scenes. Plus, if possible, they'd like to get all of the scenes here in Tomoeda completed before tomorrow so that it'd be soccer all day and…" He then glanced at Sakura, who continued to do her ball-handling drill. "Ah, dear Sakura!"

"Hoe?" Once again, her concentration was distracted and let the ball immediately hit her head. "Ow!" She gently rubbed her head and shyly grinned. "What's up?"

"If I'm correct, tomorrow is your special luncheon with Xiao and these Amber Emeralds, correct?"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Sakura nodded. "I can't wait!"

From their group, goalie Kenichi Kuze and midfielder Naoki Murakami, one of the co-presidents of the Amber Emeralds, joined in the conversation. "Yup. We're about to inform you and Li-senpai about what the Amber Emeralds got in store for you for tomorrow's luncheon," Naoki said. "My girlfriend and I have planned this for a long time and we're really happy that it's finally going to happen tomorrow!"

"Wah, really?" Sakura squealed cheerfully. "Where are we gonna eat? What are we gonna eat?"

"It's a bit of a surprise, but we can give you a clue," Kuze grinned. "Bring your bathing suit."

"Wah, a swimming luncheon?" Sakura cheered again. "Is it at the Tomoeda Sports Center at the pool? Or maybe at the beach?"

"It's a surprise, Kinomoto, if we tell you everything, it won't be a surprise anymore!" Kuze snickered.

"Mou… you got a point there…"

"Well then!" Eriol placed his arms around Yamazaki and Shulai. "Let's do our group ball-handling drills while we wait for the lead soccer stud to arrive!"

"Lead… soccer stud…?" Shulai raised an eyebrow curiously.

"What's that mean, Eriol?" Yun asked curiously.

"Yeah! Lead soccer stud!" Eriol gave a sheepish grin. "We're the Seven Soccer Studs and a Sweetheart!" He winked right at Sakura after the word "sweetheart."

"I guess that means I'm the 'sweetheart'," Sakura shrugged.

"So if Kinomoto's the sweetheart, then there's only six of us 'soccer studs' then!" Yamazaki made a note.

"Seven if Xiaolang's here," Shulai added. "Well, guess we gotta start doing our drills then."

Eriol picked up the ball Sakura was playing with earlier as they all formed a circle. "Simple instructions. We take our turns handling the ball without letting it fall to the ground, depending on where the ball is heading at. We'll keep doing this drill until Xiao arrives. Everyone, ready?"

"Ready!" Everyone formed a circle as Eriol turned towards Sakura. "Ladies first!" He tossed the ball lightly up in the air and kicked it right towards Sakura. She stopped the ball by using her feet, and then using her knees to keep the ball from touching the ground. Then from there, she began to pass the ball to the next player, Yamazaki, who also does the same, and so on and so forth with the rest of the players.

Some twenty minutes later, the players counted their kicks and hits on the ball from the beginning. Of course, the ball fell on the ground many times, but the players continued on with their drill game. Apparently at their latest round, Eriol fell tired and missed the ball by his knee, letting the ball drop to the ground.

"Sixty-five hits! Good job, team!" Yamazaki announced. The rest of the players applauded and whistled as they all exchanged hi-fives with each other.

"Man, for someone who hasn't played soccer for the last two to three years, you still got your juice, girl!" Kuze applauded towards Sakura, which also lead to the rest of the boys applauding for her as well.

"Thanks, everyone! Dad and Oniichan kept me up to date with my skills so I don't lose it, so it's really good practice and it paid off!"

"Man, if only Li-senpai would've seen you now," Naoki said. "He would be really proud and happy for you!"

"I hope so, Murakami-kun," Sakura chuckled.

Right then, they heard Yukito's voice calling out to the rest of the players. "Alright, everyone! It's time for your fifteen-minute break! Then after that, we're gonna have another game with the second half of the players playing this time! Be back in fifteen minutes, alright?"

As the players broke up to take their break, Sakura began to worry as she scanned around the field area and the sidelines. Still no sign of Syaoran. She did find Tomoyo sitting together with the team managers, Kaho and Mio, chatting. She quickly ran to the girls hurriedly.

"Hey, Sakura!" Tomoyo gritted with her usual smile. "Looks like you and the boys had fun!"

"We're on fifteen-minute break right now," Sakura said and sat on the space next to Tomoyo, wiping the sweat off of her face using her face towel slung around her neck. Mio quickly handed her a bottle of iced water. "Thanks, Mio-chan!"

"No problem, Sakura-senpai!" Mio smiled. Kaho then stood up from her spot.

"I'm gonna clean up a bit at the field and talk to Touya, so I'll leave you girls here for now."

"See you later, Kaho-neechan!" Sakura and the other two girls waved at the older lady. Meanwhile, Mio spotted one of the players limping.

"Looks like one of them is injured. I'm gonna patch the poor guy up, so be right back!" Mio took a first aid kit with her as she approached the unfortunate player.

Sakura then gave a sigh as she sipped on her iced water. "Tomoyo, have you seen Syaoran?"

Tomoyo blinked curiously. "Eh? Syaoran hasn't arrived yet?"

She shook her head. "Eriol did come though. He said they were re-shooting some important scenes or something like that? Mou, why are they delaying him of his soccer practice?"

"Well, Wei did promise us that he would get Syaoran to practice today," Tomoyo sighed.

Sakura began to shake her head, placing her hands on to her eyes. "Mou, Tomoyo… why do I worry so much whenever he's not around, even if he's not there for a short time…"

"That's love, Sakura," Tomoyo simply smiled, patting her on the shoulder. "Since you got a fifteen-minute break, why don't we go inside the school building and find him?"

"Good idea, Tomoyo. They can't kick us out because I'm wearing my soccer gear, so they know that we're here to get Syaoran so we can practice."

Just as the two girls were about to stand from their seats, they hear screaming fangirls calling out Syaoran's name. That only meant one thing. He finally arrived on the scene.

"Syao—" As Sakura was about to call out and wave to her love, Tomoyo quickly hushed her and reminded her.

"Be careful. Remember, the public still doesn't know that you and Syaoran are already together, so… treat him like any other fellow soccer player."

"Uh, right," Sakura gulped nervously. Then, she decided to do what Tomoyo reminded her and then waved both of her hands towards his direction. "Yo, Syaoran! Over here!"

Syaoran turned to see Sakura waving at her, smiled, and proceeded right towards her direction. However, on his way, someone else dragged him from behind. As he turned around to see who it was, Sakura spotted Hirashiki immediately hooking her arms around his own.

"Huh?!" Sakura and Tomoyo exclaimed. Meanwhile, the six boys from Sakura's group earlier arrived to grab some water from the cooler.

"Man, I'm damn thirsty, dude!" Yamazaki complained as he finally twisted the cap off of his bottled water and took his first gulped. "Aah, now that's the good stuff!"

"Whoa, hello…" Eriol muttered once he also spotted the same interesting scene that Sakura and Tomoyo was gazing at. "What on earth is Hirashiki about this time?"

Just as Syaoran immediately released himself from her, Meiling came from out of the blue and also did the same thing Mai had done to his arm, only this time, she was more demanding with her pull and quickly dragged Syaoran with her towards their direction.

As for Sakura, even though they were there for work, just seeing Mai Hirashiki clinging on to Syaoran in any possible situation really made her nervous. She didn't want Syaoran or anyone else to show of her rather intense jealousy and forced herself to keep her cool as always.

When both Syaoran and Meiling arrived, Eriol crossed his arms at the two. "You had us worried, Xiao. We all thought you've forgotten about us out here in the field."

"Hey, it's not what it looks like, Eriol," Meiling said. "I just saved Xiaolang from the evil clutches of Mai Hirashiki. Besides, I'm also here for another reason." Right then, she spotted Kenichi Kuze talking to Naoki Murakami and then called for his name. "Kuze-kun! Hiiii!"

The two Amber Emerald boys turned to see Meiling waving at them. "Oh. Hello, Meiling-chan," Kuze nervously grinned.

Sakura approached Syaoran, who sat at the bench and tying his soccer shoes tight. "What took you so long, Syaoran? That must have been a really long scene!"

"Nothing. It's work as usual." To everyone's surprise, Syaoran answered his girlfriend with a rather annoyed tone without even looking directly at her face. Sakura too was taken aback by his reaction.

"Oi, what's with the attitude, Xiaolang? The soccer sweetheart was just worried about you, that's all. You don't have to sound annoyed!" Shulai butted in their conversation.

"As I stated before, Shulai, work as usual," Syaoran glared. Then he turned to the rest of the players. "Why are you all standing around here for? Let's go out and practice already!"

"Fifteen minute break, Xiao," Eriol said in his stern voice. "I don't normally give attention to all your little girl troubles, especially with Hirashiki, both on and off the set, but why am I having a gut feeling that there's more to that scene and more to her flirting with you?"

"Do I have to repeat myself again, Eriol? Jeez, what's with everyone today?" Syaoran blasted.

"Hey, don't give a cow, Xiaolang, the rest of us in this group are worried about you, especially with Kinomoto here!" Shulai reminded him again.

Just as the cousins were about to start an argument, Yun immediately butted in himself. "Um, let's not bring in outside stresses in to the blessed soccer field, boys! After all, you are all out here in the field to play soccer, not to argue. There's a saying in martial arts, don't forget— leave your ego outside the borders. So… leave your egos outside the borders!"

"Fine…" Eriol growled, as both Syaoran and Shulai remained silent.

"Now that's done, let's talk about the good times that we've done today, ne?" Yamazaki gave a thumbs up. "Oi Murakami, Kuze— eh, Meiling?"

"Looks like Meiling really has found a new love of her own," Yun blinked his eyes. "And of all people, it had to be Kenichi Kuze."

Right then, Naoki, Kuze, and Meiling turned their heads towards them. "Oh, right," Kuze nodded. The three approached the group as he let Naoki give Syaoran the briefing.

"Tomorrow's luncheon will be a bit of a surprise," Naoki began. "One clue is that you should bring your swim gear. It does involved getting wet."

"Is that so?" Syaoran smirked, crossing his arms. "Yeah?"

"Kuze, Kuroda-chan, and myself will be knocking on your camper door to pick you up and we'll go there together. The food will be all homemade by the happy and dedicated Amber Emeralds, so it's all pot luck!"

"Yum, sounds delicious!" Sakura cheered happily.

"Waah, a luncheon with Amber Emeralds people and Xiaolang and Sakura? Sounds exciting!" Meiling grinned happily. "Hope you guys make lots of food, after all, it's always a good thing to bring more than enough food, ne?"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow towards Meiling. "Are you planning on inviting yourself in the luncheon tomorrow, Meiling?"

"What? Me inviting myself?" Meiling stuck her tongue at him. "In case you didn't know, Kuze here just invited me to come along!" She then clung her arms around Kuze's arm, with Kuze chuckling nervously. "Ne, Kuze-kun?"

"I… I did… I really did invite Meiling-san… hope you don't mind, Li," Kuze muttered with a shy smile.

"Fine, whatever," Syaoran shrugged his shoulders.

And with that, the fifteen minutes was up when they heard the whistle coming from Touya's neck. "Alright, break's over! Time to go back to training!"

The players made their short byes to the girls as they headed back to the field, leaving Tomoyo and Meiling at the sidelines. Right then, Meiling sighed in relief as Tomoyo turned to her friend.

"What's going on, Meiling? Something happened?"

"I don't know the entire story, Tomoyo," Meiling frowned, crossing her arms. "But I'm not liking the fact that he and Mai-chan are getting closer and closer during the set. Something fishy's going on, that's for sure."

Tomoyo's eyes widened in surprise. "Eh? What do you mean closer and closer?"

"They're playing the lovers in the movie, remember? I'm pretty sure Xiaolang's just being in character during that time but now a lot of the idols around are getting confused if the way they acted with each other was only for the movie or they were actually for real."

"Oh no!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "That's bad! What would Sakura think if she learns about all this? She'll have her heart broken in to pieces! And I know Sakura… she's very delicate with feelings like that…"

Meiling sighed. "Now I'm a little scared, especially that we'll be gone from Tomoeda in two weeks too."

"Well, we really can't say things right now. All I know for sure is that they're seriously, madly, deeply, truly in love with each other, Meiling."

"I know that," Meiling smiled. "I can see the way his amber eyes sparkle whenever he hears the word 'sakura,' even if we were just talking about the cherry blossom and the cherry trees. But if anything happens between him and Sakura, I blame the other party for it!"

"Mou," Tomoyo sighed. "I wonder what Hirashiki's up to? I noticed something too, but I don't think Sakura did. Syaoran really looked very bothered as if he was forced to do something he didn't want to do when she was all over him. Good thin you showed up on time, Meiling."

"I saw it too, Tomoyo," Meiling nodded. "There's gonna be more movie shooting later tonight after soccer practice. I'm gonna talk to Eriol and see if both of us can keep an eye on those two. I'll update you about it."

"Thanks very much, Meiling, I really appreciate it."

"Let's not tell Sakura about all this. She's so excited for tomorrow's luncheon and for the summer sports camp that she can't afford to have all these relationship worries anymore."

"I feel bad for leaving Sakura out in the loop though."

"Me too. But on the other hand, as long as she and Syaoran continue to stay close to each other and constantly contact each other when they're apart, we shouldn't worry so much."

"I hope you're right about this, Meiling."

The two girls continued watching the seven soccer studs and the sweetheart doing more of their group drills. This time, they began practicing their soccer kicks from one person to the next as they continue on running and strolling around the empty field not too far to where an actual soccer game was taking place.

Unbeknownst to the two girls, Mai Hirashiki stood alone at the far side of the sidelines, staring at the two girls. Along with her stare, she gave a sinister smirk.

* * *

**A/N:** I know. It's been a long time since I posted the latest chapter. I was on my way in to job hunting once again and that I had to take a 4-day MS Access database creation/maintenance class just to earn a certification and show to potential employers that I'm MS Office-certified. In addition, I have been revamping two of my sites: my portfolio and my personal blog/site. You can check those sites out by going to my FFnet profile. After all, we can't type in email addresses and site URLs on our chapters.

I also suffered a bit of a writer's block, so in order to combat this, I played immense amounts of Candy Crush Saga on my phone and eventually, wrote a very short preview of the next CCS fic that I planned to write. If you're a frequent reader and if you remember that I've mentioned about writing a sci-fi/fantasy-ish CCS fic before, well, that was it. Tentative title, the story is called **The Empyrean Wars**. If you have the time, please do read the preview and would LOVE to know what you guys think of it so far- by leaving reviews. ^_^

Other than that, that's all I've got with the updates. Time to give my shoutouts to all the new followers and those who added Stuffed Animal to their favorites. Next, time to provide my responses to the reviewers!

**Narquissa** – Sorry for making you wait. ^_^; Glad you're enjoying the story so far (regardless of my imperfections with grammar/accidental misspellings, etc.). It seems like I'm running out of ideas with conversations but luckily I was able to get past through that. See you around! ^_^

**dancingfingers** - … and things may be getting worse for our dear Syaoran and his suffering of the Li's Curse LOL.

**Ria –** I'm aware of my mistakes, but thank you for pointing that out. I fixed it already. ^_^

**SakuSyaoLvr –** I wanted to add more "imperfections" towards the enigmatic Li Family. Shulai obviously being one of them LOL. Glad you're enjoying his character even though he may sound annoying to some readers ^_^;

**Littlepuppylost –** I'm glad that everyone's enjoying the Shulai character. Like you mentioned before (I think), he's just one little lost puppy who doesn't know what he's getting in to LOL.

**Shadow74196 (on both reviews)** – Hope you enjoyed your historical trip. I actually like going to historical sites. There just isn't many of them in my area I'm afraid. ^_^; Actually, Stuffed Animal was meant to be a rom-com (romance comedy), not so much drama. To tell you the truth, I'm not really good at writing drama fics. I do mostly romance, humor/comedy (not the slapstick, lame types), mystery, suspense, and also with happy endings LOL. Hope this chapter made you happy at the least. ^_^;

**Just a reader –** Hello again! I try to reply to everyone, it's a bit of a new habit of mine. It's a whole lot easier than sending PMs to each and every one of them. Might as well do them all at once by replying at the author's notes section. Glad you're enjoying the fic so far. ^_^

**ninastylee –** Hello and welcome! I actually remember your username as one of the followers of my fic awhiel ago (my mind is weird sometimes, remembering random stuff LOL) and I read your profile and it somewhat intimidated me a little bit LOL. I didn't think that Stuffed Animal would fit in to majority of your genres (I admit I'm a bit of a conservative cheesy/happy ending-type of writer ^_^;). I think all I got is just simple rom-com with mine LOL. But I'm glad you're enjoying the fic so far and thank you for finally showing yourself in the Reviews section LOL. I don't require everyone to leave a review on every single chapter anyway. Reviews are all within the reader's discretion. ^_^

**Guest –** Hello and thank you!

**DualStarduster –** Hmm... do your parents speak Tagalog? Or any elder relatives? Maybe you can start there by asking them to teach you- or even talk to you in Tagalog. There was a time when I almost lost my ability to speak the language when I was in high school, but when the family started subscribing to TFC (The Filipino Channel) on cable, the Tagalog fluency came back to me LOL. But anyway, talking to your family and friends and letting them teach you is a start. No need to feel ashamed, after all, you were raised in a foreign country, and how you know the native language or not all lies from the , hope you enjoy the latest chapter. ^_^

**sakura 42002 –** Hello there and welcome! Thank you for reading Stuffed Animal and enjoying it so far! I hope I didn't make you wait that long for this new chapter. Looking forward to hearing from you!

**NollasBlack** – Sorry for the long wait. You know, real life and all that. Hopefully this chapter would finally give you a few answers to your curious questions regarding the last chapter LOL.

**Alexag98 –** Nah, I realized that one "reviewer" who kept complaining about this and that was either a troll or a noob who probably has never seen CCS Japanese version. We all know how much Cardcaptors botched up the entire series. Seriously, they need to do better things during their spare time. Looks like after that reply of mine, that troll reviewer doesn't visit anymore. Not a loss LOL. Thanks for reading and enjoying! ^_^

**Icefrosties (on ch. 6 and 21)** – Haha, thinking the less frequently occurred romance scenes are rather difficult to come up, but having Syaoran climbing through the sakura tree just to see Sakura was something I actually blushed on while imagining it. Anyway, sorry for the wait. ^_^

If you got something to say to me in private, you can always contact me through PM. I'm signing off for now, so be sure to read **The Empyrean Wars** preview and let me know what you think!

This is Adri Mars, signing off! **salute**


	23. 22: Mystery of the Missing Chiirou

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adri Mars_

**CHAPTER 22: MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CHIIROU**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

* * *

**QUICK NOTE:** I write all my author notes at the end of each chapter, so please, don't forget to read them once you reach the end of this page. I'm putting this "quick note" back on because some of the reviewers don't read the author notes below- **_My replies to the reviewers are included in the author notes below!_**

* * *

The youth coordinator assigned to oversee the formation of the Camp Tomoeda soccer team stopped by the Tomoeda High School soccer field to check up on the remaining minutes left of the second day of tryouts. Her appearance startled both Yukito and Touya, who both did not expect her to stop by for a visit. A soccer game continued on while a few who played yesterday were sitting at the sidelines being the second stringers for the day and others continuing on with their fundamental drills.

"You just had to show up, didn't you?" Touya muttered as the sporty-strutting Fanren Li snickered towards the two best friends.

"But of course! I wanna see how soccer tryouts are doing! After all, I _am _your boss at this point," Fanren stuck her tongue at the curious Touya.

"She has a point, you know, Touya," Yukito reminded him.

"Yeah, whatever."

"So, come on now, got any updates for me?"

Yukito decided to take over from this discussion. "It looks like everyone who came today will all make it in to the team after all."

"Oh? All of them? May I ask why?"

"Because half of the players who showed up yesterday didn't show up today," Touya continued from where Yukito left off. "There was a really huge turnout yesterday but then today after taking role, the prospects suddenly cut in half."

"Huh? I wonder why…" Fanren began to rub her chin.

"I think I may have an answer," Yukito said. "Yesterday the coaches from other soccer teams serving Tomoeda were helping us leading the basic drills and organize the prospects in to two groups so we can easily assess them further. I didn't pay attention to what the other coaches were doing, but today, it was just me and Touya handling today's tryouts. I did have the time to speak to Naoki Murakami, the current team captain of the Tomoeda High School soccer team, and he did hear rumors that the other coaches were pushing some players too much or that the training was just way over the top, so they decided not to pursue in to getting in to the team anymore."

"Huh… I guess these guys think that being part of the Camp Tomoeda soccer team means instant fame. After all, my brother and cousin are present after all and you know how it goes with attention-seeking famewhores…"

"Right, right," Touya nodded. "So now, we're thinking of changing the schedule from tomorrow afternoon to tomorrow morning before lunch to let the players know which string they will be part of. We've already assessed enough of the players from yesterday's group to today's group and we can already see clearly who belongs in the first string and who belongs in the second. We even thought of having a third string also but because a lot bailed, we're sticking to two strings instead."

"Well," Fanren answered, "if that's all we've got, then we might as well go for it."

Yukito gazed at his watch and noticed that the clock already struck at 5:45 p.m. "Well, guess it's time to end the tryouts early."

"Go for it, Yuki-chan," Fanren grinned.

Yukito turned towards the field and blew the whistle. He waved along rather than screaming his lungs out to get his players' attention. With just that one whistle, everyone out in the field immediately ran towards the coach, lining up from one end horizontally. Touya and Fanren stood by Yukito as the head coach began to speak to his players.

"Looking good so far, all of you. Coach Kinomoto and myself have carefully assessed and reviewed each and every one of you through the drills and the game. As a team, looking really good. You guys have really great camaraderie, and that's what we need to win against Camp Nijibe, so everyone give yourselves a hand."

Everyone applauded as Yukito hushed them and continued on. "Originally, we were going to have a third string to those whom we feel have potential to be in our team but still needs improvement, however, not everyone showed up for today, so it's most likely that all of you will eventually be part of the brand-new assembled Camp Tomoeda Soccer Team, so again, give yourselves a hand and congratulations, everyone."

The players cheered and applauded, then Yukito hushed them again. "So, here's what's gonna happen. Tonight, Coach Kinomoto and I will be having a meeting along with our new youth coordinator sitting next to us, Miss Fanren Li, and decide which one of you will be in the first string and which one of you will be in the second string. If you do end up in a string you don't want to be, don't feel like you're unimportant. We will eventually balance play time for every player as one of our strategies to stay in the game until the 90 minutes are up. And because of today's turnout, rather than having our final meeting tomorrow for the results of your placement, we will be having our meeting tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. right here at the field to see your new placement within the team. During the meeting, we will be discussing our practice schedules, especially the week after next week. As you know, the Tomoeda summer festival is nearing, and as Tomoedans, we all have the obligation and duty as good Tomoeda citizens to help the community by setting up and cleaning up field and the beach for the festival. We'll discuss all that tomorrow, so please, all of you, please be on time. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Coach!" The players immediately responded loudly.

"Well then, everyone please fix the equipment and clean yourselves. If you all have any questions regarding team tryouts, Coach Kinomoto and I will be available for about ten minutes. Otherwise, you're dismissed. Again, great job, everyone!" The final words ended with an applause as the players broke down to clean up the equipment while others proceeded to go home. Some even stopped by to ask the coaches.

In the meantime, Fanren spotted Sakura walking towards the sidelines. The first thing Fanren thought after noticing Sakura's rather glum-looking expression on her face was exhaustion. Once Sakura got to the sidelines, she sat right next to Tomoyo and Meiling, in which Tomoyo was just previewing the footage she shot earlier from the video camera.

She stopped by to greet the girls and joined them. "Must have been a long day, so of course you'd feel really tired," Fanren spoke.

Sakura gazed at Fanren with a nervous expression on her face this time. "Well… I had fun… but now that soccer tryouts is over… now I have to get my out of the field worries back."

"Huh? What's the matter now Sakura?" Meiling asked curiously.

"Oh no!" Tomoyo gasped in shock. "I forgot to tell you about it!"

"Mou, Tomoyo… did you really have to share this with Meiling and Fanren-neechan?"

Fanren gave a concerned look. "Now now, eventually we'll all gonna be family, Sakura. What's wrong?"

Sakura gulped, then exhaled. "Well… okay… um… I… sorta… lost… Chiirou… this morning—"

"Eh?!" Immediately, Meiling and Fanren exclaimed in shock. "Your beloved stuffed animal?" Sakura nodded slowly.

"When was the last time you saw Chiirou?" Meiling began asking questions.

"At Syaoran's Wolf's Lair camper, of course. Me and Tomoyo were sleeping in Syaoran's bed and I always sleep with Chiirou in my arms. Then when I woke up this morning, Chiirou was gone. We looked everywhere but nothing… what am I gonna do…?"

Fanren gave a sigh and patted Sakura on the shoulder. "I know why you should be worried, Sakura. I know the Book of Keroberos at the back of my head. You're afraid of this bad omen that may befall unto you and Xiao-chan, ne?"

"And… I… I haven't told Syaoran yet… I'm really scared of him getting angry at me for being so careless… and then… he might wanna break up with me…"

"Psh, if Xiaolang gets pissed at you just because you lost your Chiirou, then he's a pathetic, gutless fool!" Meiling spat. "Is there anyone else aside from us who know about this?"

"Eriol doesn't know about it, but Shulai knows about it," Tomoyo said. "Yamazaki and Yun also… and even Touya-niichan and Yuki-niichan. That's it."

"Well, that's strange," Fanren frowned. "The only logical explanation on how Chiirou had gotten lost and can't be found anywhere within that ridiculous camper bus of his was that some thief sneaked inside the camper, found Chiirou on the floor or on the bed somewhere, and simply snatched it." She cleared her throat, then continued. "Sakura, you should file a robbery report to the police. I'll ask Rena-chan if she could help us."

"Rena-chan?" Sakura and Tomoyo wondered regarding the name.

"Oh, you girls don't remember her? She's our long-time girl friend since middle school. She also hung out with Tou-chan and Yuki-chan too. She was a total airhead back then but I'm surprised that she's really thriving with her current career now."

"Hoe? Career? What exactly does she do?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, her full name is Rena Okajima… that is… Detective Rena Okajima of the Tomoeda Police Department."

"Detective Rena Okajima?!" Sakura and Tomoyo exclaimed with bewilderment.

"That's right! She and the sisters and myself, along with Kaho and Nakuru, had an all-girls' night out a few days ago. You know, catching up with current life and everything."

"Wow! You actually got connections to the police!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

"The Lis have connections to everyone around town, my dear," Fanren grinned. "I mean sure, it's only a teddy bear, but that's also theft. It'd only gets worse if the culprit even dared trying to damage or destroy it."

"Filing a theft report to the police? Isn't that a little too much, Fanren-gajie?" Meiling asked curiously.

"You don't know Tomoeda, Meiling," Fanren reminded her. "Everything here is very precious to them. Jewelry, clothes, electronic devices, video games… stuffed animals… if a lost item cannot be found anywhere near the last place it was seen, it's automatic theft. You don't just steal someone else's stuff and then call it as your own no matter how small and worthless that item may be. As you know, Sakura's darling Chiirou is a priceless treasure to her because Xiao-chan worked so hard to perfect it for Sakura."

"And now… Chiirou's gone…" Sakura moaned in sadness, biting her bottom lip to prevent tears from trickling down.

"Aw, don't cry, Sakura…" Tomoyo placed an arm around her best friend.

"I can't help it, Tomoyo…" Sakura sniffed and leaned her head on Tomoyo's shoulder.

"Don't worry too much, Sakura, we'll help you find him," Fanren said. "I'll even let my other sisters know about it. You just concentrate on your soccer and your library volunteering next week and let us be your search party."

Sakura gently wiped off her tears with a pack of tissues Tomoyo lent to her. "R-really, Fanren-nee? You'd really do that for me?"

"But of course! And I want to see you and my sweet little brother happy together, you know," Fanren winked.

"Count me in also," Meiling nodded.

"Thanks so much, Meiling."

"So, I wanna ask more questions," Meiling continued. "So, aside from not finding Chiirou, do you guys have any clue, I mean did you find some evidence or something that may lead us to Chiirou's whereabouts?"

Right then, Tomoyo gasped at her own realization. "Actually there is! I meant to ask you about it but I guess it slipped my mind!"

"Alright. What is it, Tomoyo?"

"Do you know anyone among the idols and cast and crew who wear Angel Baby Lavender & Chamomile cologn frequently?"

"Huh? Of course," Meiling blinked along with a frown on her face. "Angel Baby Lavender & Chamomile is like _the _signature cologne of the elite and of the famous! Well, I can't wear it since I'm allergic to chamomile—"

"Hoe?" Sakura gasped and turned her head towards Meiling. "You're allergic to chamomile too?"

"It's a Li thing, somewhat," Meiling sighed. "Plenty of the Li members are allergic to chamomile, it's a genetic trait. My father, unfortunately, is allergic to chamomile and it even gets worse if someone offered him chamomile tea. Xiaolang and Eriol are two of the few Li Family members who are completely immune to chamomile."

"Yup, unfortunately," Fanren sighed. "My father, Shiefa, and Fuutie are allergic to chamomile also, so none of us, not even Mom, wear any chamomile-based scent or even drink chamomile tea or any tea that has chamomile in the blend for the sake of the family."

"Mou…" Tomoyo muttered. "Maybe that explains why Syaoran and Eriol didn't notice the scent while they were asleep… otherwise they would have been sneezing their heads off and obviously would wake up and scare the culprit. Since that didn't happen…"

"Well, anyway, going back to your question, Tomoyo," Meiling said. "If you're wondering about famous people, yes, I know plenty. In fact, Taeko Kashii, Auntie Yelan's cousin and one of the screenwriters, is a proud wearer of that cologne. And as for the idol girls, only me and Michiyo Kuno don't own a bottle, let alone wearing it. It was really hard for me to be around them whenever they overload themselves with that damn cologne. It was so bad last night that I had to sleep with the boys at their camper just so I could get a nice, fresh air while sleeping. Otherwise I would be dead the next morning. That's how bad my allergies are with anything chamomile."

"Well, then we got our list of suspects to the crime!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "Kashii-san, Mai Hirashiki, Aya Teramura, and Erika Handa. I'm jotting their names down in my notes section of my phone."

Fanren began scratching her head. "I don't think Auntie Taeko would do such a thing to Sakura… that's just lame and petty. I don't know about those other three idol girls since I haven't really met them myself. I think it's safe to rule out Auntie Taeko on this one. She wouldn't have a reason to steal Chiirou away from you, Sakura."

"Well, why don't we talk about this tomorrow if not later tonight," Meiling suggested. "I mean, we still got more night scenes to do tonight and we want to finish all of them as much as we can. We're able to finish the daytime scenes earlier today. Maybe after the luncheon?"

Tomoyo nodded. "Good idea. Is that okay, Sakura? Unless you have plans right after?"

Sakura shook her head. "We'll just be hanging out with the Amber Emeralds, I guess."

Fanren gazed at her watch. "Well, I'm gonna head off right now. I still got a meeting with the summer camp committee to attend to in about thirty minutes. I just want to check with all of you to see how you're doing." She patted Sakura on the shoulder. "When you can, keep me posted about Chiirou."

"Thanks so much, Fanren-neechan," Sakura gave a faint smile. The girls said their byes as Fanren approached the boys who were now approaching their sidelines with some of the soccer equipment and approached them. One of them just happened to be her little brother, Syaoran.

"You know, I noticed something while I was taping you guys," Tomoyo said as the three of them watched Fanren and the boys conversing at the field.

"What's that, Tomoyo?" Meiling asked curiously.

"Both Sakura and Syaoran are very focused on the game and on the drills today. They didn't even like… look at each other all lovingly and all that."

"Why would we look at each other lovingly out in the field, Tomoyo?" Sakura wondered, taking a deep breath, then exhaled. "It's because we're there to play soccer, not to flirt with each other."

Meiling chuckled while Tomoyo smiled nervously. "Erm… well… I guess I'm a complete romantic then. I always love to capture sweet moments of two young lovers completely in love with each other while they're together doing the same thing. For instance, soccer."

"I don't think showing off how much they're in love with each other in public is gonna help the team win, Tomoyo," Meiling chuckled. "As the wise words that we've learned from training in martial arts for many years— leave your egos outside the borders. I think that's what both Xiaolang and Sakura are doing at the field."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "Those Amber Emerald girls at the sidelines earlier? They're not just here just to watch Syaoran and me. They're there to support their boyfriends too. I mean, after all, the Amber Emeralds was established by our former teammates and their girlfriends. They're like… a team of matchmakers for Syaoran and me, I guess…" She immediately smiled nervously while Tomoyo and Meiling chuckled.

"Wow, a bunch of couples forming one fan club, that's so cute!" Meiling laughed. "I approve! I wonder if they accept singles too…"

"I'm single… and Kuze-kun is single… and we're both closet Amber Emeralds," Tomoyo winked.

"Kuze-kun single? Not for long…" Meiling grinned while the three girls broke in to laughter.

At that point, the boys reached their area, with Fanren approaching both Yukito and Touya again before she took off for her meeting. Syaoran approached the three girls and faced Meiling.

"Scoot over, Meiling, I'm sitting down."

"Jeez, no need to be demanding!" Meiling rolled her eyes. "I'm scooting, I'm scooting!" She moved away from Sakura as Syaoran took his new spot next to her.

"Great game today, Syaoran," Sakura nervously answered.

"Yeah," Syaoran nodded, then turned his head at her. "Are you okay?"

Sakura nodded, but still gave a somewhat nervous vibe. "Awesome as ever! I know it's only tryouts but I feel like I'm ready to face Camp Nijibe already. I can't wait for summer sports camp!"

Syaoran gave a slight chuckle. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Peachy! Peachy peachy!" She gave him a thumbs up while Tomoyo and Meiling, facing each other, are exchanging nervous looks as well. The two girls must have felt that Syaoran may already have the suspicion that something was definitely wrong with his girlfriend, most especially if it involved that one special dark forest green stuffed animal he worked so hard on making it seven years ago for her.

"Alright then," Syaoran nodded. Right then, while others were minding their own business and with Meiling chatting with Kuze and Tomoyo chatting with the rest of the boys, the two secret lovers sat alone in their own world.

"Listen," Syaoran said. "We're gonna be doing an all-nighter, possibly, for our final night scenes. Before that, we have to go back home for a family meeting. That is, me, Eriol, Meiling, and Shulai. We'll also be having dinner back home also."

Sakura nodded. "I understand. Family should always be priority."

"You have the spare key, right? You and your brother and Aniki, as well as Yamazaki and Yun… and I guess Daidouji… can board the Wolf's Lair. Just be sure you don't forget to lock the door once everyone's inside."

"Of course I wouldn't forget. I have a habit of locking the door whenever I'm inside the room," Sakura answered.

"Good, because some idiot forgot to lock the door when Eriol and I arrived from the movie shooting last late night."

A bolt of lightning immediately struck Sakura within. For sure, Syaoran would become suspicious of her losing Chiirou this morning, and for sure that if the door was unlocked before he and Eriol returned, that must mean that some thief sneaked in and stole her precious stuffed animal.

"I swear it wasn't me who forgot to unlock the door!" Sakura immediately spat in her defense in fear of him becoming more suspicious of the missing Chiirou.

"It doesn't matter who was responsible, Sakura," Syaoran quickly replied. "Just remind everybody to lock the door when they get inside. You're the only one who can lock the door from the outside, but everybody can lock the door from the inside. The most important thing in this situation is that the door should always remain locked."

Sakura nodded. "You're right. I shouldn't… worry so much… about the smallest of things." Still, losing Chiirou may sound like something small, but to Sakura, Chiirou was basically her entire world.

"You're acting a little strange. Are you sure you're okay?"

_Crap! Not again, why is he… what if he's… _"I… I'm fine, Syaoran. I just feel tired. But tomorrow morning, I'll be happy and peppy as I can be!"

"You sound like you're panicking about something and I'm concerned."

She gave him a reassuring smile. "I just feel exhausted, that's all. I want to save energy for the very sweet luncheon with the Amber Emeralds, that's all. I… I guess I just can't contain my excitement for it!"

He gave a chuckle. "I'm sure you can't."

At that point, they heard Eriol calling out to them from afar. "Hey, what are you two waiting for? We have to head back. Your parents will be angry if we show up late!"

Sakura burst in to laughter as she and Syaoran stood up. "Come on, Sakura, let's go."

"Okay!" Letting the others walk ahead of them, they followed the group from afar, with Syaoran reaching for her hand. Normally Sakura's heart would race all the time whenever he would hold her hand, but this time, because of the whole Chiirou situation, her heart became heavy and her hands were also becoming sweaty at the same time.

As for Syaoran, he can feel the pulses and the fact that her hand was getting wet from the summer dusk humidity, but with the faint pulses, he also knew that there definitely was something wrong with his love. He already have his own suspicions from earlier that Sakura was hiding something from him. On the other too, he too was also hiding something from her.

_This is an ultimate test of us, Sakura… this is also my ultimate test of becoming the future leader of the Li Clan. Be patient with me…_

#

Dinner proceeded once Wei brought Syaoran, Eriol, Meiling, and Shulai via the family limousine to the Li Residence. When they arrived first, they noticed many of the colleagues from the Kinomoto Residence already leaving the house and exchanging byes to Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto and his core team of anthropologists. This only meant one thing for Syaoran. Once Friday was over, he would have to release Sakura back to her father and he and the teen idols and the movie crew would head out to Kagamineshi, a suburban town about a hundred miles or so west of Tomoeda to finish all of the remaining scenes of the movie.

When they arrived, Syaoran was surprised to see the elders, including his grandfather, present at his home. They were immediately served dinner, a more classy, high-end Hong Kong-style palate. Normally they would also be loudmouths over dinner and talk about life, however this time, because of the elders' presence, everyone ate in silence.

Once everyone was finished, the adults left Eriol, Meiling, Shulai, and three of the four sisters at the living room. Across further from the living room was a huge door leading to the residence's ballroom. Inside were the elders, the parents, and of course, the future clan leader himself. What they needed to discuss there was still yet a mystery.

The three sisters, Shiefa, Fuutie, and Feimei, sat acorss from Eriol, Meiling, and Shulai. They were at first silent, but when all six of them couldn't stand the silence anymore, the carefree Feimei broke hers. "So, how's everyone doing? How was soccer practice?"

Eriol spoke first. "It was exhausting, but all in all fun."

"And how about you, Shulai?" Fuutie grinned. "How was your first activity with the locals here?"

"Eh. It wasn't as bad as I thought," Shulai shrugged his shoulders. "For all we know, I may become a Tomoeda local boy anytime soon."

"Hehe, good," Feimei giggled. "If you ask me, between Hong Kong and Tomoeda, I can relate myself more in to being a Tomoeda local girl. Less stress and no one cares if you're a kid of some rich and powerful elite family here. Everyone here is treated by others the way they deserved to be treated. It's not like in Hong Kong, being stuck at the family island with all of your relatives whom you probably forget their names. At least here in Tomoeda, only the ones you truly trust the most have a place here."

"Tomoeda… the place of second chances, huh…" Shulai muttered. "Much as I hate to admit it but I'm beginning to believe in those words."

"Why do you say that, Shulai?" Shiefa broke her silence, asking him the question.

"Because… the kids over there at the fields were really welcoming. I hate admitting it but I actually met some good people among the soccer players. And then there are those Amber Emeralds. One of the team managers, Kuroda, is pretty cool. And most of all, they're not pretentious unlike the Chinese back in Hong Kong. They meet a Li, they start sucking up to a Li to gain attention. The Tomoeda teens don't care where I come from and they still treat me like I'm one of them. I don't think I'd have any problems fitting in Tomoeda High when I start school in the fall."

"Good to hear," Shiefa nodded. "As you know, the three of us sisters have boyfriends and fiances who don't live in Tomoeda and after we get married, most likely we'd be moving out of Tomoeda also. Looks like among the four of us, Fanren will become the true Tomoeda local. I'm proud of her, now that she's the new senior youth coordinator for the Tomoeda youth community. She's on her way. If this keeps up, maybe Fanren may fulfill Mother's young ambition she abandoned when she married Father."

"Young ambition?" Meiling asked curiously. "What's that?"

"To be mayor of Tomoeda," Feimei and Fuutie answered simultaneously, followed by a laugh.

"A Li… becoming mayor of Tomoeda… a town in Japan… I don't know how that can be possible…" Eriol muttered.

"The CEO of Japan's most popular and bestselling mobile services company is Korean, Eriol," Shiefa corrected him, "so if a Korean can become CEO to one of Japan's biggest companies, a Chinese can become mayor of a small town."

"That's right!" Feimei and Fuutie answered at the same time.

"You do have a point there. Japan is slowly becoming more open to diversity. That's a good thing," Eriol commented.

"That Fanren… she's the most ambitious one among the four of us," Feimei smiled. "She dumped her domineering boyfriend of hers and chose her own ambitions. The parents aren't that worried, I mean they have four daughters."

"It's who Xiaolang marries is what matters, that's for sure," Fuutie added her comment.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Eriol muttered. "I wonder what those elders want with Xiao this time?"

"Probably another test," Fuutie shrugged her shoulders. "You know how the elders are."

"Whatever challenge that they give him," Meiling spoke, "Xiaolang can overcome it. I don't know that much of the people who are close to the clan leader's immediately family, but Xiaolang has gotta be the most clever, the wittiest I've ever met."

"I hate admitting it but I agree," Shulai muttered. "He outsmarted me several times in my life which was why I hated his guts… but now after being here for about a week, I guess I could kinda understand why he does things his way."

"Now, speaking of marriage," Feimei grinned, "how's our sweet girl from next door, the ever-cute Sakura-chan? Has she found her missing Chiirou yet?"

"Feimei-gajie!" Meiling shrieked in surprise while both Eriol and Shulai gave a bewildered look. Even the sisters knew about Sakura's dilemma with her stuffed animal? Must be Fanren who was behind all this.

"Come again?" Eriol curiously asked. "Missing Chiirou? But Xiao's always here—"

"The stuffed animal, idiot," Shulai rolled his eyes. "Is that Kinomoto's nickname for the future clan leader?"

"'Chiirou' is the Japanese reading for Xiaolang's name in _hanzi_, or kanji, stupid," Eriol glared at his cousin. "You forget I'm quarter-Japanese."

"Now that explains the weird name," Shulai rolled his eyes again. "So, lemme get this straight. The future clan leader made that ridiculous stuffed animal for her seven years ago before the family moved back to Hong Kong. And then she names that ridiculous stuffed animal after him, technically. And now she mysteriously loses it and doesn't want to tell Xiaolang about it for fear of some omen or whatever and…"

Eriol blinked his eyes in confusion. "Wait… did I just hear this correctly? Sakura lost her Chiirou stuffed animal?"

There was no hiding it, Meiling thought. After promising Sakura and Tomoyo not to let Eriol know about this, one of the meddling quadruplets just had to spill the beans. In the end, the five present slowly nodded.

"So, Sakura lost her Chiirou… and Xiao doesn't know anything about it," Eriol made himself clear. "Why doesn't she want Xiao know about it?"

"Because of what's written in the Book of Keroberos, Eriol," Shiefa began explaining. "If one of the two Tomoeda stuffed animals exchanged goes missing, bad omen will befall to the couple. I'm guessing that Sakura-chan may have thought that if she tells Xiaolang about it that the bad omen will start."

"How? Please explain to an outsider like me and I'll try to understand," Eriol continued to fish for more information.

"For instance, maybe Xiaolang may get angry with her for being careless and stupid," Shulai directly explained to him. "My guess, of course."

Immediately, Meiling slapped Shulai at the back of his head. "Ow, what the hell was that for?"

"Why are you so hateful towards Sakura? She didn't do anything to you… and Xiaolang is hopelessly in love with her!"

"So, seeing Xiao getting angry at Sakura because she lost Chiirou is a start of this… bad omen…" Eriol tried to make himself clear.

"Well… that's one way of putting it…" Feimei blinked while she contemplated.

"And none of you have told Xiaolang about it. Am I right?"

"That's right," Meiling nodded. "Which means you shouldn't tell him either!"

As the six continued to talk about the stuffed animal, little did they know that the doors leading to the ballroom were slightly open. Next to it was an eavesdropping Syaoran, who had just finished his meeting with the adults and the elders. He leaned and gave a sigh and waited until they were finished speaking of Sakura's problem.

_I'm way ahead of them… I'm even way ahead of Sakura…_ Syaoran thought to himself.

He then stood straight, fixing the collar of his top, then exhaled. _Damn elders… another stupid test… luckily most of the girls swooning at me are idiots._

With that, he found the ones at the living room talk about some other issue as he made his exit from the ballroom. Quickly, everyone stood up for him as he entered the living room.

"I'm going to call a short family meeting with me leading," Syaoran announced to them. It would have been easier if they conversed in their native language, Cantonese, but because of Eriol's presence, being the only Li who spoke no Cantonese, he proceeded to conduct the family meeting in Japanese since not everyone in the entire group knew English fluently, which would probably be the language Eriol would prefer.

"Since I'm going to be next in line I might as well act like the leader should be."

"Good for you, Xiao," Shiefa nodded.

"We'll meet in my bedroom this time," Syaoran said. "But Fanren-gajie isn't home yet so we'll have to wait for her until she arrives home."

Just as one of them was about to answer, they hear the main door unlocking. Speak of the devil, Tomoeda youth coordinator arrived with smiles on her face. "Good evening, every Li!"

"Welcome home, Fanren," the three sisters greeted her. "We're gonna have a family meeting with Xiao-chan leading it. It's just gonna be us. No adults, no elders."

"Oh good, that's what I've been waiting for," Fanren smirked. "Lead the way, Xiao-chan!"

"To my room. Now." Syaoran lead his generation of Lis upstairs to his bedroom.

When everyone settled down, Syaoran headed for his desk, and then dropped a publication that looked like a tabloid on the bed. Eriol was the one who grabbed the periodical first.

"What's this— _Oh My! _Magazine? One of Japan's hottest tabloids around? Why do you have this, Xiao? You don't read tabloids."

"Read the front headlines, Eriol," Syaoran stared directly at him.

The others huddled next to Eriol as he read the headline aloud: "'Mysterious Young Girl Captures Top Teen Idol's Icy Heart:'" Next, he read the subheading underneath: "'Latest birthday boy not only received gifts, but also gave one to another.'" The photo featured was a clear but slightly dark side profile of Syaoran and a shadowed silhouette side profile of a mystery girl facing him, sitting at a bench at an area of what may look like a park. The shape of the head and the length of the hair at the back was already a giveaway.

"Oh no!" Meiling gasped in shock. "Sakura-chan…"

"This was yesterday's issue," Fanren read the date at the top left corner. "How in the… is this for real, Xiao? That was you and her?"

Syaoran nodded and sat on his desk swinging chair. "It happened late night last Sunday right after the party. Wei was with us so he was the only witness. I can't believe those damn paparazzi somehow found the location of my private slumber party."

"Wait, so this was at Clow Reed U. Grounds?" Feimei wondered. "If it is then wow, they sure have really nice and tranquil grounds—"

"Feimei, this isn't the time to praise something unrelated!" Shiefa gave her sister a warning.

"Don't have a cow, Shiefa, I was just admiring the setting!"

"Wei gave me this tabloid earlier today," Syaoran continued. "As you know, I don't read tabloids period, but seeing myself and Sakura in the photo caught my attention."

"How can this be? This is impossible! CRU campus was closed to the public during the duraiton of the mass slumber party!" Eriol tightened his fist. "I can't believe the paparazzi would stoop so low as to breaking in to a private venue like that!"

"Eriol, they're paparazzi," Meiling rolled her eyes. "They don't care about what's private and public. After all, their job is to make everything private public. You get it?"

"If you ask me," Fanren began, "since we all made sure that there wasn't else who weren't at the guest list present, I bet you someone tipped them in. We all made sure that the ones on the list were high-profile names and special guests who we know have no connections to tabloid media. Obviously someone actually did."

Shiefa nodded. "And usually, those who have connections to tabloid media are a bunch of attention seekers. Now, considering majority of the guest lists are all high-profile names who are very close to the Li Clan, I don't think we'd know anyone here who is desperate for public attention. Otherwise we wouldn't be having this massive private party in the first place and just open the invitation to very close friends.

"Mou," Fuutie grunted, "if that culprit just happens to be one of the family out to destroy our sweet Xiao-chan's reputation and endanger his placement as our future clan leader, all hell will break loose within the Li Clan!"

Right after she mentioned those words, everyone suddenly pointed their attention towards Shulai, who had been silent since they entered the room. Shulai immediately noticed the eyes at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What?!"

"Just looking at your eyes, Shulai, I can tell you've got something to say but don't want to say it just to piss me off," Syaoran spoke sternly.

"I got nothing to do with that, swear! My parents confiscated my phone before we flew here to Japan! Even until now I still don't have a phone to use! I had to use Wei's to call home. It's really embarrassing if you ask me!"

Syaoran crossed his arms. "Start talking, Shulai. Knowing you, you're always up to no good. Something happened during the party, right?"

"Fine, fine. Yeah, I had a little fling during your party before I bade farewell to my old life," Shulai began. "And it was during the first part of that Mochiron game you guys were doing. You know how it goes… frantically frustrated pretty girl and me, just being a hero to get rid of her woes away. But you know, it wasn't intentional at first."

"Wasn't intentional?"

"What can I say? It was somewhere outside the auditorium like at the sides. I was finding my way to the boys' restroom to change my clothes when I accidentally overheard some conversation nearby. The words 'photos,' 'magazine,' and Xiaolang's name intrigued my ears so I decided to eavesdrop a bit. My curiosity got the best of me so I accidentally came out and she was there standing while she was in the middle of the phone call. I didn't pay attention much since I don't speak slang Japanese, but hey, things happen."

Meiling snapped her head towards Shulai. "'She'? Could you… um… be more elaborate on the 'she' part?"

"Yeah, who's this 'she' you're talking about, Shulai?" Fanren demanded and stood up, shoving her angry face right at him. "You better spill everything or there will seriously be hell within the Li Clan starting here in Xiao-chan's room!"

"Fanren, please sit down," Shiefa warned her while Fuutie and Feimei gently pulled their sister away from the almost frightened Shulai. She returned her calmness and sat back down.

"Calm down, Fanren, I'm already spilling! Jeez," Shulai shook his head. "Anyway, didn't really matter to me who the girl was. I gotta admit she was dang hot. But she sounded really frustrated on that phone call. Despite my lack of knowledge of slangy Japanese, I did pick up a few words that came from her mouth. Something to do with photos, tabloid, and how she wished she can have a real-life love potion to make a certain guy fall in love with her. When she spotted me, well… you know… mistake of identity…"

Syaoran completely dropped his head with his hand on his forehead. "That explains it…"

"Explains what?" Eriol asked.

"Nothing! I'll talk about it later. Continue, Shulai."

Shulai sighed. "So, she got all scared at me and called me 'Xiaolang.' I thought to myself, oh great, even in Japan there are golddiggers who are after the future clan leader just because he's scorching hot and has plenty of money. I got curious with their conversation, and since she mistook me for you, Xiaolang, I decided to play along with it."

Eriol started to contemplate and recalled Yamazaki and Yun telling him about the mysterious look-alike and a green piece of cloth that got stuck at one of the stalls of the boys' restroom during the party. And then, something finally fell on to him.

"Shulai, I hate to interrupt you with a question, but… did you happen to wear green at that time?"

The look-alike frowned. "Temporarily. Apparently my clothes hadn't arrived yet from Hong Kong so I had to use some hand-me-down clothes from Uncle Mubai as my temporary wear until my clothes arrived at the house. Unfortunately for me, they were all green and olive green. Much as I hate green so much I had no choice but to wear green."

"That explains it…" Eriol muttered to himself.

"Explains what?" Shulai asked curiously.

"Nothing! Continue, Shulai!"

Shulai shook his head. "Stop jocking Xiaolang's style, Eriol. Your style won't work on me!"

"Will you just continue, Shulai?" Syaoran lost his cool and blasted his words.

"Alright, alright, continuing!" Shulai sighed. "So, just for my personal interests, I tried to get her to tell me what she was talking about on the phone. She said it wasn't important but she did ask me to forgive her for talking about me behind my back. Of course, he thought that I was you. Not satisfied with her answer, I attempted to get her to open that mouth of hers regarding the phone conversation. She still refused, so I decided to make an offer. I offered her a special quickie if she spilled everything out to me. She got all excited and horny all of a sudden so we did it—"

"A what?!" Meiling and the sisters exclaimed as Eriol calmed the Li Girls down.

"Uh… that's not very important, ladies, heh…" Eriol muttered. He then turned to Shulai,along with a curious look in his eyes. "So, could you be more elaborate on the 'quickie' that you did?" From behind, Syaoran slapped Eriol at the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You do notice that there are females in this room, Eriol— and in front of my sisters no doubt!"

"I kid! I kid!" Eriol laughed nervously. "Please, um, continue, Shulai."

"If you want the details so bad, Eriol, I'll give you a summary—"

"Do you mind, Shulai?!" Meiling gritted her teeth. "I can't believe the Li Boys are the most perverted bunch of guys I've ever known!"

"Oh well, it was a quickie anyway but she was a lousy lover," Shulai shrugged her shoulders. "So lousy that I didn't even let her touch me anywhere, not even a finger. I had to tie her hands upward so she won't be able to touch—"

"Enough with the details, Shulai! That's not important!" From out of the blue, Fanren grabbed a pillow and threw it right at Shulai.

"Okay, okay, I'm moving on!" Shulai rubbed the side of his head where the pillow struck him. "So… uh… while we were… yeah… that… she started spilling the beans… she said something about doing whatever she can to… 'eliminate the competition' and that she would do anything to ensure that I would be hers. I made a slight mistake by saying that she was the first Japanese girl that I did— well it's true anyway— she got all cocky and… you know… spilled the beans…"

"Oh God…" Syaoran muttered. _I have to keep my cool but I seriously want to kill Shulai with my bare hands right now…_

"Yeah, and?" Eriol muttered with the question.

"So, this girl complained about Daidouji being the competition. I dunno why Daidouji is her competition, after meeting her I think she's a total sweetheart," Shulai grinned. "Then she even mentioned you also, Meiling."

Meiling raised an eyebrow. "Should I make a guess to see who this girl may be? Can I?"

Just as Shulai was about to answer, Eriol interrupted with another curious question. "So, why do you say this girl was a lousy lover?"

"Hey, I asked him a question first, Eriol!" Meiling argued.

Shulai decided to follow Eriol instead. "Lousy? Because I have never sneezed my entire life while I was getting my freak on. Never!"

"You sneezed while you were getting busy…?" Eriol's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes, Eriol, I sneezed— not once, not twice, not three times, but multiple times! Although somehow it got me a lot hornier—"

"Stop it already! Do we girls have to hear all the details?" Feimei demanded.

"Wait a minute…" Meiling gasped once she realized the detail Shulai just mentioned. "You sneezed while you were… um… doing it…?"

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Shulai blurted his impatience.

"I wonder if it had something to do with the scent she was wearing…" Meiling muttered and turning herself in to contemplative mode.

"Wait a minute… I think I know where you're leading at, Meiling," Eriol said. "I thought it was kinda weird for a guy to sneeze the entire time while he was… doing it… and this scent the girl she was wearing… lemme guess…"

"It's Chamomile, isn't it?" Syaoran broke his silence. Shulai slowly nodded. "Figures… that explains everything…"

"There you go again," Shulai frowned, crossing his arms. "What the hell are you and Eriol mean by that?"

"Are you done yet, Shulai?" Eriol asked curiously.

"Almost," Shulai sighed. "After she blurted everything I know, that's when I cut the little quickie. I said to her that breaktime's almost over and that she should head back to the stage before everyone else at the party realized she was missing. And with no more words exchanged, I ran from her quickly. Then Uncle Mubai met me at the door to the boys' locker room and handed me a new set of PJs— red as I love them. I quickly changed before I get caught and once I was finished, that's when I…"

Eriol decided to continue from where he trailed off. "That's when you ran in to Yamazaki and Yun, right?"

"Yeah… that's right…"

Syaoran glared at the two with a suspicious expression on his face. "And when are you two going to tell me about this? That's the first time I've heard about that!"

"No need to worry about that, dear cousin," Eriol grinned. "We should focus back to what this meeting is all about— this tabloid and the silhouette hidden photo of Sakura with you, Xiao."

"Right," Syaoran trailed off, then rested himself against his seat. "I'm really glad that there aren't any tabloids being sold in the local stores here in Tomoeda. Wei simply received it through the mail by the Sunbow agency from Tokyo."

Shulai cleared his throat as he continued. "It wasn't until I started watching the Mochiron game from the family table that I finally learned the chick's name— Mai Hirashiki."

"Ha! I knew it!" Meiling exclaimed, pointing her finger towards Shulai. "I knew something was fishy about Mai-chan during the next day! Even Tomoyo noticed it when she was doing her makeup! All of those marks on her neck… that was you, Shulai!"

Shulai shrugged his shoulders. "Hey. It's a habit. But my last… adventure with a girl… before I decided to leave my Hong Kong life behind… had got to be the worst I had. Not only Hirashiki was an airhead and an idiot, but she's also full of herself. She thinks that she could toy around with a Li, let alone a look-alike like myself? No one messes with the Li Clan!"

"Damn straight, Shulai," Eriol nodded in agreement.

"We have to be careful with saying those words, guys," Syaoran immediately broke their mood as his two male cousins turned to him. "Now it's my turn to tell you a story that may… have an impact on me… both as a teen idol _and _as the clan's future leader. It's going to be long but I'll make it short and sweet so that we can get back to the scene early."

"Wow, this sounds serious, Xiao-chan," Shiefa muttered. "But please, tell us. What's been going on with you and Hirashiki as of late?"

Syaoran swallowed nervously first, then exhaled. "It happened earlier today before soccer tryouts. That's why I arrived late."

"Huh? I thought you had to redo those scenes with Hirashiki?" Eriol asked curiously.

"Well, we did… and then there's something else too…"

"Please, pray tell," Eriol began to show his own suspicion. "What were you and Hirashiki doing before you arrived late at today's soccer tryouts…"

Syaoran once again cleared his throat and he began to tell them as precise as he can.

#

_**Library Garden - Tomoeda High School (some 5 hours ago…)**_

"_Whew," Director Hiroyuki Terada gave a sigh of relief after he wrapped up the final daytime love scene between Syaoran and Mai Hirashiki that took place at the garden patio area of the Tomoeda High School Library. "Congratulations, you two. We have just finished all of the daytime scenes here in Tomoeda, so let's all give ourselves a hand for being good sports and for being patient."_

_Everyone applauded as Wei handed Syaoran his face towel while sitting on his cot chair, sipping on his bottled water. Terada continued on: "Don't forget, 8:30 p.m. is the start of our night shooting. It's gonna be yet another all-nighter as we are trying to finish all of the night scenes hopefully before dawn tomorrow morning. Then you can all have the Friday off and prepare your things before our long travel on Saturday. Don't forget!"_

_Just as everyone began tearing down the equipment and props, Syaoran turned to Wei. "What time is it?"_

"_2:00 p.m., Master Xiaolang. I'm sorry that you had to show up late again."_

"_Forty-five minutes late," Syaoran sighed deeply. "I bet Sakura and the guys are furious with me right now for being late."_

"_I'm sure Master Eriol has already informed them and that this is something you have no control of."_

"_Thank goodness," he deeply sighed. Right then, he showed a rather concerned face towards his trusted guardian and manager. "Wei…"_

"_What is it, Master Xiaolang?"_

"_How's… how's Sakura?"_

"_Always fine and dandy, you know," Wei grinned, but the type of grin that would hide his own inner worries about the cherry blossom girl._

_Unfortunately for him, his young master already figured him out. "I know you are also concerned, so please don't lie to me about it."_

_Wei sighed deeply, and knowing that he had never hid anything from his young master before, he deeply apologized to Sakura and the others for telling him anyway. "She is very troubled, Master Xiaolang."_

"_Troubled?"_

"_I overheard them talk earlier at the Wolf's Lair, Master. Her beloved Chiirou stuffed animal is missing."_

_Rather than seeing his young master displaying a displeased look, he nodded at him instead. "Of course she would worry. Her Chiirou was snatched away from the Wolf's Lair."_

"_But… Master… how did you…"_

"_Last night, when you, Eriol, and myself arrived from the late night shooting, the door was unlocked…"_

"_Oh no!" Wei shrieked. "I apologize for neglecting to lock the door—"_

"_It doesn't matter who forgot to lock the door. That was not important. What I did notice was that someone did definitely sneak in while everyone else is asleep."_

"_Yes, Master."_

_Syaoran continued on. "When I entered my room, I noticed a very strong lavender and chamomile scent in the room. I thought it may be Daidouji because I know Sakura never wears lavender and chamomile cologne so I ignored it. When I entered, I leaned over to kiss Sakura on her forehead while she's asleep, just letting her know that we're back. When I did bend down, I noticed that there was something wrong with the picture I'm used to seeing. I'm already used to seeing Sakura sleeping with Chiirou next to her even with Daidouji sleeping next to her. Sakura sleeping without Chiirou was not a perfect sleeping sight for me."_

"_Oh my… so you were the one who discovered that her Chiirou stuffed animal was missing?"_

_Syaoran nodded. "When Eriol volunteered to use the restroom first, I turned the lights on in hopes that the girls would not wake up and I started searching for Chiirou myself. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful and that already gave me the conclusion: someone did sneak in there and stole Chiirou from Sakura."_

_Wei gave a nod. "Why did you not inform Sakura-chan about her missing Chiirou? She seemed so worried, so much that she was too fearful to inform you. After all, you were the one who worked hard and gave Chiirou to her seven years ago…"_

"_I didn't tell her, Wei, because I don't want her to worry, especially today. As you know, today is also the final day of soccer tryouts. I don't want Sakura to think about Chiirou and the fact that he's missing and all her other worries while she's out there in the field playing hard to earn a spot in the team. It's going to distract her. I won't play if she doesn't make the team!"_

_Wei gave a relieving sigh. "You truly are a caring boyfriend to her, Master Xiaolang. Sakura-chan still is naive to realize these things."_

_Syaoran sighed again. "We have to find Chiirou and return it to Sakura before she panics about it during tryouts, Wei."_

"_I agree, Master Xiaolang."_

"_But at the moment, I'll do whatever I can to keep Sakura's mind more focused in today's tryouts and forget about Chiirou for the time being."_

"_An excellent idea, Master. Well then, your soccer gear is ready in the locker room. You better get ready."_

"_Thank you, Wei." The two made their way to the gym area where the boys' locker rooms were located. Apparently, just as Wei entered, some unexpected individual immediately called out for Syaoran's name._

"_Li-kun! I'd like to speak to you in private!"_

_Syaoran turned his head to see the last person he wanted to see at this point. "What do you want, Hirashiki? I'm already late for soccer tryouts because of you!"_

"_Hmph," Mai rolled her eyes with her arms crossed. "Do you think I'm gonna continue cowering at your angry, annoyed voice of yours? You wouldn't be acting so arrogant around me once I show you something you can't refuse…"_

_The Chinese teen became cautious at Mai's own words and then approached closer to her. Once he was near her, Mai brought down her knapsack from her bag and was slowly opening it. She even made sure that no one was around to spy on them before she began to open her mouth._

"_Well then, I finally got your attention! I'm progressing!" Mai grinned._

"_Yeah, well get on with it!" Syaoran demanded. "I don't have time to play little games with you, I got a bigger game to play and I'm already late for it."_

"_Oh, don't worry," she spoke slyly, "this won't take long."_

_Syaoran leaned lazily against the wall of the gym while Mai bent down to her knapsack, slipping her hands inside. "So, last night, I was trying to find you because you and Eriol already left early after last night's shooting was done. I actually wanted to invite you to have dinner with me and a few of my friends who came all the way from Tokyo on a vacation to Sendai. Now, these are the children of a few of Japan's most highly-revered celebrities and media personalities, so of course, as a top-known idol myself, I don't want to disappoint them. They want me to invite you along for tomorrow night's dinner, and because of that, I was looking for you and ask you if you're free tomorrow night!"_

"_Heh, you sure got a thick skull, don't you Hirashiki? Even if I were free tomorrow night you already know my answer."_

"_Sure, that's expected," Mai snickered, "but then again, I can assure you that there's just no way that you can refuse this one!"_

"_Oh? How's that?"_

"_Well, let's see…" Out from her pink and fuzzy-looking knapsack is her smartphone. She opened her phone and showed her photo gallery. One photo was enlarged and then showed it immediately to her reluctant co-star. "A friend of mine sent me this rather interesting photo… and I have to admit, it is rather interesting…"_

_Syaoran immediately grabbed her phone to take a closer look. He found himself sweating slightly once he gazed at it. How on earth did someone find Sakura and me at the open field area of CRU after my party?_

"_I gotta admit, you really got a hot side profile, Li-kun. As for the mystery girl you're gazing so lovingly at… along with a wreath of flowers on her head… and by the shape of the head and the neck, obviously this mystery girl has chin-length hair. I, on the other hand, is in total disbelief at first because I always thought that you've got the hots for the daughter of the great Sonomi Daidouji of the Daidouji Couture. I mean, almost the entire town were saying that it's you and Daidouji who are the ideal couple that I even considered that poor girl to be my rival, but at the same time I was even close to giving in to their view of the true perfect girl for you, Li Xiaolang!"_

_Syaoran rolled his eyes again while Mai continued on. "Whoever thought that the oh-so-sweet, gentle, and innocent green-eyed architect's daughter could be such a tramp in disguise!"_

"_Archaologist's daughter, not architect's daughter, dumbass!" Syaoran blasted. "You can talk smack about me at my face or behind my back but I'm not gonna let you talk about Sakura like that!"_

"_This weird town, Tomoeda, is really brimming with some weird magic or something! Maybe the people here are a bunch of magicians and witches in disguise! She must have put some spell on you to make you fall in love with her! Well I won't have it!"_

"_You've gone seriously delusional, Hirashiki!"_

"_So, anyway," Mai giggled as she continued on. "So, it was obvious by the head shape and even the height that the girl with you was green eyes. I thought to myself, well, it's not like they were kissing or something, they were probably just sitting down and chatting since they can't sleep! So, I wanted to confront to you about it right after the night shooting. When I got to your camper, I knocked but no one answered, then I decided to open the door just for the heck of it. I'm quite surprised that your ultra-protective camper has its doors unlocked! So, there were people sleeping and since we just finished, I thought that you were still awake, so I knocked on the door to your master bedroom. Since no one answered, I opened the door to see if you were busy or something and didn't hear my knocking. Instead, I find that little green-eyed tramp with Daidouji sleeping soundly on your bed. I even called out your name in a whisper just so I don't wake those girls up! And then, I accidentally stepped on to something soft and fluffy, and when I looked down and picked it up, I found a jackpot!"_

_Right then, she reached for her knapsack again and out revealed that exact jackpot she found at his master bedroom from last night. Immediately, Syaoran reacted with his teeth gritting. "What the— you stole her stuffed animal?"_

"_I got curious about this stuffed animal. I wondered myself, why would a seventeen-year-old naive girl like Sakura Kinomoto would cling so much to a mere raggedy stuffed animal? I looked and reviewed it from top to bottom until I discovered something that finally made me realize that I can still have a chance with you!"_

_She turned over the stuffed animal and pointed on a small red thread at the bottom of the teddy bear's rear end: a sewn signature of Syaoran's name in Chinese and the exact date the stuffed animal was made, indicating that this was indeed made seven years ago. "I realized that Chiirou is actually the Japanese reading for your first name, Li Xiaolang, and the fact that it was you who gave this raggedy stuffed animal to her when you were little!"_

_Syaoran attempted to grab Chiirou quickly from her, but Mai was already ahead of him by stepping backward from him. "Uh-uh-uhhhh!" Mai stuck her tongue at him. "I can't simply just let this thing go to you now, Li-kun. I'm sick and tired of you mistreating me like crap, now it's my turn!"_

"_You've committed a grave crime, Hirashiki! It may be just a stuffed animal that I happen to spend so much time and effort sewing it for her. Didn't your parents tell you that it's wrong to steal someone else's gift?"_

_Mai immediately cuddled Chiirou within her arms, protecting it from Syaoran. "Continue to be cruel at me and both the photo and the stuffed animal will be out in every single top-selling tabloid all over Japan, along with her name printed in big bold letters!"_

"_You wouldn't dare!" Syaoran blasted, now with his fists tightened. "She doesn't deserve all this and it's not her fault that I'm in love with her. Ever since we were little and ever since her mother died, fate has already decided that Sakura and I were meant to be. I didn't just fall in love with her recently, I've fallen in love with her way before I even got in to showbiz!"_

_He quickly advanced right at her with a more intimidating aura around him. Mai, on the other hand, continued to cling on to the stuffed animal. "That's right, Li Xiaolang! I now have the power to Sakura's identity and reputation to be revealed to the public, not just throughout all of Japan, but all through Asia including your own home country! You better start being nicer to me if you're so concerned about her!"_

_He reluctantly backed out from her, knowing that should he ever does advance her and does any more damage against her out of anger, he knew he was going to be in deep trouble. Giving in to her, he decided to give her a chance to speak what she wanted to speak._

"_Fine, you win. What are you asking of me just for you to shut the hell up about Sakura? What do I need to do to make you not reveal Sakura's name in public?"_

"_Heh. Now we're talking," Mai snickered. She slowly placed Chiirou back in to her knapsack and closed it. Then she carried her knapsack on her back once again. "Well then. First things first. Japanese showbiz agencies don't actually allow their idols and celebs date anyone including other celebrities and nobodies like Kinomoto, so pretty much you're in deep trouble."_

_Syaoran rolled his eyes, knowing that the agency he's representing, Sunbow, was a subsidiary of Li Enterprises. In short? He has some authority in the operations of that agency. "Seems you've forgotten who you're actually speaking with—"_

"_Shut up, you! I'd keep your mouth shut right now if I were you, Li!" Mai threatened her. "Anyway, if you really want to protect your precious Sakura from getting hated and humiliated in front of all Asia by your Wolfpup fangirls, well… you'll have to do everything as I tell you…"_

"_And you seriously think you're going to win this little game you're playing?" Syaoran smirked._

"_I'd rub that smirk of yours off of your face, Li! I still can't forget how you actually offered me that very sweet quickie that actually made me crave for you more!"_

_He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Excuse me? A…' quickie'?"_

"_Stop playing dumb, Li Xiaolang, you actually gave me a hot quickie just for me to shut up about my plans involving you during your party! That was really fun and… forbidden… getting hot and heavy with each other while that lame Mochiron game was going on…"_

"_Now you're getting really delusional, Hirashki. Are you on drugs? Why the hell would I wanna touch you like that?" At the same time, he could hear his inner voice speaking from behind. _What the hell is this bitch talking about? Unless she must have…

"_I'd keep my sarcasm in to a minimum if I were you, Li!" Mai continued to threaten him again. "With only a single phone call, Kinomoto's name, face, and her entire life and a delectable juicy story on how she pretended to be sweet and naive to ensnare you in to her devilish charms will be in tomorrow's tabloid issue!"_

"_Enough with the dumb threats, Hirashiki. What the hell do you want me to do just for you to shut up about Sakura, huh?"_

"_Simple," Mai smirked. "Break up with that nobody and start dating me!"_

_He was silent at first after hearing the demand. After a few seconds, he broke in to laughter. "What? What's so funny, Li? I'm serious about this!"_

"_Do you actually think I'm gonna just break up with Sakura just to date you? Who the hell do you think I am, an idiot?"_

"_You'll be sorry!" She reached for her phone again, ready to dial whatever number she was going to dial._

"_Alright, alright! I'll end my relationship with Sakura to save her from getting exposed in public!" Syaoran, out of frustration, blurted out what she wanted to hear from him. "But not today, not tomorrow."_

"_Deal," Mai snickered. Quickly, she clung her arms around his as he continued to keep himself apart from her. "I'll show you… I'll seriously show you… that I'm way better than that little tramp… the next two weeks at Kagamineshi will only belong to you and me… mark my words!"_

_At this point, he bit his bottom lip and began to contemplate to himself. He may have said the words he never wanted to say, but who says that he was actually going to do it in the first place?_

_He had to do what was needed to be done, he thought to himself. He had to get Chiirou back one way or the other and keep Sakura as a private citizen. He reminded himself that he is the future leader of possibly China's most powerful family clan and that he does not give in so easily to such cheap games that Mai was playing with him._

_He had to devise a plan to counter this, but this time, rather than handling things himself, he knew he was going to need help from the most trusted people he knew. More importantly, he can't have Sakura know about what he was up to in order to save Chiirou and return to her. Sakura truly loved Chiirou and he felt that overwhelming love within him as well. He knew how much Sakura loves him and that her love for Chiirou was basically a double potent addition to her love for him._

Remember what we talked about before, Sakura, _Syaoran's voice spoke in his mind. _No matter how much it hurts… we have to trust each other… no matter what. But first I gotta figure out how I'm going to make this Hirashiki bitch pay for stealing Chiirou from you. No one messes with the Li Clan… nobody.

_While contemplating about this situation, he found both of his fists tightening as if he was ready to punch someone, in particular, the conniving idol girl standing in front of him._

#

"So that explains the rather rude and annoyed tone at Sakura earlier when you arrived, Xiao…" Eriol muttered to himself. "Why that little tramp…"

Everyone in the family meeting in Syaoran's room fell silent and gave worried expressions on their faces after Syaoran told them the whole situation he just got in to with the conniving teen actress, Mai Hirashiki. Oh yes, she was indeed a very conniving teen actress. Not only that she was aiming to hurt someone so innocent and kind as Sakura Kinomoto to get what she wants, but she had enough guts to mess with the future leader of the Li Clan.

Fanren rose up from her spot and blasted at her younger brother. "I used to tease you a lot before, Xiao-chan, but with those words you said to that bitch, if you actually dare break up with Sakura-chan, then I would be willing to disown you!"

"Now now, Fanren, calm down," Shiefa warned her sister again. "There has to be a better counter plan for this scheme. I can't believe that Hirashiki girl could stoop so low… just so she could get her clutches over our little brother."

"Obviously she wants everything that has your name in it, Xiao-chan," Feimei spoke. "You, your title, your money, your body, Sakura-chan's Chiirou… hell, might as well involve the Golden Elixir too—"

"Shut up with that Golden Elixir crap already, Gajie!" Syaoran screamed at his sister. "I've had enough of that already!"

Shulai took a deep breath and then spoke his words. "I'm really sorry she played you like that, Xiaolang. It was all my fault. If I knew her and her name before I… took advantage of her… none of this would've happened. She really can't tell the difference between you and me, Xiaolang. She's a whole lot more dense than Kinomoto."

"I don't get it," Eriol wondered, "she's already seen you side by side before and she still doesn't have a clue about you, Shulai?"

Shulai shrugged his shoulders. "She's an idiot, Eriol. What more could you expect from her?"

"Look," Meiling interrupted. "Now that we're clear on what happened earlier with Mai-chan and Sakura's missing Chiirou, I think we can use what we know to devise a counter plan and get Chiirou back. When you said those words to her about breaking up with Sakura I just can't imagine seeing Sakura's reaction after learning about this whole mess." She turned immediately towards her former ex-boyfriend. "If you actually do the deed just as she commanded you, I will seriously never speak to you ever again!"

"I know, I know," Syaoran sighed. "But I will tell you one more thing. I had a meeting with the parents and the elders just know, which makes this entire thing a lot more complicated than ever…"

"Yeah? What's that, Xiao?"

"Another test… and it's a test that I'm not allowed to share with anyone outside the clan. I've told Sakura all of my tests from the beginning until the current… the whole Shulai responsibility thing… and the whole Li Curse bit… everything."

"So, mind if we ask," Fuutie interrupted, "what's this test about? We're the immediate family to the leader of the Li Clan after all."

Syaoran gulped nervously and then muttered. "For two weeks, I must not show any special affection towards Sakura. Well that's easy since we're going to be apart for two weeks anyway, but with Hirashiki being a bump on a pickle… I have to go through this test without hurting Sakura, you know what I mean?"

"Is that it?" Fanren raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "That sounds lame…"

"They think that being too much in love with the girlfriend would make me weak," Syaoran explained. "If you ask me, it's more of the other way around."

"Of course they would think that," Shulai shrugged. "Those elders got a wife and some countless concubines that no one among the heads of the family even bothered knowing. Grandpa was the first clan leader to have no concubines because he does treasure Grandma. Uncle Xiaojin also did not have any concubines for the same reason… plus he's also intimidated by Auntie Yelan. Those old-fashioned elders wouldn't know a thing about love."

"In a way," Syaoran continued, "this test is a hidden test for Sakura as well. Almost half of the clan already knows about her, apparently. Now she is being tested as well to see if she fell in love with me for who I am and not for my wealth and my title or my reputation. It sounds ridiculous but things are just the way they are with the clan, I guess."

"So now, here we are figuring out what your plan is going to be…" Eriol said.

"Exactly, but I still haven't got an idea on how I'm gonna deal with this. More importantly now is that we keep Sakura focused on the positives and not think about missing Chiirou too much. We can't let her know about this new test and we can't let her know about my sticky situation with Hirashiki either."

"Well, you better come up with a good solid plan before the end of tomorrow, Xiaolang," Shulai reminded him. "Much as I hate saying this, but obviously the rest of us here in your room got your back."

"Totally got your back!" Meiling raised a thumbs up.

Syaoran gazed right at Shulai. "So… I see that you are finally set in becoming devoted to serving me now."

Shulai nodded slowly. "That Hirashiki bitch was a lousy lover anyway. I got bored with her quickly and her voice was too squeaky for my ears when she screams, which was why it was a quickie!"

"Okay already Shulai, stop talking about _that_! You boys are such perverts!" Fuutie blasted at Shulai.

"Fine! I'll just shorten it to 'Q'!" Shulai replied in sarcasm.

Right then, they hear a knock on the door. Syaoran turned and called out: "Please enter."

Wei appeared at the door to remind of the shooting. "It's almost time for the night shooting, Master Xiaolang, Master Eriol, Miss Meiling."

"Right, Wei," Syaoran nodded. "Well, we'll meet again tomorrow, hopefully in the morning before the luncheon."

The sisters exchanged goodbyes to their idol relatives as Syaoran, Eriol, Meiling, and Shulai follow Wei from behind. As part of Shulai's brand-new service and dedication to Syaoran, his first duty was to go back to the Wolf's Lair to keep an eye on his clan leader's precious cherry blossom while finding a plan to get the pretentious Mai Hirashiki to give up Chiirou back to its rightful owner.

#

Shulai arrived at the Wolf's Lair camper alone with a giant styrofoam take-out box containing some food; leftovers from the Li Family Dinner earlier. He made sure that he locked the door once he got on. He spotted the boys at the lounge area with Yamazaki and Yun watching some reality game show on the giant plasma TV, with both of Yun's legs were elevated using the lounge table and with ice packs on his knees. The two young male adults, Touya and Yukito, were at the dining area discussing the players they assessed at the final day of the tryouts earlier today. There were no girls in sight so he thought that maybe the two best friends, Sakura and Tomoyo, may be at Syaoran's master bedroom doing girl BFF things.

He joined Yamazaki and Yun, and while Yamazaki cracked himself up at the failing contestants, Yun gave attention to the look-alike.

"So, you had your family meeting?" Yun asked curiously.

"Briefly," Shulai answered. He had to bite the tip of his tongue a few times to keep himself from opening his big mouth regarding the details of the meeting. "You guys had dinner yet? I brought some leftovers from our dinner. Traditional Hong Kong-style dinner. Really delicious, you know."

"Oh, we ate already," Yamazaki answered right after he finally contained his laughter from the TV show. "The senpais made dinner for us."

Shulai gazed at Yun's knees. "How are you knees holding up?"

"So far, so good. It just needs a little cooling, that's all," Yun nodded. "I had to let my manager at my house know to start packing up some of my stuff for the long trip on Saturday. I gotta pick up my other idol cousin flying in from Korea at Sendai Airport and then I'll be staying with him for the time being until the shooting at Kagamineshi is completed. Then on their way back to Tomoeda, they'll be picking me up on the way."

"How the hell are you gonna practice for soccer then if you're by yourself over there at Sendai?" Shulai raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I got another cousin who lives in Sendai who goes by the name of Masayuki Miyake," Yun grinned.

Yamazaki gasped in excitement when he heard the familiar name. "Wait… Masayuki Miyake? The star striker of the Sendai Lions soccer team? _That _Masayuki Miyake?"

"Real name, Oh Byung Kang," Yun nodded. "Another Zainichi."

"Dude, he is like… my idol, man! I didn't know you guys are related! Heck I didn't even know he's pure Korean…"

"Well, dude, if you don't know, now you know," Yun grinned. "Since it's off-season right now, he's got time to train me for the time being. I'm covered."

"Interesting," Shulai nodded. "I'm training with the Amber Emerald boys! Can't wait!"

"Whoa, seriously?" Yamazaki grinned. "That's the first time I've heard you say something positive about Tomoeda, well, even though it's just the soccer team you're referring to. What happened?"

"Erm… well I hate to admit it, but I like the team camaraderie among the players earlier… and yesterday too. My old team back in Hong Kong were a bunch of suck-ups."

"Oh boy. Those are the bad ones," Yun nodded. "In Tomoeda, sucking up is like a crime here."

"Are you serious?" Shulai snickered.

"Yeah… you know I'm playin'." Yun patted Shulai on the shoulders while the three boys ended up laughing. Right then, Yamazaki lost interest in the TV show that he turned the TV off.

"Man, I wish Xiao didn't have to leave," Yun changed the subject and then gave a worried sigh. "After not hanging out with him for like five years right here in Tomoeda, he has to leave again."

"I wish neither of you left Tomoeda period!" Yamazaki made his comment. "I mean, everyone who were born and grew up here in Tomoeda believe— and it's even in the Book of Keroberos too— that once you start living here, you can never leave, and if you do leave, you end up coming back anyway. I got all lonely when Syao-chan moved out… and I got even lonelier when you and your family had to move back to Korea! I know I get to spend more time with Chiharu without the distraction of the buddies, but man… I felt gay hanging out with _her _friends all the time, you know?"

Shulai burst in to laughter as Yun responded calmly. "You won't have to worry about that anymore, Taka. You know Xiao and I are coming back here for good."

"Well, Syao-chan is understandable. He plans to quit showbiz so he can finally start working in to becoming clan leader," Yamazaki nodded.

"My contract expires at my agency in Korea in November. I was having high hopes of making it big as an idol here in Japan also, but after spending so much of my time here in Tomoeda, I realized that I enjoy teaching others than competing with others just to be on top. I like dancing… and sports… and earlier today and even yesterday, I had fun teaching the lesser-skilled players how to handle the ball and basic tactics and everything. Because of that… I plan not to renew my contract anymore."

"Eh? Are you saying you're gonna pull a Syao-chan too?"

"Erm… well, if that's how you put it then yes."

"Man… the Book of Keroberos really is never wrong…"

"And of course, I get to see Nao-chan even more… maybe forever… you know? I don't want to go through that all long distance relationships thing. Too dangerous and risky, you know?"

"Good for both of you," Shulai said, nodding. "You dudes got nothing to worry about when it comes to chicks. Even the future clan leader has a love of his own even though she acts like a guy. Man, did you see the way she played her position earlier today? No girl plays soccer like the way she does, man. Seriously."

Both Yamazaki and Yun chortled. "Dude, you better not let Daidouji hear you say that about Sakura, man," Yamazaki warned him.

"Why? Just speaking the truth, yo."

"If Sakura heard you, she doesn't really care," Yun said. "If it's Daidouji, let's just say she acts like a surrogate mother to her."

"Psh, I hear that," Shulai snickered. "Still, Daidouji is hot, you know… something about her that attracts me…"

"You're competing with Hiiragizawa, man," Yamazaki said. "Cousins competing over the same girl…"

"Hell most of the good girls I've met so far in this little town are all taken! Hell I thought the team manager was hot!"

"You mean that Kuroda girl from the Amber Emeralds?" Yun gasped.

"Her? Nah. I'm talking about that foxy lady with the chestnut hair and a sexy smile… then I learned she's gonna be Kinomoto's future sister-in-law. What bad luck. Besides, Kuroda's got a man herself."

"Oh… damn… spoke too soon…" Yun muttered. "I guess the Amber Emeralds are totally legit. Probably more legit than them Wolfpups."

"Chiharu, Sasaki, and Yanagisawa are coming too," Yamazaki said. "Heck, I know it's only for the Amber Emeralds, Sakura, and Syao-chan, but hell, I bet the entire team will be going too to celebrate. It's like killing two birds with one stone!"

"I only got invited by Xiaolang so I can make some new friends, he said. I swear, just being limited to the Amber Emeralds is torture. I make new friends with some fine chicks who are already taken? What's up with that?"

"Erm… I'm pretty sure that there are some single Tomoeda girls who may be interested in you…" Yamazaki chuckled.

"Hey, Rika Sasaki is still single," Yun smiled. "She's the president of the Tomoeda Branch of the Moonies Fanclub. Maybe you can hook up with her, Shulai."

"Feh. Eriol can have her. I'd be happy to have Daidouji for myself, thank you—"

And speak of the devil, they hear the door leading to the master bedroom opened and Tomoyo Daidouji in lavender purple PJs appeared with her hair pulled up in to a bun and holding a plastic cup with her toothbrush in there. She greeted Touya and Yukito on the way and then found the rest of the boys at the lounge room.

"Hey guys! I see you're back, Shulai-kun," Tomoyo greeted.

"Xiaolang, Eriol, Meiling, and Wei went ahead to finish their night scenes, so yeah, I got back by myself here."

Tomoyo sat on the adjacent couch, placing her cup on the table. "Guys, Sakura really needs help…"

"Why? What's wrong with her? She was so awesome at the field earlier today!" Yamazaki complained.

"Since she's not in the soccer field anymore, she brings back her worry of the missing Chiirou bear back in her mind again…"

"Whoa… that's just… heavy…" Yun muttered. "Which part is it that she's actually more worried? The fact that her Chiirou bear is gone or the fact that Xiao may get pissed off if he finds out that she lost the Chiirou bear?"

"Oh… I wouldn't go that far, Oh…" Shulai muttered to himself.

"Both," Tomoyo sighed. "I'm usually good at bringing her spirits up when she's down but the loss of the only special gift that she has coming from Syaoran… I don't know…"

Yamazaki turned towards Shulai. "Yo, maybe you can help Sakura cheer up."

"Huh? You're asking _me _to deal with her?" Shulai raised an eyebrow. "I don't do crying girls, man!"

"I thought you're more of a hero than a player, Shulai? Hm?" Tomoyo gave a smirk.

"No worries, kids!" From behind, they spotted Yukito peeking in to the lounge area from the dining table. "Touya is already in the room with his little sister. I bought some ice cream mochi. Would you like some?"

"Oh hell yes, thanks, Senpai!" Yamazaki exclaimed. Yukito grinned as he began to prepare the dessert for the teenagers.

#

Meanwhile at Syaoran's master bedroom in the Wolf's Lair, Touya sat at the edge of Syaoran's bed with Sakura lying down with her head on her brother's lap and cuddling a pillow tightly to her. After hearing Tomoyo's plea and showing her concern about Sakura at her lowest, it was time for the big brother to step up and connect with her again.

"You know, Sakura, you need to lighten up," Touya said while patting his sister on her head. "You did pretty good earlier today but now you look like you're about to fall apart."

Sakura pouted. "This pillow can't even be a good substitute for Chiirou…"

"We'll find Chiirou bear soon, Sakura. Since tomorrow would be free day, we've got all day to find him."

"But tomorrow is the Amber Emeralds luncheon… I was ready to share some stories with them too… and I can't share those stories properly without showing them Chiirou…"

Touya gave her a suspicious reaction. "Are you sure that's the only reason why you want Chiirou Bear back? Come on, Sakura, you know you can't hide the truth from me…"

He's right, Sakura thought to herself. She couldn't help being superstitious as she wholeheartedly believed everything that was written in the Book of Keroberos. After all, she was born and raised and still living as a Tomoeda girl.

"I'm scared, Oniichan. Chiirou is the only thing that connects me and Syaoran together. I'm scared of the bad omen that would befall between us. Call me superstitious, call me silly, but nothing in the Book of Keroberos is bull, you know that…"

She buried her face on to her pillow while Touya gave a deep sigh. "If you're so worried about this bad omen because of a missing stuffed animal, then instead of just sticking to what the book says, find a way to overcome what was written there."

"But how… how do I do that, Oniichan?"

"Hate to break it to you, kiddo, but you're gonna have to tell the Li kid about it."

"But I don't want him to get angry… what if breaks up with me if I told him?"

The elder Kinomoto shook his head. "Sakura, only a moron would break up with the girl he loves just because of a missing stuffed animal, alright? I already told you before. I still don't like the brat, but I would seriously hate him more and kick his ass if he does make you cry…"

"But I can't tell him, Oniichan…"

"You _have _to tell him, Sakura. Unless you want _me _to tell him myself…"

"No! You can't! It'd… it'd only cause problems…"

Even though Sakura was being way too paranoid, Touya understood why she would act this way. It wasn't as if she was experienced having a boyfriend before after all.

"If he loves you, Sakura. If he truly does care for you and would do anything to make you happy, then I'm sure he will listen to what you have to say, and instead of being pissed off, the both of you would find a way to find your Chiirou back." He paused for a bit, but Sakura still did not budge. "I also believe in the Book of Keroberos too, but there are a few things that I think can be countered by human smarts. This is one of them."

"Hoe…"

"Enough with the 'hoe'-ing, Sakura. That's not gonna help. You can't be depressed like this for a long period of time— I need you focused for the upcoming summer sports camp. And knowing you since you were born, this isn't you, squirt."

She shifted her position sideways, now facing away from her brother. "I'm still scared, Oniichan. What if… what if the omen involves… not seeing Syaoran ever again?"

"Eh? Excuse me?"

"It's like… well, please understand this… whenever I have Chiirou in my arms, I feel like Syaoran is right next to me. I still sleep with Chiirou even if Syaoran was sleeping next to me right here. But lately because of his shooting schedules, he hasn't been around me as much as he used to and… with Chiirou now gone… I feel as if… with Chiirou so far away from me, I feel like Syaoran would become really distant from me too…"

Once again, she squeezed her pillow as she continued. "I don't want Syaoran to leave on Saturday, Oniichan… I wish you could do something to make him stay…"

"I wish I could, just for you, but I can't. But let's just face the reality, Sakura. You're still a wholesome Tomoeda girl. He's no longer a Tomoeda boy anymore. He belongs to the stars now. Tomoeda just doesn't have the power to keep him in here and he did make that choice…"

"He… he plans to quit showbiz though…"

"What if a bigger opportunity came to him and decided not to? What about then, Sakura…?"

Instead of arguing with her older brother again, she decided to stay silent. Touya broke the brief silence again. "Yukito's serving some mochi ice cream. Maybe that would cheer you up. There's mango and chocolate and strawberry…"

She shook her head. "No thanks… maybe tomorrow… I… I'm not really in the mood right now…"

He patted her on the head again. "How about this, Sakura? I'll let Tomoyo know that she can sleep at the bunk beds with us."

"Hoe? I'll be sleeping in here alone?"

"No… I'm giving the kid permission to sleep on his own bed again, right next to you."

Her eyes suddenly widened. "But… but… he's gonna… I mean… Chiirou…"

"That would be the best time for you to tell him about your Chiirou bear gone missing, Sakura. I'm pretty sure he's been thinking about you too. If you truly love him, then you should trust him wholeheartedly, right?"

Right then, realization dawned on to her. What she and Syaoran promised to each other about trusting each other regardless of the situation and the consequences resurfaced again through her own brother's words. She gave a deep sigh and then faced him, now looking directly at her.

"Syaoran… said those words… about… trusting each other…"

"Well now, did he?" Touya smirked. "Looks like the kid's got heart after all." He patted on the bed, signaling Sakura that he was about to stand up. She slowly got up and then lied back down on the bed again. "Well, go get some sleep. We need to be up bright and early for tomorrow's team results. Yukito and I are gonna pull an all-nighter since we still gotta review our assessments on the other players. But let me be the first to congratulate you before I leave."

"Hoe? What is it?"

"Midfielder, first string."

Quickly, she got up and then embraced her brother tightly. "Thank you so much, Oniichan… thanks for putting me as a midfielder. I lost my touch being forward these past two days…"

"You'd still be able to do the Kinomoto-Li Tag Team that you're known for back at elementary."

She nodded quickly. "Thanks so much, Oniichan. I won't let you and Yuki-niichan and everyone else down!"

"You're always welcome, Sakura. Well, go to sleep now." He bent down and planted a kiss on her head. "Goodnight, sleepy beast!"

"I'm not a beast!" Sakura protested. "I'm just… sleepy…" She began to yawn as she waved at her brother exiting the door.

The clock struck at 1:30 a.m. and both Touya and Yukito were still awake at the dining area, reading the assessments and grouping the players between the starter string and the second string. Yukito was calling out the names in a whisper as Touya typed them in a spreadsheet chart on his laptop. Luckily the camper has electricity and a printer so they can print out the results and post it in a bulletin board somewhere.

As expected, Tomoyo was sleeping at the empty bunk bed that Syaoran was supposed to have slept last night, while Yamazaki and Yun were also in their deep sleep. Shulai, on the other hand, still had his bed lamp on, reading his copy of _The Visitor's Guide to the Book of Keroberos_ Chinese edition. In short, all was calm around the campers' parking lot.

"We're short on players, Touya," Yukito said. "I mean we don't have enough players for the second string."

Touya nodded as he typed on his laptop. "We could open up an extra tryouts day, maybe on Monday. I'll hold up the tryouts myself while you start training the players who are in the team on that day. Shouldn't be a problem."

Yukito stretched out his arms upward. "That could work. And there won't be any scheduling distractions either. Li, Hiiragizawa, and Oh would also be gone for the next two weeks."

"I just hope the movie crew do give those guys extra time for them to practice…"

"Wei-san would be there, Touya. He'll make sure the boys do have enough time to train."

Touya nodded. "I forgot that Wei-san would be there with them."

As they continued on assembling their results chart, they hear the camper's door being unlocked. The two men stood up and approached the door, now in defense mode, just in case it was a break-in. Once the door was unlocked, Syaoran appeared at the door, along with Eriol, Meiling, and Wei from behind.

Yukito and Touya gave out a sigh of relief. "You're earlier than last night," Yukito greeted.

"Yeah," Syaoran also gave a sigh of relief. "We did very well tonight that we were able to finish early."

"Good," Touya nodded. Once the idols were inside, Wei locked the door from behind. Meiling stepped in with a smile on her face.

"One more person to sleep with you guys in this camper," Meiling said, holding a small backpack with her. "I can't stand sleeping in the girls' camper. Too much chamomile!"

Yukito raised an eyebrow. "You're also allergic to chamomile like Shulai-kun?"

Meiling nodded. "Unfortunately. Well, I'm gonna go on ahead and wash up."

As she proceeded to the restroom, both Syaoran and Eriol dropped themselves on to the lounge seats, looking exhausted. Touya faced the two, with his eyes primarily on Syaoran.

"I know this may sound strange coming from me," Touya said, "but you have my permission."

Syaoran looked up and gazed at the older Kinomoto. "Permiission? For what, Senpai?"

"To sleep with Sakura in your bed tonight."

"Eh?!" Eriol gasped with eyes wide. "Are you…. Serious?"

"Well well," Yukito grinned, "first you want the two to keep apart from each other. Now you're permitting Li-kun to get _really _cozy with your sister?"

"Shut up, Yukito," Touya glared at his best friend, then turned back to Syaoran. "Sakura's at her lowest right now and even Tomoyo-chan nor myself can't cheer her up like we used to."

Syaoran gave a nod. "Thank you, Senpai." As he stood up, Touya immediately got to him.

"Oh… in case your Golden Elixir starts acting up… here…" From his pocket, he reveals a small flat foil pack that got both Yukito and Eriol curious. He forced the packet in to Syaoran's hands as the amber-eyed Chinese teen gave a jaw drop once he had a closer look at the foil packet and identify what it was.

"Senpai…" Syaoran began to murmur in surprise. "I… I didn't know you… I mean…"

"Just shut up about it or I might change my mind!" Touya gritted his teeth.

Syaoran quickly placed the foil packet inside his pocket. "Alright. I'm going. Goodnight." He nodded at the rest of the boys and then made his way in to the master bedroom.

Meanwhile, Yukito and Eriol quickly stood closer to Touya. "Is… is that what I think it is, Touya-senpai?" Eriol asked curiously.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Hiiragizawa," Touya glared at the bespectacled British teen.

"So," Yukito nudged his best friend on the side. "How often do you and Kaho do—"

"Don't even go there, Yukito!" Touya shouted in a low voice. "I don't want it all announced throughout the truck and wake everybody up!"

From out of nowhere, Shulai, who had been awake and reading his book, called out to them. "What the hell are you all whispering about? It's natural that a man carries packets of condoms whenever the right opportunity comes—"

"Shulai?!" Eriol shouted while gritting his teeth towards his cousin. "Do you mind _not _yell that out in public?"

Shulai got up from his bed and then gave a salute towards Touya. "If things go right, let me be the first to welcome you with open arms, Kinomoto-san. Welcome to the Li Clan!"

Touya dropped his head while Yukito and Eriol simply shook his head. Shulai chuckled to himself and laid back down on his bed.

#

When Syaoran locked the master bedroom door behind him, he first gazed down at the sleeping Sakura. Though she looked so peaceful and calm in her sleep, he noticed that there were traces of dried tears on her cheek. Obviously this gave him the conclusion that she had been crying. Boy, Touya wasn't kidding after all.

He slipped in to the covers and scooted himself next to her. Slowly he slipped one arm underneath her neck and the other around her waist so he can pull her to him and hold her close and tight to him. Just as he was positioning himself to be her shield, she squirmed a little bit and then she murmured her words in her sleep.

"Syaoran… please don't leave me… now that Chiirou's gone… you're disappearing too…"

Just as he thought, she had been crying over the missing Chiirou. Even though she was completely focused on her game earlier at the field today, she brought all her worries back right after tryouts. He began to imagine what she was going through with the missing Chiirou in mind. What she may be dreaming right now may probably be one of the first few signs that the Book of Keroberos' warning of a bad omen over a couple who has lost one of the two Tomoeda stuffed animals. What if it does come true? What would happen if he failed in retrieving Chiirou and that he may never return back to Tomoeda again after he and the movie cast and crew leave for Kagamineshi in two days?

He knew inside that he had to stop the nightmare that his love is experiencing right now. He did so by kissing her tenderly on the lips. A few seconds later after he withdrew, her eyes slowly opened. With a deep sigh of relief, she quickly held him tight, pulling him gently closer to her.

"Syaoran… you're… you're still here! I thought you didn't want me anymore…"

"Sakura… shh…" He hushed her on her ear. "You were having a bad dream." He reached for his side table to turn on the lamp.

It was then that she realized that she was back in the bedroom again. This time, as her brother promised her, there was no one else in the room except for her beloved Syaoran. She then buried her head against his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Syaoran…" Sakura cried. "I lost Chiirou this morning… and none of us were able to find him anywhere around the Wolf's Lair… we're doomed…"

He continued to hush her again as he gently rubbed her back with his hand. "We're not doomed, Sakura. Don't think that…"

"But…" She quickly lifted her head to face him. "You were a little annoyed and angry with me earlier when you arrived late at the tryouts… and you weren't talking to me as much when we were doing the drills, playing… I just thought that… maybe you may have figured out that Chiirou's missing and that I didn't get the chance to tell you because I was scared that—"

He hushed her again. "I'm sorry if I acted really cold at you earlier… I didn't mean it…" He planted another tender kiss on her forehead, and then to his cheek, and then a quick one on the lips. "Forgive me?"

She gave a puzzled look. "But… what made you… act like that earlier…?"

He sighed. "It's not you, Sakura… it's just… something really bad happened during the set that really pissed me off… and I wanted to forget all of that by concentrating on the game. I also wanted you to concentrate on the game too earlier so that both of us can make it in first string. I knew something was wrong with you and I didn't want you to think about that while you're out in the field. I was doing the same as well."

She took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Syaoran… I'm such a bad girlfriend… I know we've talked about trusting each other and not to worry about the smallest of things… but here I am… worrying about the smallest of things… and Chiirou… I'm really scared about what's going to happen to us after you leave in two days… I shouldn't be greedy and all, but I… I don't want you to leave…"

"Hey… come on…" He held her tight to him than ever. "Don't think about that… we still got one more day to spend time together… and I'm only going to be away for two weeks… I know a lot of things can happen during the two weeks but I know we're stronger than what's written in the Book of Keroberos. We're being tested to see how special and how real we have created together. You're the type who likes to take on a challenge and sure enough, fate has really hit your sensitive spot by the disappearance of Chiirou. Are you just going to lock yourself up and cry all day for Chiirou and not do anything about it? If you give up finding Chiirou, then that would also mean that you're giving up on me too…?"

Right then, a major realization struck her within. Of course, she thought. Why didn't she think of that before? She was more of a fighter and a peacekeeper, not one who has to give up just because the Book of Keroberos said so or some third party tells her to do so.

Syaoran released her as he laid down on his back. "Do you remember the night after my birthday party… when we confessed to each other of our feelings?"

Sakura nodded. "Of course I remember. How can I forget? It's the most wonderful memory I've ever had with you."

"Do you remember what you said to me when you confessed to me?"

She began to think, trying to rewind her mind back to last Sunday night. After moments of contemplating, she began to remember. "I said to you… even though you don't have the same feelings for me, I'll do whatever it takes for you to give me a chance… so… please, give me another chance…"

"We've only just begun, Sakura. We've only been officially dating for five days… are we letting the missing Chiirou and this whole bad omen bit going to get in between us?"

She shook her head immediately. "No, of course not! We're a good team… we're the best team at everything… in soccer… in studies even though I suck at Math…" Syaoran chortled at the latter. "… in… everything… even with love…"

"Yeah. Even with love…" They kissed once again, as he gently pulled her to him again, holding her tight.

"Chiirou has been snatched away from the Wolf's Lair, Sakura…"

"I know that now… there's just no way that Chiirou would come back to life and then run away…"

Even though he already knew what happened to Chiirou he can't give Sakura any more stress as she already has right now. He just couldn't afford seeing her at her lowest mood ever. It was a good thing that he wasn't around at the time she was in tears because even though she cried over something he wasn't involved with, his heart felt that he should always be responsible in keeping his girlfriend happy.

"I'll think of something, Sakura. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow when we have our Amber Emeralds luncheon. I'll come up with something, don't worry."

"I believe you, Syaoran." She leaned over and kissed him in the same fashion again.

"Thank you, Sakura."

"I love you, Syaoran."

He slowly crawled on top of her as the two kiss once more, with him beginning to trail his kisses from the corner of her lips to her cheek and then down her neck. She closed her eyes tightly and began to feel a few tingles inside of her once she felt his lips touch her most sensitive spots.

Right then, he withdrew from her, as she smiled happily and yawned. "Now I think I could sleep now."

"Good. I'll be right here so you won't have to have bad dreams anymore."

"Mou… but still, it's so hard sleeping without Chiirou in my arms…"

"Oi… Chiirou is just a stuffed animal. I'm the _original _Chiirou, remember?"

Sakura giggled as she began to cuddle him right in her arms, just as she would do with the Chiirou bear. Syaoran simply chortled as he returned the cuddling in the same fashion.

"Goodnight, Syaoran…"

"Goodnight, my love." They exchange their goodnight kisses as she began to close her eyes.

In the meantime, Syaoran began to have his own inner thoughts. _Luncheon with the Amber Emeralds, huh? I think I may have a plan…_

* * *

**A/N:** Well now! This is a shocker! I was able to finish this chapter in about...three days LOL. So... yay!

Giving a short note on the first part of the chapter. Japan's biggest mobile corporation is SoftBank. If you watch fansubbed anime and/or J-drama in which the source is directly from Japanese TV (commercials and everything), you'll be able to see SoftBank as one of its sponsors. The company was founded by a Japan-born Korean named Masayoshi Son (real name: Son Jeung-ui), who is also the second richest man in all of Japan. I think I've mentioned this before in my past author's notes, but if I have, sorry to repeat again LOL. Among the minority groups in Japan, Koreans are the second largest minority group, while the Chinese are the largest minority group. If some of you who are K-Pop/K-Drama fans are wondering why I have a Korean character in this fanfic, no, I will have to let you know that I am _not _a K-Pop/K-drama fan at all. I only have a Korean character (Oh Yun Hwa) to show those who aren't familiar with Japanese society a piece of the "real Japanese demographic" among its population. For the Japanese, it's very common for them to meet a Chinese and a Korean-descent person everywhere and anywhere they go.

In case some of you are wondering why so much of K-Pop and K-drama and many aspects of Korean pop culture are so similar to J-Pop and J-drama and Japanese pop culture. Thank Japan for the high influence. From the late 1800s to the end of World War II, Korea (both North and South) was a colony of Japan. Many say that it was Japanese colonialism that brought Korea out of poverty and illiteracy. The Japanese also forced the Koreans to disregard the Chinese writing system and adapt _hangul _as Korea's new official writing system. Of course, in some later years, the Japanese became arrogant that even forced the Koreans to disregard the Korean language and adapt the Japanese language as the new official language. After Japan's surrender to the U.S. After WWII, Korea brought back the Korean language, and rather than bringing back the Chinese writing system, they brought back Hangul as their official writing system up till today. Check out Wikipedia and other Korean and Japanese history sites for more info.

Okay, moving on LOL. I initially planned to write the entire Amber Emeralds luncheon at this chapter, but because the flow of ideas started coming out again that prolonged Thursday, I decided to end it right before the sun rises for Friday. Now you all know the background behind Chiirou's mysterious disappearance. ^_^

Regarding the preview of **The Empyrean Wars**, I think I'm gonna wait until I receive like 20 reviews or so to help me determine if I should proceed with this new fic or not. In that way I won't go crazy with the writer's block and what not with Stuffed Animal. Tactic, I know. LOL.

Now, shouting out to the new followers and those who added this fic in their Favorites list. Thank you, thank you, thank you! ^_^

Finally, replies to the reviewers!

**Narqissa –** Here's a little secret. You always end up first because you seem to be the first person to review the new chapter most of the time LOL. I reply to all reviewers in chronological order (earliest to the latest LOL). It's easier that way LOL.

**Dancingfingers** – I have to admit, but lately I have been reading too many freebie romance eBooks in my Kindle app that I felt like teasing the readers a bit. "Golden Elixir" indeed LOL.

**Ria –** Hello again! You were only saying that you like Stuffed Animal more because there isn't a lot written in The Empyrean Wars yet. XD It's not like I'm gonna give up Stuffed Animal for the other one, of course. ^_^

**sakura 42002** – The correct spelling is actually _sugoi_. ^^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter :D

**Littlepuppylost** – I'm not very fond of short chapters either. As I mentioned to that "troll" reviewer before, there is no such thing as a chapter too long but there is such thing as a chapter too short LOL. Replying to everyone reviewing was the only way for me to communicate to you guys and knowing the fact that you guys are reading and then taking the time to review also motivates me to continue. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter. ^_^

**IcyPeachDragon** – Welcome to Stuffed Animal! Enjoy!

**Just a reader –** I have to make a confession. I do have trouble writing out villains, so much that I had to read a textbook for me to do a few exercises. It's called "Bullies, Bastards, & Bitches" by Jessica Page Morrell LOL. Really good book. I highly recommend it to all writers around. I got this book as a birthday gift many years ago and it still looks fresh and brand-new LOL.

**Kaylaanime1492901** – Hello and welcome! This chapter should clarify things for you. ^_^

**makeawishdreambig** – Long time no see! Glad to see you again! I have noticed that CCS fanfics are pretty much dying, and the potential ones that I've read were also discontinued. It's kind of hard to keep the CCS fandom alive with so many new anime out, and if you think about it, CCS is close to 20 years old. The new breed of anime fans would probably ignore the classics, but I'm an old school otaku. I've watched many of the newer anime and I still prefer the old ones, so much that today's anime industry are even remaking the classics. Take Sailor Moon, for example. I'm not a huge angst-type of person but I try not to make the fic so wishy-washy either if you know what I mean LOL.

**Shadow74196 –** Adri's fine, everyone calls me that anyway LOL. You haven't been reviewing my fic though, but you're more like talking to me LOL. I still do appreciate that you still come and reach me though. ^_^

**Rachel'RR** – Hello and welcome! Well... hmm... let's just see what happens next... LOL.

**Kawaii chibi Chidori-chan** – Too long LOL. I'll just call you Chidori-chan. XDDD Hello and welcome anyway!

**Icefrosties** – Hello again LOL. Each story should always have an antagonist after all. I'm not really good at writing bitches, but I'm trying LOL.

**Bolamut** – Hello and welcome! Thanks for giving this fic a chance hehe. :) I haven't had any luck with job hunting but I'll just keep on working. ^_^

**SakuSyaoLvr ** - I have been neglecting Mai so now I'm doing as much as I can to give her a bigger part... like give it a bang or something LOL. But let's just see what happens! ^_^

It's almost 3:00 am here. Time to get my shuteye! Till next time! ^_^


	24. 23: Till Then

**STUFFED ANIMAL**

_by Adri Mars_

**CHAPTER 23: TILL THEN**

_Card Captor Sakura © CLAMP/Kodansha. The only thing I own here is this fanfic's plot and whatever original characters I may create here._

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**QUICK NOTE:** I write all my author notes at the end of each chapter, so please, don't forget to read them once you reach the end of this page. I'm putting this "quick note" back on because some of the reviewers don't read the author notes below- **_My replies to the reviewers are included in the author notes below!_**

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**Friday (One-Week Slavery Final Day)**

Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto made a surprise visit to the Wolf's Lair at the hour that everyone else were still sleeping except for the dedicated manager, Wei Wang, where he greeted the brilliant archaeologist from next door. He carried a bag that had kitchen products and utensils in them and a backpack that contained a few clothes for the teens for the upcoming luncheon. Once Fujitaka was inside, he immediately proceeded to the kitchen. He grinned once he spotted Touya and Yukito sleeping at the seats of the lounge room.

"What brings you here, Dr. Kinomoto?" Wei curiously asked, also with a pleasing smile.

"Well, let's just say, I miss the kids," Fujitaka grinned. "I miss making breakfast for them and I miss having early morning breakfast talks with them. Today is also the last day that we'll be camping in the house to do the translation project. We finally got a conference room within the social science building that we can use to continue our translation projects."

Wei began unpacking his bag while Fujitaka washed his hands and putting on his apron. "How are the translations coming along? Did you find something interesting?"

"Plenty," Fujitaka said. "The most important discovery that we did discover through the translations is the serial stories about The Water of Immortality. There were a lot of incriminating evidence there that may have possible ties to the Li Clan, actually."

Wei's eyes widened. "The Li Clan… is that so, Dr. Kinomoto?"

"It looks like there are clues that the Water of Immortality lies within the borders of the Li Clan. I'm sure they're speaking of the Li Clan during the ancient times, not the Li Clan today."

"We do have our own family scholars back in China, Dr. Kinomoto, and I do happen to know them personally myself. If you would like I can give word to them about your discoveries and collaborate."

"I appreciate that, Wei." The guardian began typing in his note reminders while Fujitaka began preparing the kitchen necessities to start cooking.

"What do you have in mind for breakfast today, Doctor?" Wei asked curiously.

"My kids' favorite: French Toast— Daddy style!"

Wei grinned. "Well, French Toast is one of Master Xiaolang's favorites for breakfast. Do you need assistance?"

"Hm, sure," Fujitaka nodded. "I brought some fresh fruit from the farmer's market on my way. We'll make a bowl of fresh fruit. Could you wash and slice them? Maybe we can mix in some whipped cream."

"Will do." While the two adults began their kitchen duties, the two young adults became the first of the Wolf's Lair's occupants to wake up, with Yukito arriving at the kitchen first.

"Just the sounds of knives chopping and thumping against the chopping board is a more effective morning alarm clock than the alarm clock itself!" Yukito grinned. "Good morning, Wei-san… oh, and hello there, Dr. Kinomoto!"

From behind, Touya rushed to find his father standing at the kitchen. "What the— Dad, what are you doing here?!"

"Good morning to you too, Touya," Fujitaka grinned. "And good morning to you too, Yukito. Hope you two had a good night's sleep."

"Well, this is quite a surprise that you're here, Doctor," Yukito chuckled nervously. "I was going to make breakfast even. Touya made most of the dinner last night, so…"

"You two have done well to take care of the younger ones, so let Wei-san and I do all of the cooking for all of you. Besides, you boys need to prepare for posting up the results of the tryouts, ne?"

"You're right about that, Dad," Touya nodded in agreement. "Well, carry on, Dad!"

Fujitaka simply grinned at his son as he and Wei proceeded on with their kitchen duties.

#

Sakura woke up in a rather unpleasant mode when she ended up reaching her arms to the side. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was back in her own reality and comfortably and protectively snuggled by her beloved teen idol boyfriend, Syaoran. She gave a deep sigh of relief when she turned to see his peaceful slumbering face. In return, she snuggled herself against him, unaware that her snuggling just made the handsome Chinese teen smile in his sleep. She then closed her eyes and continued in her slumber.

Some twenty minutes later, it was Syaoran's turn to wake up. He reached for his phone at his side table to check the time. There were still three hours before his sweet and innocent girlfriend's older brother and his best friend post up the results for the Camp Tomoeda soccer team. Still, he knew he had to get up and get ready and that he had to wake up his love as well. But when he spotted her sleeping peacefully with her entire body snuggling so close to him, he couldn't help but to continue keeping her in his arms.

_Damn,_ he cursed to himself. _If only I had the power to be in two places at once during these two weeks…_ Part of him knew he had to fulfill his role and finish the entire movie shooting once and for all at Kagamineshi starting tomorrow, but his other part just couldn't help but be protective over Sakura, much more protective than that of Touya. He knew this was especially bad timing, considering that his reputation and his career may possibly in jeopardy by his greedily demanding co-star who only wanted his attention and his affection in exchange for saving _his _stuffed animal, Chiirou, that he truly concentrated so hard to sew for the one and only girl he loves.

He knew to himself that time is running out for him in order to come up with a counter plan that would retrieve Chiirou and return it to Sakura while saving his skin at the same time. He had to outsmart Mai Hirashiki somehow, and even though he was aware that she wasn't exactly a bright person, she sure was a manipulative one. Was he going to sacrifice his budding relationship with Sakura just to save some stuffed animal? Hell no, that would be the last thing he would do, he thought. He could rat out Mai's true nature to the tabloids, but that would only cause a whole lot more trouble than it is now and that there will be a high risk of revealing Sakura's identity to be the mysterious girl he was with according to yesterday's tabloids. Situations such as this wouldn't be much of a problem for Syaoran if Sakura wasn't involved in it, partially or the other.

He needed to contemplate and contemplate deeper. Would he have to rely on other people's help for him to execute a clean plan for this? Possibly. If he had to go to that route, he had to make sure that only those within the family and among the idols would be the ones involved. He couldn't have the Tomoeda locals get involved any further than they were right now. In addition, he still couldn't get the words Sakura said to him last night.

"_Losing Chiirou to me is like a sign that I may never see you again…"_

Quickly, he shook his head to himself with his eyes closed. _Damn Book of Keroberos! Look what you've done to Sakura! Now she's believing nonsense about our relationship being doomed when we just started!_

However, no good would still come by getting frustrated over the situation. He seriously needed to come up with a solution and if it were to brainstorm about this, today was a good day. And then, there was the matter of today's luncheon with the Amber Emeralds that he needed to attend to. He never thought that being with the local teens in support of him as a local Tomoeda boy as a nuisance to his personal schedule, but with this situation with the missing Chiirou and Mai Hirashiki he was afraid that he may disappoint the Amber Emeralds by showing any displeasure just for being there.

He wasted no time once he checked the clock again. He had to get up and wash up and then wake Sakura up after. He slowly sneaked away from Sakura's arms and proceeded himself to the restroom along with his towel and his own personal toiletries. He was greeted by the ones who were already awake, with a surprise appearance of his love's father.

Even though he was happy to see Fujitaka at his motorhome, he also thought of one thing in his mind. His presence must have meant that he intended to help his children pack up their things and head back home today. No more Sakura sleeping in his bed next to him. Oh how that made his heart shatter!

When he was finished washing himself up in the restroom, he found Fujitaka washing the kitchen utensils while his trusted guardian prepared breakfast at the table. Once the archaeologist spotted him again, he simply gave him a grin.

"Lovely morning, Syaoran," Fujitaka smiled. "You seem to be in high spirits today."

"I… I have to, Doctor. It's just that…"

"I'm told that most of you cast are free so you can prepare for tomorrow's long trip! Is today your first date with Sakura?"

Syaoran gave a blush. "Well… if you meant gathering with a bunch of junior students at Tomoeda High, you could say that."

When Fujitaka finished washing them, he approached closer to the amber-eyed young man. "Are you free right after your get-together with Sakura and others?"

"I was supposed to have more interviews right after but the director had us canceled all of that, so yes, I'm free."

"I wonder if I may buy some time with you, Syaoran."

"Sure thing, Doctor. Not a problem. Although time with me is free, actually."

"Good then," Fujitaka nodded. "I'll see you then."

"Well, I better wake Sakura up right now." Syaoran bowed to the archaeologist and made his way back to his room.

Just as he approached inside, he overheard Sakura's sleeping voice speaking out in the air again. This time, it wasn't the type of voice that would arouse him deep inside. Instead, he heard distress and sadness and began to listen.

"How… how could you, Syaoran… all for this… for Chiirou…? You would sacrifice yourself… for Chiirou…?"

Immediately he began to wonder if her dream was already hinting her regarding the missing Chiirou and Mai Hirashiki's schemes involving her beloved teddy bear.

"Don't you understand, Syaoran… Chiirou would mean nothing to me knowing you are no longer mine… and that we'll never see each other again…"

_That's not gonna happen! _His voice exclaimed in his mind and then approached the bed. He slipped himself back to his side of the bed and then embraced her tightly in his arms, hoping that the nightmare would stop and that she can wake up with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Sakura… shh…" He hushed on her ear, gently caressing her back to calm her down. Moments later, she opened her eyes with tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Syaoran… you're still here…" Immediately, she placed her arms around him. "Please don't leave me…"

"I'm still here, Sakura… you just had a bad dream…"

Right then, she began to realize that the bad dream was all over. She felt overwhelming warmth and comfort coming from his protective arms and body, then gave out a sigh of relief.

"I wish you didn't have to leave tomorrow, Syaoran… I… I don't want that bad dream to come true."

"It won't. Our love is way too strong for it to end so early and it's going to stay that way."

Slowly, he released her as the two face each other. He caressed her cheeks gently with his thumbs to wipe the tears away. "Today is not the day you cry, Sakura. Today, we learn what position we'll be playing in soccer and our luncheon with the Amber Emeralds. It'll be an awesome day, Sakura, I promise!"

She grinned happily and embraced him tightly to her. "You're right, Syaoran. I shouldn't be thinking about all these bad dreams. I want today be the best day we'll spend the night together!"

He kissed her on the cheek. "Good. Get ready before your dad and brother might barge in my room wondering why you haven't woken up."

She laughed, kissed him on the cheek in return, then grabbed her toiletries and made her way to the restroom. Later when everyone was awake and greetings exchanged with Fujitaka, Touya and Yukito marched inside the motorhome with serious expressions.

"Hey kid!" Touya called out.

"Which one?!" Yamazaki immediately called out his answer.

"Grr…" Touya growled while Yukito took over.

"Oh, we're looking for Li-kun, actually."

"Which one?!" Syaoran and Shulai immediately repeated Yamazaki's reply.

"Ah, sorry about that, Syaoran," Yukito chuckled.

Syaoran approached the two young adults. "Yeah? What's going on?"

"We've got a guest waiting outside who's _anxiously _waiting to meet you, kid," Touya answered sternly.

"Who's he?"

"Dunno," Yukito shrugged. "He won't say his name, but you know… I think he's more comfortable talking to you."

"He's outside. This way."

Touya lead Syaoran with Yukito following them from behind. When he arrived, he was surprised to see Kuze and a few of the Amber Emerald soccer players crowding around a rather intimidated young man with a huge camera around his neck and a camera backpack on his back.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"We found this dude snooping around the school campus while Coach Kinomoto and Tsukishiro were at the bulletin boards posting the results," Kuze said.

The camera man shifted his eyes in nerviness while Syaoran gave a suspicious glare towards him. Another one of the soccer players spoke. "We thought he was a spy for the Nijibe team so we apprehended him. Then he introduced himself and we all thought that he's got something to do with you."

"N-not that way!" The camera man defended himself. "Just… I'm innocent! I swear!"

Syaoran crossed his arms and stared at him. "What's your name?"

The camera man had no choice but to answer, knowing that the rest of the local boys' eyes were straight directed towards him.

Meanwhile inside the motorhome, Sakura and the others became curious and were about to head to the windows to see who it was. Unfortunately for them, Fujitaka already called for them.

"Alright boys and girls, enough with the eavesdropping. Breakfast is served!"

#

A good, hearty, and healthy breakfast followed right after everyone in the Wolf's Lair have woken up. Touya and Yukito made sure they made it back to the trailer after posting their results in the school's bulletin board before breakfast began. Just like home routine, Touya and Sakura helped Fujitaka cleaned up the breakfast table afterward while the others began to change in to their everyday summer clothes for the meeting and the results.

Fujitaka approached his daughter with a small plastic bag in his hand when he spotted Sakura brushing her hair and tying her hair in small pigtails in Syaoran's room. Syaoran, on the other hand, was outside at one of the nearby patio tables having a short meeting with the boys: Eriol, Yamazaki, Yun, and Shulai. What they were talking about is still yet a mystery.

Sakura turned to see her father handing her the small plastic bag. "What's this, Dad?"

"Your refills," Fujitaka said. "I checked the wall calendar in the kitchen and saw your writing that you need to pick up your refills at the pharmacy yesterday. Rather than calling you while you're in a middle of a moment with Syaoran, I decided to pick up the refills myself."

"Oh, my refills!" Sakura blushed and placed her hand on her mouth. "I… I really am going to need them again because I think my… possible week… will be on summer sports camp week. I think."

"Need them again? Why, did you stop taking them at some point?"

"I stopped right when summer break began. I mean, I wouldn't be needing them for awhile until I head back to school and back in to my sports activities again, right, Dad?"

"Hmm… risky." Fujitaka frowned. "Well, here are your refills. You are going to need them again. Big time."

Sakura picked the bag from him. "I… I can't believe you agreed with the doctor that I should take the pills since I started having… those weeks…"

"It's one of your mother's wishes, you know. And you're active in sports that you can't have those weeks affect your performance in them, right?" He then sat next to her at the edge of Syaoran's bed and then whispered on her ear.

"Have you done it… with Syaoran?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Done… what?"

"Erm… you know…"

She gave a chuckle while blushing at the same time. "Dad? I know Syaoran and I are in love but… but we're taking our time… and we've only just begun with our relationship."

He patted his daughter on the shoulder. "Well… make sure you start taking those pills again. You're going to need it now than ever. Accidents do happen after all."

She smiled and then embraced her father. "Thanks, Dad. I know this may sound embarrassing coming from a father to a daughter, but you're the only parent that I have now that you seem so comfortable talking about… female things… with your daughter…"

"Well, take care. You and Syaoran… don't be careless, ne?"

"I promise, Dad."

Meanwhile at the patio table where Syaoran and the boys were having their brief meeting, all eyes were immediately towards the two uncanny look-alike cousins. Syaoran was now sitting across from Shulai, who also had that same serious look for the first time since his arrival in Tomoeda from Hong Kong. But before that, Syaoran and the other boys already briefed Yamazaki of the situation regarding Sakura's missing Chiirou and dealing with a conniving brat like Mai Hirashiki.

"You have a plan in mind, Syao-chan," Yamazaki said, crossing his arms.

Syaoran nodded as his reply. "It's risky, but… I can't take it anymore."

"Man," Yamazaki shook his head. "I thought that chick was just some dumb spoiled brat who's possessive and obsessed, but boy, didn't expect she'd stoop so low like this."

"Taka, come on," Yun chuckled. "When you're in show business, it's a battlefield out there. Whether you work in front of the camera or behind the camera, you're always competing and at war with everyone because you want to be the center of attraction all the time!"

"So, you're saying that if Syao-chan doesn't back off, she destroys Chiirou?"

"Well…" Eriol muttered. "You got one part of it right, Yamazaki. Technically, she wants to be the center of attraction, but in order for her to do that, she had to have someone more famous and prestigious than her to get to that goal, someone she can use as a stepping stone to get to the top knowing she can't reach her goal by herself. You get it now?"

Yamazaki immediately opened his eyes in shock. "Are you saying that in order to get Chiirou back, Syao-chan has to dump Sakura for her? Is that it?"

Syaoran gave a deep sigh. "That's one way of putting it…"

"What the hell, Syao-chan?! Are you really going to do that? You can't do that to Sakura-chan, no way! She's waited all this time for you and she's set her heart in complete love and devotion for you and only you— and then you'd just crush her heart like that just for a stuffed animal?!"

"Do I look like a weakling to you, Taka?!" Syaoran blasted. "I'm the future leader of the ruling Li Clan of China! To give in to something so cheap and petty as that is absolutely failure, not just in my books, but also to my family's eyes!"

"Hey, chill, Syao," Yamazaki calmed his best friend. "I didn't mean it that way. I just panicked, you know? I mean, Sakura-chan is like a sister to me and I worry about her too, you know."

"Now now," Eriol hushed, "this isn't the time to argue. Now is the best time to finally come up with a foolproof plan regarding how we're going to get that poor stuffed animal back without Xiaolang breaking poor Sakura's heart for that vile-hearted wench."

"Vile-hearted wench? Such hurtful words, Eriol!" Yun gave a chuckle. "Is that a British expression or something?"

"As I was saying," Syaoran continued on. "I've come up with a plan… but it's risky."

"A plan? You're now just telling us that you've got a plan?" Eriol wondered. "Since when?"

"Since this morning when I found Sakura crying in her sleep."

The boys then looked at each other as Syaoran continued on. "Like I said though, it's risky. I've only got the first part of the plan all lined up in my head. I still have to tune up the second part."

"Is that so? Well, what is it?"

Syaoran first turned his head at all sides and around his surroundings to be sure that no one was nearby. He did see Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko at another table far from where they were sitting, which made him decide to huddle with the rest of the boys.

"During the luncheon I plan on spending my time alone with Sakura. I'll take her out of the area where the rest of the Amber Emeralds are once we're done eating. Meanwhile, the rest of you will have to keep the Amber Emeralds company— except for Shulai."

Shulai, who had been silent for the entire meeting, finally spoke. "Why am I not gonna be around the Amber Emeralds like the rest, Xiaolang?"

"Because, Shulai, you're going to play an important role in my plan."

Shulai crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow in suspicion, as Syaoran turned towards Yun. "Yun, I know Yanagisawa was my classmate in elementary school but I don't know her that well, but… does she wear contacts?"

Yun, like Shulai, raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Why a sudden interest in Nao-chan, Li?"

"Because…"

Meanwhile while Syaoran continued on with his plan, Sakura and Tomoyo exited the Wolf's Lair. Immediately the two best friends spotted the boys and Sakura called out: "Hey guys, we're gonna head to the meeting now with Oniichan and Yuki-niichan. You guys coming?"

Quickly, the boys broke from the huddle and waved. "Yeah, you girls go ahead. We'll catch up to you!" Syaoran answered.

"Alright then!" Sakura and Tomoyo waved at them and made their way around the school building. On their way, they arrive at the other table where Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko had been hanging out. The girls greeted as the two sat with them.

"Those boys are acting rather suspicious since they sat down together," Chiharu mentioned Syaoran and the boys having their meeting at the table far across from them.

"They're probably talking about soccer strategy for the sports camp or something," Sakura chuckled.

"Oh I dunno about that, Sakura," Tomoyo laughed. "If they really were talking about soccer strategy for the camp, wouldn't you be in that huddle?"

"Hey, you're right about that, Tomoyo!" Rika gasped. "Since they didn't include you in their huddle, that would mean that they're talking about something else other than soccer…"

"Hm… I wonder what they're talking about…" Sakura began to murmur.

Naoko gently rubbed her chin. "I don't know if I'm seeing things or not but for some reason, Li-kun and Yun kept on looking at me for some reason. Do I have anything on my face?"

"Nope. You're perfectly fine, Naoko," Sakura pointed. "Maybe they're seeing something we girls can't in you, girl."

"Maybe it's a guy thing," Tomoyo indicated.

"I can understand Yun staring at me from time to time but… Li-kun?"

"Which Li-kun are we talking about?" Chiharu chuckled.

"I have no idea… those two look so much alike, I think I'm seriously going crazy under this summer sun!"

Just as the girls continue to get curious, the huddle of the boys finally ended as they stood up from their table. Quickly the girls stood while the boys were approaching them.

"Sakura, come on, let's go," Syaoran called.

"Okay." Sakura followed his command, while the rest of the girls followed.

As they walked right around the building, Naoko felt an arm pulling backward away from the group. "Hey, what gives?"

She turned her head to see Shulai grabbing her hand. "I need to talk to you, Yanagisawa."

"Li-kun? But… shouldn't you be with Sakura now?" Naoko wondered, confused but did not even bother which one of the look-alikes she was speaking to.

"He _is _with Kinomoto, Yanagisawa. I'm Shulai. Can we talk for a bit? It's… important…"

Naoko raised an eyebrow of suspicion and sighed. "Alright, alright. What do you want?"

Shulai lead her back at one of the nearby tables as they both sat down. Right then, the look-alike cousin began to speak to her about an important matter that Naoko would be a part of.

#

Just as Touya promised her, Sakura got herself in the first string as a midfielder. Her name was clearly right next to the list of results. All of the players who tried out for the team had no complaints, knowing that they had to endure all the hard work and the attitude of the other coaches in the first day before Touya and Yukito took over the final day of tryouts. Those who couldn't deal with the intensity of the training on the first day decided not to show up on the second day. Those who remained, even if a few of them were completely worn out, deserved to be at the spot they were in now. With that, the players congratulated each other, as well as thanking both the two young adults for pushing them forward to the best of their abilities in to making in the team.

"Starting today until Sunday," Yukito began to announce while standing in front of the players sitting at the elevated bleachers, "you players deserve a long break. The real training begins on Monday afternoon. I've got all your email addresses, so be sure to check your emails once in awhile. You will be receiving reminders and other emails coming from me or from Coach Kinomoto, so please, I'm begging all of you, keep your phones alert or don't forget to check your email first before you start playing your MMO games on your PCs. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Coach." Along with their united response, applause also followed.

Touya picked up from where head coach Yukito left off. "Next, our team managers here, Kaho Mizuki and Mio Kuroda, will be providing us with refreshments and lunch, so don't worry about bringing your own snacks or bringing your own water bottles. They will also be the ones who will be responsible for your basic First Aid Kit. Kaho-san here is certified in First Aid, so you're in good hands. Any questions or concerns?"

One of the male players immediately raised his hand with a sly grin on his face. "Um, this is for Mizuki-san. What happens if one of us gets injured in the nuts? Would you also be taking care of that too?" Some of the boys burst in to laughter while Syaoran, Eriol, Yamazaki, and Yun simply glared right at them.

"Perverts…" Syaoran shook his head.

Touya was about to explode in anger when Kaho decided to answer the curious boy's question. "Has Coach Kinomoto mentioned how humble he is to not show off his credentials to all of you? Well, he too is highly certified in First Aid, so if are any _male_-related injuries ever to occur during practice or even at the game, Coach Kinomoto will be the one to take care of you!"

Once the boy gazed at Touya's domineering eyes glaring directly at him, he knew that the beautiful team manager was no liar. He decided to thank Kaho and keep his silence.

"We will also be having occasional free dinner right after practice if needed," Yukito continued on. "My family owns Mooncastle Diner, so once we do decide to have dinner, everything you order from the menu will be in the house."

"Yay!" More applause came from the players while Yukito hushed them again.

"And that would be it for now. Touya or myself will be sending you global emails regarding what's to come for our team. Today, enjoy your free day and congratulations to all of you for making in the team."

The meeting finally concluded as the players break from the group and headed to their own businesses. Some began to talk to the coaches, a few began to talk to Kaho. Mio excused herself to approach Sakura, the lone female player of the Tomoeda soccer team with her usual greeting.

"Congratulations for making first string, Senpai," Mio humbly cheered. "I was never wrong when I decided to join the Amber Emeralds those years ago when I bet my bottom yen that you will become the true epitome of what a real Tomoeda girl should be like!"

"Aww, thanks so much, Mio-chan!" Sakura grinned. "So, the luncheon is later today! How come you're not with the rest of the Amber Emeralds?"

"Oh, I am part of the luncheon committee, you know. I will be one of the two who will be taking you and Li-senpai to our secret luncheon location. Along with Kuze-senpai." She then got closer and whispered in Sakura's ear. "I wonder, is Meiling Li coming along?"

"You better believe it," Sakura giggled in a whisper. "I'm sure she would want to see and get a little closer to Kuze-kun, don't you think?"

Mio giggled along. "I think Kuze-senpai has a thing for Meiling Li also, but you know how guys are. They always want to act all tough and cool and don't always show their real emotions to the girls they care about."

"Seriously," Sakura shook her head.

"During our luncheon, since it'll be in a public place, um… my boyfriend might stop by…"

"Boyfriend?" She gave the junior girl a curious look. "That Sojiro Kisaragi from the Nijibe soccer team?" Mio nodded slowly. "Well, isn't that nice?"

She then gave a soft sigh. "I really do hope he keeps his promise. I've been trying to get in touch with him yesterday and even earlier this morning but… no reply. Not even through texts and emails or even social media. Maybe the Nijibe team have already made their head start with training.'

"Well, good luck to them then."

"Two days ago we had an argument. I thought it wasn't of a big deal but it is to him."

"What'd you two argue about, if I may ask?" Sakura wondered.

She shook her head. "He didn't want me to be one of the team managers of the Tomoeda team. I already told him that there was no one else available who would be interested in becoming team manager. Besides, he already knows how dedicated I am to soccer, let alone the team I represent."

"Hmm…" Sakura shook her head and patted Mio on the shoulder. "I guess some… long-distance relationships aren't always perfect…"

"Long distance? Hardly," Mio laughed in sarcasm. "He's only at the town next to ours. What baffles me is why he makes such a big deal on who I support in the upcoming sports camp. After all, it's only a sport and sports are supposed to be fun. Right, Senpai?"

"Well well, are the true colors of an alpha male showing?" A familiar male voice interrupted their conversation, only to learn that Shulai had just arrived at their spot.

"Ah, Shulai-kun." Mio bowed to the look-alike cousin as Sakura gave him a nod. "Congratulations for making it to first string!"

Shulai shrugged. "I advised that I'm cool with second string if there were others who are better at playing my position than myself, but… first string it is."

"There were who were better than you in your position, Shulai," Sakura made her remark. "Except they became a no-show on the second and final day of tryouts. Consider yourself lucky."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Say," Mio began her statement. She noticed something rather unorthodox in Shulai once he appeared right in front of them. "You're wearing something green today, like Li-senpai."

Shulai shrugged once more. "I ran out of clean clothes and that the washing machine back at the house had been busy cleaning the clothes of the rest of the family, so I had no choice but to borrow one of Xiaolang's clothes. Besides, it's not like it's a duplicate of what Xiaolang is wearing right now."

The girls turned their heads at Syaoran, who was currently chatting with Eriol, Yamazaki, and Yun. Both he and Shulai are wearing solid dark forest green t-shirts but with different print designs on the front. Syaoran was wearing a sports logo with a full-color wolf logo on it, while Shulai wore a shirt with a faded white and gray print sporting the name of a high-end fashion label. The rest of their apparel including the white crew socks just above their ankles and their dark brown Timberland hiking boots were completely identical.

"Looks like you and Li-senpai are wearing almost everything identical… the black knee-length shorts too," Mio also pointed it out.

"Uh, that's because the colors are perfectly coordinated," Shulai defended himself. "Xiaolang's not the only one who's fashion-conscious, you know."

The girls broke in to laughter when Kuze and some of the Amber Emerald boys— all now part of the soccer team for the camp— arrive at their spot. "Sorry to break the chit-chat, but around this point, the girls have everything prepared for the luncheon. Our duty now is to escort all of you there at our secret luncheon spot. You all ready?"

"Let's go!" Sakura cheered.

Moments later, just as Sakura thought, the Amber Emeralds' surprise luncheon was that of a summer fun beach party. A particular spot within the beach at the coastal area of Tomoeda was reserved and all the Amber Emerald girls in bikinis and bathing suits, along with beach blankets spread out and a small table with all the food already in display. Rather than on foot, Syaoran allowed Wei to use the Wolf's Lair to bring the entire gang to their destination.

Sakura, with Syaoran already standing next to her, could not believe her eyes. She continued to stare at the spot while they climbed down the entrance from the Wolf's Lair.

"This is like… a complete oceanside paradise!"

"Yeah, a surprise, that's for sure," Syaoran made his comment.

"And here we are," Kuze announced. "Welcome to the first— and probably the last— Amber Emeralds luncheon with our favorite cool kids, Syaoran Li and Sakura Kinomoto, as our special guests!"

Before they took off for the beach, everyone brought a change of clothes in to their beach wear. Sakura came out with a dark wide shoulder-strapped pink ruffled midriff with white shorts that hugged her slim and athletic figure from her waist to her thigh, while Tomoyo, Chiharu, and Rika wore their two-piece bikinis. Naoko also appeared in the same attire as Sakura, but only with an orange top instead.

The boys, on the other hand, remained themselves covered. Although he already had plenty of shirtless photo shoots for countless magazines, Syaoran still was a little shy of showing off his perfectly chiseled body in front of his new and different group of fans. Eriol left his dark solid blue polo shirt open to show off a bit of his skin. The other boys showed up in tank tops instead.

They gathered around, with Murakami and girlfriend Arisa being the hosts of the luncheon. Each made their own short speeches that included their reasons why they look up to both Sakura and Syaoran so much. Rather than just eating lunch together in one group, the hosts gave the choice of playing in the water first before they eat. The waves continued to roll in a perfectly proportioned length safe enough for surfing and as a general rule for surfers, it was highly recommended to surf and take on the waves with an empty stomach.

The kids played, from surfing to catching and throwing frisbees to playing beach volleyball. This was the only time that Syaoran, Eriol, and the other boys took off their tops, not just to show off their well-built hard bodies, but to soak in the heat of the sun and feel the crisp coolness of the ocean water. Sakura and the girls ended up playing beach volleyball. At that time, even Meiling arrived late, also in her somewhat provocative red two-piece, so much that all of the girls made Sakura looked like the conservative shy type. Meiling watched the girls first before she caught up with Kuze, who just got out from the beach with his surfboard along with Syaoran, Eriol, Yamazaki, Yun, and the others.

It took about an hour for them to have their fun in the sun when Wei announced that the main course of their luncheon, open-fire barbecue, was already done. The kids washed and wiped themselves dry before they headed back to their awning-covered spot. Once again, Syaoran put on his buttoned shirt, but this time, he left his top open to give a slight exposure of his body. He and Sakura sat at the end of the table, where they are, of course, the special guests.

Before they were about to attack the dishes, all ready to be savored and devoured, the Amber Emeralds cheered to convince their two idols to have a speech. Following the words of "ladies first," Sakura stood from her seat with her glass of iced honey milk tea, commencing her own personal speech.

"First of all, thank you for revealing yourselves to Syaoran and me, Amber Emeralds, and of course, for this wonderful beach side luncheon. This is really awesome! Thank you so much!" Everyone cheered and applauded as their response. They fell silent to give Sakura her time to continue. "I know that we've known each other for only a few days this week, but maybe if we've known each other back then back at elementary and possibly middle school, we would've become really good friends. That, I know. As many of you already know, this summer would be my last summer as a high schooler. I'll be eighteen in April and will be attending college right after spring break in March. I hope that I would attend Clow Reed University so I can be closer to home and to family. Well, of course, I'm literally closer to family since my father works there as a professor…" Everyone laughed until they faded.

"I really am appalled that you guys exist, I mean to say, that a fanclub dedicated to me is just… is just overwhelming. I've always believed that I'm just a simple Tomoedan girl who, like every other teenage girl in this town, lives her life to survive and to succeed. I do hope that we can get more get-togethers like this even if the Amber Emeralds no longer exist. What I meant by that is that because all of you have been long-time friends since the beginning that you should always remain friends no matter what happens. Eventually, the whole Amber Emeralds thing may end one day… but I hope the concept of Sakura and Syaoran together would never end… because…" She bit her bottom lip and gazed directly at Syaoran, sitting right next to her and gazing his eyes directly at her. "Because… I don't want us to end… no matter what… so…"

She turned back to the crowd and raised her honey milk tea glass. "So… let's all make a toast to stronger and long-lasting loves and friendships for each and every one of us."

"To a stronger and long-lasting loves and friendships! Kampai!" Everyone made their toasts to each other while everyone cheered and applauded. They took a sip from their drinks as Sakura sat back down.

"Well, now it's the man's turn!" Kuze called out. "Well, stand up now, Li!"

"Yeeeaaah!" Everyone applauded as Syaoran grinned and stood up from his seat.

"Well… Sakura pretty much said it all… well, most of it," Syaoran muttered, preventing himself from chuckling, even though everyone else were already laughing. "But I want to touch base on the part where Sakura mentioned about the concept of Sakura and Syaoran." He first scanned at everyone, who made sure that everyone had their eyes at him, then he continued on. "I understand, from the Amber Emeralds' point of view, you all love the concept of Sakura and Syaoran. But to tell you the truth, Sakura and Syaoran is _not _a concept."

He reached his hand towards Sakura, as she responded by taking his hand. He held her hand tightly and showed it to the crowd. "We're not a concept anymore. We're the real deal." The Amber Emerald girls squealed while the boys whistled in praise. "We've been loving each other since the soccer days back at Tomoeda Elementary. Well, maybe we've been loving each other way before we became students at Tomoeda Elementary. We just didn't know what we called it since we were still young and naive back then. Things happened that separated us… with my family and I moving back to Hong Kong due to family issues… and I'm pretty sure most of you were shocked that I entered showbiz, making TV shows and movies and modeling and what not. I bet many of you hoped and prayed that I would return to Tomoeda after everything in Hong Kong had finally been settled. I want to apologize to all of you that it didn't happen that way…"

The Amber Emeralds gave their own replies with "the past has been the past" and "no need to apologize" and everything similar. "But fate has brought me back here to Tomoeda through this big-budget teen film known as _Cherry Blossom and Little Wolf_. If you noticed, somehow that movie title gave the translation to the meanings of our names. At first I didn't care much of it, as long as I help create a memorable movie that everyone would never forget, but the more that I've assimilated myself in to Tomoeda, the more that I began to realize that I've had a long and happy life in this town. Bit by bit, piece, by piece, I was already healing. I guess you could say… the first time I laid my eyes on her… I knew I have found a way to heal, so…" He faced her, now gazing right at him from her seat with their hands still holding, and spoke to her: "Thank you, Sakura, for never giving up on me and for sticking by my side."

"Aww…" Cheers and applause followed until the praises faded.

He let go of her hand and faced the crowd again. "As some of you already know, I'm leaving for Kagamineshi tomorrow, along with the cast and crew of _Cherry Blossom, Little Wolf_, to shoot the final scenes of the movie. Although it's only going to be for two weeks, I feel as if…" He trailed off for a few moments while noticing that even with the pause from his words, everyone, including his closest friends on the scene, continued to gaze at him, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"I feel as if I may not come back to Tomoeda anymore…" He swallowed nervously. A few suddenly changed their enthusiastic expressions in to worried looks. He even noticed Eriol and Meiling shaking their heads at him, indicating that they don't believe the words he just spoke. Sakura, on the other hand, bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from shedding any tears.

He took a deep breath and continued on. "… even if I feel that way, I won't let that become a reality." He took Sakura's hand again and held it tightly to him. "I've left Sakura and all my friends here in this wonderful town once for seven years… and seven years is way too long… I won't let it happen again."

Everyone applauded while Sakura nodded her head to acknowledge him. "So, let's have another toast… to the Amber Emeralds!"

"To the Amber Emeralds!" Once again, they made another toast and sipped on their drinks.

Murakami stood up from his seat. "Now that we're done with the speeches, let's eat!"

With that, everyone at the table began to attack the dishes. Even Syaoran allowed Wei to join in the feast. The kids began to have their own chatter during their feasting, with Sakura slowly feeding Syaoran with his own food on the table, even if Syaoran never asked her to feed him in the first place.

Meanwhile, Mio, who had been sitting right adjacent to Syaoran, began to look around the beach anxiously. With her expression, a few already knew why she was slightly frantic at her searching. One of the Amber Emerald girls spoke to her.

"Looking for the boyfriend, Mio-chan?"

"He was supposed to come and join us…" Mio sighed. "But now… I don't even know if he's going to show up or not. I left him a message just a few minutes too, but no answer…"

"And we were going to have our pair breaker activity too right after lunch," another one of the girls indicated.

This peaked Tomoyo's interest immediately. "Pair breaker? What's that?"

"Well," that same girl answered. "You see, most of us— Kuze-senpai the only one who's single, actually— are all dating each other. We just hang out with our loved ones alone for awhile and you know, have fun, just spend some time with your boyfriend, basically. Since Kuze-senpai is single and Mio-chan has a boyfriend who doesn't live in Tomoeda, normally the two just pair up with each other, just being good friends."

"But now," another girl joined in, "since you guys are here, we get to have more pairs!"

"What if you're single?" Meiling asked curiously.

"Well, just to be fair, us Amber Emerald girls get to choose the guy we want to hang out with, that is, if a girl is single, the guy she chooses has to be single too…"

"Wow… that's neat!" Rika chuckled. "Let's see… well, we already know that Sakura and Syaoran are a couple, so they don't count… and of course, Chiharu already has Yamazaki and Naoko already has Yun…"

"Eriol, Shulai-kun, and Kuze-kun would be the only single boys in the group right now," Naoko indicated.

"Well, I got Kuze-kun already," Meiling snickered. "I don't know about you girls!"

"Mou…" Tomoyo sighed. "I guess Rika and me have to choose between Eriol and Shulai… that's just… this is going to be hard for me, since both of them sort of… fancy me… a little bit…"

Rika sighed deeply. "I wish I would get to pick Eriol… after all, he is my idol… but impossible…"

"This can also be a problem for Mio-chan," one of the girls said. "You see, her boyfriend, Sojiro Kisaragi, should be at the luncheon too, but you know, he's from Nijibe, also at the Nijibe soccer team and all that… if that jerk doesn't show up, Mio would be all alone…"

Mio simply shook her head. "I'm fine, really. I'll just find a way to amuse myself when the Pair Break activity begins…"

"Wei will be joining in as a substitute." From out of the blue, Syaoran spoke, joining in their conversation.

"Oh, Li-senpai!" Mio gasped as she and the Amber Emerald girls immediately bowed to him.

"Although Wei is already happily married, of course he's not there to get all romantic at some young girl, so please don't get that idea in your heads."

"No, we're not, we're not," the girls nervously laugh.

"There. We're all set." Syaoran headed back to his seat, where he found his cherry blossom nibbling on a chicken nugget. "That looks good, Sakura. What is it?"

She finished her nibbling and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "It's Karaage, Syaoran. You know, Japanese chicken nuggets?"

"Ah, right!" Syaoran reached his chopsticks for a piece and began to nibble it himself after dipping it in soy sauce. "We have a game later after lunch where we can spend some time alone, Sakura."

"Ooh! Of course!" Sakura cheered happily.

He leaned closer to her ear and whispered: "Let's head off to the Super Secret Spot. We haven't been back there in awhile…"

She nodded in silence so no one would be able to hear them. He continued on. "After all this, your father wants to meet me also."

She gave a panicked look once she heard the magic word in his latter statement. "My dad wants me to go home later tonight then…" She sighed deeply and bit her bottom lip. "Not yet, Syaoran… I don't want to go home yet, knowing that you'll be leaving tomorrow morning too…"

"Don't panic, Sakura," he whispered to her ear. "I'll ask your father if it's okay for you to stay overnight with me. I know how much you want to spend every single minute with me this entire day and night. I want to do the same with you too, you know."

"Thank you so much, Syaoran…" Making sure that no one was looking, she quickly gave him a peck on the cheek.

Moments later, lunch was over and Murakami took over as host again. He then explained this small Amber Emerald tradition known as the Pair Breaker. What this simply means is that everyone will be paired up and spend their time together: one boy and one girl together. If both boyfriends and girlfriends are present, they are automatically paired. If there are single members, they will be picked randomly through a paper raffle.

"Arisa already took a survey and we already have the final list of the people who are single. The girls' names are already written in small pieces of paper in the can that Arisa has in her hand and the single boys will be picking one piece of paper. The name they picked will be the one they will be pairing up with. The purpose of this is to simply just spend some time together as a couple. For singles, here's a chance for them to get to know each other, not as a potential boyfriend or girlfriend or anything like that. It's just about mingling and making friends, that's all. That's about it!"

Arisa stood up and began to shake the can with the papers. "Now, I know the boys who will be picking from this can, so once I call you, come up here and pick a name from the can."

"Aww… random picking… sucks…" Meiling muttered. Her hopes of spending her alone time with Kuze was immediately shattered.

"Alright. First on the list— Eriol Hiiragizawa. Come on up! Once you pick your paper, don't open it until I say so."

Eriol gave a smirk and approached Arisa. He reached in to the can and picked a paper.

"Next— Kenichi Kuze! Cone on up!" Kuze followed as Arisa commanded him and picked his paper.

"Next— Shulai Li! No cheating, please!"

"Eh? Why would you accuse me of cheating?" Shulai raised an eyebrow of suspicion as he reached to pick one paper.

"You're a notorious player, that's why!" Arisa stuck her tongue at him.

"Feh. Whatever." Shulai rolled his eyes and headed back to his spot.

"Last but not least, Wei-san. Thanks for participating!"

"Anything to make everyone happy," Wei nodded, as he picked the last paper in the can.

"Now, once I call your names again, open your paper and read the name aloud! Let's start with Eriol Hiiragizawa!"

Eriol nodded and opened his paper. He then gave a grin and a snicker right towards Shulai. "Well well… it's Tomoyo Daidouji."

Tomoyo grinned and approached Eriol. His grin grew larger once Shulai began to give the deep glare towards him.

"Next— Kenichi Kuze!"

"Meiling Li," Kuze gave a soft chuckle.

"Oh, thank you, God!" Meiling cheered and dashed her way next to him, hooking her arm around his. "You lead us to where you want to go, Kuze-kun!"

"Anything you say, Meiling," Kuze nervously grinned.

"Next— Shulai Li!"

Shulai rolled his eyes again and opened his paper. His eyes widened in surprise to see the name written in the paper. "Eh? Kuroda?"

Mio also widened her eyes open. "What the— why is my name in the can, Arisa-chan? You know that I'm waiting for Sojiro-kun to come!"

"Well, let's just face it, Mio-chan," Arisa sarcastically answered. "He's gonna be a no-show. Better just hang out with someone who's here than wait for someone who isn't here, right?"

"Mou…" Mio pouted while Shulai sighed.

"You just wanna hang out at one corner and wait for your man to arrive, Kuroda?" Shulai asked curiously.

"I guess… what choice do we have?" Mio muttered. She reluctantly headed to where Shulai was standing.

Rika, on the other hand, automatically headed towards Wei. "Well, I'm happy to be giving you company, Wei-san."

"And the same to you, Rika-chan," Wei smiled.

"Well then! The afternoon is still young," Murakami announced, "so let's head back here at our little spot in four hours. Set your clocks now, alright? Have fun!"

#

Syaoran made sure that no one was staring at them when he found a hidden path through the thick trees that would lead them quickly to their super secret spot of a secluded beach where they would normally hang out. The last time they had been there, they weren't even an official couple yet. With this pair breaker activity, this was definitely the perfect time to get away from the rest of the society, both local and even from the starstruck society from showbiz. The Amber Emerald couple really needed this time alone together, especially coming from Syaoran's terms.

Once they arrived there, nothing much changed except for the intensity of the ocean's waves rolling in forward and back. He gathered his beach blanket again so the two would be able to sit down and enjoy the view of the ocean and the sun that was overlooking right at them. Sakura reached for her suntan lotion spray and offered to spread some on Syaoran's body.

"My back…" He leaned with his front against the blanket as Sakura slowly sprayed his back with the lotion, and began to gently massage his back. He gave a sigh of relief, enjoying the feel and the sensation of her smooth, gentle hands caressing his broad back so gently and lovingly.

She found herself heavily blushing, completely overwhelmed by the smoothness and the rock-solidity of his back. If this was how his back was built, she didn't even want to think about how his front would feel like. My gosh, she thought to herself. So this was what Hong Kong have done to him these seven years. She knew that he was a strong kid when they were little, but with a body like this, she couldn't imagine how much stronger he had become, both outside and inside. And another reason for the cheek blushing was the fact that she had finally touch him for the first time at one of his valuable assets other than his hands or his face.

While she went on, he began to have their one-on-one chat. "Sakura."

"Y-yes?" She quickly removed her hands as if she thought he might have felt offended by the way she massaged him.

"What are you doing, Sakura? Keep going," Syaoran smirked.

"Um r-right… sorry…" She went ahead and added more of the sunscreen on his shoulders.

"I want to talk to you about something… important, Sakura."

"Well… we're here now, Syaoran. What is it?"

He took a deep breath first, then he exhaled slowly. He finally spoke what he wanted to say. "It's about Chiirou, Sakura."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "Chiirou? You found him?"

"Well… not quite… but I want to talk to you about Chiirou…"

"Okay…" After she was finished with his back, he then flipped himself on his back. Once again she blushed in the same fashion. "Y-you want me to also put sunscreen on your front too…?"

"Well? Do you want to?" He then gave a wink.

"Stop teasing me if you're going to talk about something important." She pouted, while he gave a teasing chuckle. She then proceeded with the sunscreen and began massaging his front shoulders first before she can proceed lower.

"Anyway. Be honest with me, Sakura… about Chiirou."

"Wh-what about Chiirou…?"

"Is the stuffed animal really that important to you?"

She immediately bit her lip and stopped. "Why ask that question? You already know how important Chiirou is to me… I mean, you created him… and you gave him to me. How can I not have Chiirou be important to me, Syaoran?"

He sat up and faced her. "Even more important… than me…?"

Her eyes widened and shook her head. "Of course not! I treat Chiirou as if he were you! That is… I meant to say that… the real you will always be the most important to me than anything… including Chiirou. It's just that… Chiirou is the only one I have that would remind me that you would never leave me no matter how far apart we may be."

He responded by turning his head away from her, showing his obvious displeasure at her answer. "So, you would replace your trust for me by Chiirou? Is that it, Sakura?"

She crawled closer to him and wrapped his arms around his arm. "What are you trying to say here? Are you saying that I should just forget about Chiirou while you're also gone? Do you know what happens if one of the two Tomoeda stuffed animals disappear? I mean, think about it. Chiirou is now lost and you will be leaving tomorrow and… don't you think it's a coincidence?"

"Sakura—"

"Just like the Book of Keroberos said, if one of the Tomeoda stuffed animals disappear, bad things will come for the two of us—"

"For once, Sakura, think outside the box!" Syaoran commanded. "Life doesn't always have to abide by what the book says!"

"So you're saying that I should ignore what the Book of Keroberos says about the stuffed animals?"

"Which one is more important to you, Sakura? The Book of Keroberos, Chiirou, or me?"

"I…" Just as Sakura was about to respond with the same frustrated tone as his, she then realized what he was trying to point out. If only she were as smart as he, she thought to herself, but until now, she still found herself completely clueless as to what Syaoran was trying to convey.

Syaoran, on the other hand, also realized something that he forgot a moment ago. Sakura barely left the borders of the Sendai area and had very little to no experience in dealing with different types of environments with the exception of himself and in some cases, the rest of the idols in the movie project. Of course she would be naive with the way he thinks, he muttered to himself.

He decided to overcome his frustration to Sakura's obsession with Chiirou. He had to figure out a way to convince her that the stuffed animal shouldn't matter as much as his presence and existence in her life. The problem was that she had been sticking her life to the Book of Keroberos, and even though he also revered the book itself, he also knew that the course of a person's life, at least in Tomoeda, doesn't always follow what was written in the book.

He approached her close with just a few inches of his lips towards hers. "Maybe we should… be apart and give each other space for the time being…"

Sakura showed panic on her face and immediately shook her head. "No, I don't want to hear this, Syaoran…"

"You need to hear me out first, Sakura. You're completely stuck right now…"

"Stuck? You're making everything confusing to me!" She grabbed the sides of her head as if she was already getting a headache. "Yesterday you vowed that you would help me find Chiirou… now you say to just forget about Chiirou? Just like right now when you said that we should be apart… no Chiirou, no you…"

He gave a deep sigh, shaking his head. He had to think of a different approach. Rather than just using his mind to find a calculating strategy just like he would normally do in different situations, he decided to simply just wing it with the situation. He began by wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and gently pulled her to him.

"Hold me, Sakura," he whispered to her ear. "Tightly…"

"Syaoran…" Without question, she followed as he told. She wrapped her arms around his broad, well-built shoulders and eventually tightening her grip around his neck. Once she found herself secure, he did the same and tightened his hold around her waist.

"Take a deep breath… you can lean on my shoulder if you need to…"

She followed as she was told, then rested her head on his shoulder. Slowly, gently, he began to rock her as if they were in a romantic slow dance. She followed his lead and as they continued to do their imaginary slow dance, she found herself a whole lot more relieved than ever. Maybe she still haven't removed the missing Chiirou from her mind yet, but at least she was now more calm and collected than she was earlier.

"Syaoran…"

"Are you okay now?" He whispered and she answered with a nod. "Okay, let's try this again."

She was about to release him, but he responded by tightening his grip around her again. "I didn't say that we should separate. Let's hold each other like this while we talk…"

"Okay." She wrapped her arms back around his neck again, with her chin resting on his bare shoulder now.

"Chiirou is missing," Syaoran began. "I'm leaving tomorrow and will be gone for only two weeks. I can guarantee you that I'll return to be with you again. Did Chiirou promised that to you?"

She blinked her eyes with confusion and began to think to herself. He already knew that he was just confusing her even further. Time to change tactics again.

"As of today, Sakura," he began his next attempt once more. "What is one thing that you truly want to happen? Be honest with me. Don't hold back. I don't want to hear the ifs and buts. I want to hear your straight answer… right from your heart."

After hearing his new attempt, somehow her mind was becoming much clearer than earlier. Maybe she finally got the hint of what he was trying to convey to her. Moments after contemplating to herself, she immediately broke in to tears after finding a realization of what her heart had been informing her all this time.

"Hey… it's okay…" He hushed, knowing that his bare right shoulder was getting damp with the tears from her face. Slowly he raised one hand and began to pat her head, smoothing her hair gently.

"I… I'm so selfish…" She muttered through her tears. "If… If I answer your question right straight from my heart, Syaoran… It would be unfair to you…"

"I don't care about that, Sakura. I want to hear straight from your heart. Be selfish, be greedy, whatever! It doesn't matter to me! I just want you to be honest with me!"

"I don't want you to leave, Syaoran! Please… please don't go…"

She continued weeping, but the latter was what he had been waiting for coming from her words. "Is this what you truly want, straight from your heart?"

"Yes, Syaoran. I know… I'm being unfair… and selfish… and what my heart is yearning would only pull you back from your work… your career… and—"

"Then I won't go, Sakura."

"But Syaoran…"

"Shh…" Slowly, he planted a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Please, don't actually… I mean… what would everyone say? This can ruin the entire movie and your career… don't listen to my selfish heart, please…"

"I'm serious, Sakura. If that's what truly is in your heart, then I will stay."

"But… what about you, Syaoran?" She lifted her head to face him. "I mean, that's what my heart says. But what about your heart? What is it that your heart truly desires as of today?"

He returned the gaze at her and then gave a nod. "It's always been the same as it was before when we started going out. It's not just a duty, but it's my obligation, my desired habit, to do anything that would make you smile… anything that would make you happy. Just… hearing your heart becoming honest of wanting me to stay with you, never to be apart from you, already satisfied my heart's goals of making you happy."

She gave a worried frown with her eyes forming another pool of tears again. "But… it's not love, Syaoran."

"What is?"

"Me becoming selfish and greedy when it comes to you. I know what your goals are and I know you plan on retiring from showbiz soon, but if you're going to retire, shouldn't you have a memorable finish that would still keep your integrity high to the public?" She slowly released herself from him. "Yes, my heart is crying out for you not to leave tomorrow because of my anxiety and nervousness, but that would be selfishness." She gently wiped off the tears with the back of her hand. "I remember… no… I realize… that when you truly love someone, there are some important things that I need to sacrifice in order to continue with that love…"

They both sat back down, with him continuously keeping his eyes directly at her. "Go on."

"Maybe… maybe Chiirou gone missing is that one huge sacrifice that I have to make…"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because… you're here, Syaoran…"

He scooted closely to her until they were only inches apart. "Is that so?" She nodded slowly. "But you do understand that if I do leave tomorrow, Chiirou isn't going to show up at your door to substitute me, right?"

"I'll find Chiirou on my own!" She exclaimed immediately with her fists tightened. "When you're gone, while I do my library volunteering with Mio-chan and doing the festival set-up for the second week, in the meantime, I'll look for Chiirou. In that way, I won't have to… I won't have to feel miserable every single day, missing you and crying my eyes out just because time isn't turbo-charged to hurry fast so you can come back home immediately…"

He found himself chuckling and slipped his arm around her waist. "Fair enough."

She gave a sigh and lowered her head. "I'm sorry if I upset you, Syaoran."

"You're not going to put more sunscreen on my body anymore?"

"Eh?" She blushed immediately, then spanked him gently on the shoulder.

"Ow— what was that for?"

"That was so random!"

"What? About Chiirou?"

"No! About you wanting me to put more sunscreen on your… body…" She may seem unaware but she already knew how deep red her blushing was becoming.

"Think of me as Chiirou right now, Sakura," he grinned. "It's not as if Chiirou wears any clothes, right?"

"You perv!" She shrieked, turning herself away from him. "You're horrible…"

"What? Me?" Syaoran bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from laughing.

"First you make me worry about you and Chiirou, now you're talking about sunscreen on your body?"

"Aww, but you were doing it earlier!"

"That was unconscious!" She gritted her teeth. Quickly she handed the sunscreen lotion to him. "H-here… you can finish it yourself."

"Hmph. What a grouch…" He rolled his eyes as he grabbed the sunscreen bottle from her. He began to finish spreading some of the sunscreen around his body while she kept her gaze right towards the ocean, facing away from him.

When he finished, he tapped Sakura on the shoulder. "Your turn, Sakura."

"Eh?" She turned her gaze right at him. "My turn?"

"To put sunscreen on your back—"

"Hoe?!" Quickly she covered her chest protectively even though her halter top was purely innocent. "But… my back… that would mean…"

He nodded slowly. "That's right. Untie your top off…"

"Hoe?!" She quickly shied away from him.

"We can't have this sunscreen-application one-sided now, right?"

"I… I guess…"

"Well, hurry up and take your top off…"

"D-don't look…"

"I won't look, don't worry." Syaoran turned himself around while Sakura nervously reached for the tie behind her back, loosening her ruffled halter top. Still using her top to cover her front, she slowly lied down on the beach blanket with her face downward.

"O… okay, Syaoran. I'm… I'm ready…"

"Alright. Here goes."

Syaoran couldn't believe his eyes. Even if it was just Sakura's bare back he found himself blushing, heartbeat throbbing at turbo speed. The only time that he had a chance to spread sunscreen on a female's bare back was when he was little when he applied the sunscreen on to his mother's and his sisters' bare backs. Other girls in showbiz and even in the elite society tried to get him to spread some sunscreen on their bare backs whenever they were at the poolside or at the beach, but had been unsuccessful. With Sakura, it was as if they were about to spend the first time in bed together as lovers and that did not mean just literally sleeping next to each other in the same room.

He sprayed the sunscreen on to her almost-tan skin. Once the enough amount was already splayed, he began to massage the sunscreen on to her bare back slowly, starting from her shoulders. He did not want to make her nervous and he even reminded her that he will be applying the sunscreen from top to bottom.

"J-just concentrate on the sunscreen… and my back… don't look at my sides or anything that would give you a peek of my… front…"

He gave a soft chuckle. "You do have a very soft, smooth, velvet skin, you know…"

"And…" She found herself blushing again with just those words alone. "… and… the way you massage… it feels… um…"

"Good?" He snickered.

"Hoe, you already know!"

"Of course I know. I know everything about you, Sakura Kinomoto… everything including your weakest, most sensitive spots." He winked at her as she quickly turned her face back against the beach blanket.

She had to admit to herself. He was right. The way he massaged the sunscreen against her openly exposed skin felt so good as if he was trying to clean away all her inner pains away. Once he began to spread more of the sunscreen on her mid-back, her conscience began to cry out that she wanted more of his touch without limiting it to just her back.

"S-Syaoran…?"

"Yeah?" Though he stopped the massaging, he left his hands on to her back.

"I… I trust you…"

"Eh?"

She nodded slowly. "I trust you… I mean… when you were… massaging me with the sunscreen I… somehow… the way you do it… it's like… you're cleaning away all of my inner insecurities and that… I feel so confident now."

"Really?" He was about to lift his hands away when she gasped immediately.

"N-no… don't stop… please… keep going…"

"I'm almost near the hem of your shorts, hun."

"Hooooeeee?!" She buried her face against her arms, refusing herself to move at this point.

"So… does that mean I get to do your front and massage… your…?"

"In your dreams!" Quickly she got up, along with her loose halter top, and dashed hurriedly to one of the nearby trees, hiding herself from him as she quickly tied her halter top back on.

Once she was finished, she peeked her head to the side to check up on Syaoran. She gasped in surprise to see him gone from their spot as well. "Oh no… I… I ran away from him and now he's run away too…"

"Who's run away?!"

"Hooooeeee!" She shrieked in a startle to see Syaoran hiding from the tree next to the tree she was hiding from. He took a peek to see the completely flustered Sakura gazing right at him. "Don't do that, Syaoran!"

He chuckled as he approached her. "Relax, Sakura. I didn't see anything."

Once again, in defensive mode, she covered her chest once more as if she wasn't wearing any top. "You're teasing me!"

"I swear, hun, I didn't see anything! Although I'm admitting that I wanted to see…"

"You… you don't want to see!" Sakura ran back to their beach blanket, sitting down with her arms crossed right over her upper chest. "You… you really… don't want to see…"

Syaoran followed her and sat next to her. "Insecure again?"

"Just… go away…" She turned herself away from him, burying her face against her bent knees.

He leaned right to her ear and whispered: "I bet you look like a goddess with nothing on—"

"Syaoran!" She shrieked again with a panicking expression, finding herself shivering in nerviness.

He then slipped both his arms around her waist and embraced her tightly from behind. With those powerful arms and rock-solid body against her back, she felt herself at ease, sighing all her insecurities out in relief. She closed her eyes and relaxed herself against him.

"You're perfect to me, Sakura. I don't care about your shape. The best part of you being small is that I get to hold you— all of you— like this… and keep you safe."

She quickly turned to her with worried eyes. "You're still surrounded by the world's prettiest girls… even until now I still feel insecure whenever I stand next to Meiling… or even the likes of Mai Hirashiki… compared to them— and even Tomoyo— I'm pure tomboy."

He gave a soft laugh. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She lowered her head and muttered. "I'm flat-chested…"

He snuck a kiss on the cheek. "It's normal, Sakura. Don't think about all that."

"But Syaoran…"

"Are you thinking that I would fall for other girls who are more… well-endowed… than you?"

"Stupid Tomoyo's magazines…" She muttered to herself. "Those experts at those magazines kept on promoting on how girls should show a bit more skin if they're serious in catching guys and…"

"Sakura, you don't need all that. You already have me…"

Slowly, he tilted her chin up so he can gaze downward at her. "Flat-chested or not… you're mine, Sakura Kinomoto."

Before she could even respond back, he leaned and began to kiss her deeply, slowly, tenderly. She found herself surrendering to him and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. Next thing she knew, he brought her down to the beach blanket, with her flat on her back and him right above her. The kiss continued and before she realized it, his hands began to move slowly upward, with one hand reaching for one end of her halter tie and the other about to lightly brush her top.

"Wait, Syaoran!" Sakura immediately broke the kiss once she realized what he was about to do next.

"Oh no…" Syaoran gasped and quickly released her from his hands. He turned away, dropping his head and feeling the shame that befell on to him. "I'm sorry… I was going too fast…"

From behind, Sakura crawled to him and embraced him from behind. "I… I have been thinking… well… I've been dreaming…"

"Dreaming?"

"Aaah… um… never mind the latter, Syaoran!" She quickly halted that portion of her words and moved on. "You see… um… I've already been thinking… and… um…"

"Yeah?"

"I… I know you said you would be waiting until I turn eighteen but that's way too long…" Sakura sighed deeply. "And since… since because… I don't know what might happen in the next two weeks with us being apart and Chiirou still missing but… but…"

He released himself from her and turned himself around. Now the two are facing each other while sitting upward Indian style. "But?"

"Can we… I mean… um… tonight?"

His eyes immediately widened with shock. Is this all a daydream or is he simply hearing things that he might have forgotten to clean out the wax from his ears? Was Sakura actually encouraging him to do the deed with her?

He gulped nervously and whispered: "Sakura… I… this is a little too soon…"

The next occurrence happened so unexpectedly when Sakura buried herself against his chest, biting her bottom lip to prevent herself from shedding tears. "Please, Syaoran… please…" Slowly she moved to his ear and whispered:

"Please make love to me tonight, Syaoran…"

He felt a strand of sweat drop slowly trickling down the side of his head. He was definitely not daydreaming nor hearing things. Guys, most guys that is, would simply just jump the gun and say yes, but guys like Syaoran are a definite rare breed. He wanted to take things slow despite of his hidden appetites and arousals with her, but to hear this request from the girl he loves the most is truly something he could not even answer to.

"I… I've been taking pills… since I was eleven…" She immediately informed him of a portion of her feminine health.

"Pills… as in… contraceptives…?"

She slowly nodded. "My mother requested it to my dad before she died. When I… well… when I started… cramping… that's when my dad had me take those pills. It was so I won't have any natural.. Distractions… whenever I do sports, like running and swimming and playing soccer… oh it feels weird telling you about this since you're a boy and all…"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Believe me, I know what you're talking about. I learned it from home school, you know. Human Anaotomy and Physiology and all that. Plus it's part of my training as well…" She nodded in acknowledgment. "It's normal for me if it's coming from you, Sakura. If it's with other girls, that's when I would feel weird about it."

She raised her arms and wrapped around him again. She brought herself to face him eye to eye. "So… will you make love to me tonight?"

He closed his eyes and muttered softly: "I don't want to upset your father and your brother…"

"They won't have to know about it, Syaoran!" She exclaimed. "I… I know I'm ready… even though I may not know what I'm doing, but… but… as long as it's with you… as long as you're the one…" She gave a short peck on his cheek and lowered her voice. "I won't get pregnant, Syaoran. I'm not kidding when I said I was taking pills. It'll be okay…"

"But Sakura…"

"Please… and then tomorrow, I'll be content of letting you go out of town for two weeks…"

This was the last thing Syaoran had in mind, even though the rest of his body had been yearning for her all this time, body and soul. Before she could go on with this very sensitive subject, he decided to counter it by changing another subject.

"I know where Chiirou is, Sakura."

Just as she was about to continue on with the subject of lovemaking, her voice cracked. "Wh… what?"

"Yes, Sakura. I know where Chiirou is."

She released him and placed her hands on her cheeks. "Y-you know where Chiirou is? Really? Well where is he?"

He slowly dropped his head, sighing. "Hirashiki has it—"

"Hoe?! But… but why would Mai Hrashiki have it?"

He sighed, then frowned. "The night before you lost Chiirou, late night. She was stalking me, so to speak, and couldn't find me around the set. It was really late night, so imagine how hard it is to find something or someone with very little lighting on. She found the Wolf's Lair, and she thought that I was already in there. Apparently the door was unlocked, so she sneaked inside to look for me. She actually did sneak in to the master bedroom, where you and Daidouji were sleeping on my bed. Somehow she stumbled upon Chiirou— maybe he fell from the bed or something and was just lying on the floor— and decided to be devious about it by taking him away from you."

"Oh no…" Sakura gritted her teeth in frustration. "And let me guess, Syaoran. She won't give Chiirou back unless you do something for her, right?" He slowly nodded in agreement. "Why that stuffed animal-stealing bitch!"

He quickly wrapped her around the waist and hushed her. "That's why I asked you those questions earlier when we got here… whether you find Chiirou more important than me or not. And since you already indicated to me that I'm more important than Chiirou, that prompts me in to getting Chiirou back to you no matter what it takes…"

She shook her head. "Oh Syaoran… I… I had no idea… I should've let you speak first…" She embraced him in comfort.

"I _will _get Chiirou back, Sakura. Since we're leaving tomorrow for Kagamineshi, that would mean that Chiirou would also be coming along with us. She thinks she can control me now just because she has Chiirou. Not if I can help it."

She swallowed nervously. "You have a plan."

"A risky one," he nodded.

"I don't understand why she would do such a thing. I mean, okay, it's a worthless stuffed animal to her but it's something very important to me. We don't really talk to each other for us to have anything against each other, I don't think."

"Don't be naive, Sakura. I know how you always believe that there's always good in every person no matter how bad they may be, and I believe you. But being my girlfriend means you stepping in to my world too."

She released herself from him and looked up, contemplating about what she knew, or lack thereof, about that popular teen idol, actress, and model named Mai Hirashiki. She was indeed beautiful, attractive, wealthy, popular, and not to mention talented, in which she believed she lacked majority of her qualities. Her boyfriend already advised her not to be naive when it came to people. She always thought that those appearing in the TV and in the movies only treat each other as co-workers, however…

"Why would Mai Hirashiki hate me? I mean sure, we may disagree with a few things but that's only a small matter, right? Why would she take Chiirou away from me? Just to make me mad? I mean, we both have to admit how beautiful, popular, talented, and wealthy she is, but of all the things…"

"Sakura, it's rather obvious that you have something that she wants to herself."

"Hoe? Like what?"

He approached her and gently kissed her on the lips. "Me, Sakura."

Deep inside she had the idea that Mai Hirashiki was obviously after Syaoran's attention, but did not want to admit that she didn't just want his attention, but she simply wanted all of him for herself. Sure, she already accepted the fact that Mai was not a country girl, didn't care much about small towns and the traditions that built this small community out of the coastal boonies, and most of all, didn't care much about the people living here, especially those her age. And now, she wants her best friend and long-time love to herself too?

Quickly she embraced him to her once again. "I won't let Hirashiki take you away from me… I won't let her break us up! If she wants to mess with me, then she should deal with me face to face!" She gave a sigh and continued. "If you say you already have a plan… is there anything do you want me to do to help get Chiirou back?"

He released himself from her, but he kept both her hands in his. "This is also my problem, Sakura. After all, I made Chiirou and gave him to you. Hirashiki didn't just piss you off, but she pissed me off as well. There is one thing that I want you to do for these two weeks."

"Alright. I'm listening." She wrapped her fingers around his, not letting his hands go.

"Shulai will be with you while I'm gone."

"Hoe?" She immediately gave a perplexed look. "Shulai? But… I feel uncomfortable while I'm around him… and he hates me!"

"We made a deal earlier today, Sakura. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't trust you and all, but I can't have all the other random jerks like Sakamoto picking on you while I'm not around. I know you're a strong girl, but I still have to keep in mind about your weaknesses too."

She sighed, shaking her head, releasing his hands. "I'm okay with Yamazaki keeping an eye on me… or with my brother even…"

He shook his head. "Yamazaki has other commitments that he kept with Mihara. Your brother will be spending the next two weeks with Mizuki to prepare for their wedding. My presence and the presence of the showbiz peeps in this town have kept them apart way too much. You'll be doing that volunteering at the library with Kuroda, but as you know, she has a boyfriend also."

"You're right," Sakura sighed. "Well, Tomoyo will be here!"

Syaoran's eyes opened wide. "Huh? You mean you don't know?"

"What is it, Syaoran?"

"Daidouji hasn't told you yet?"

"Told me what?"

"I had a short talk with your father earlier while you and Daidouji were getting ready to read the results of the soccer tryouts. Maybe Daidouji forgot to tell you herself. For two weeks, she will be going on a vacation in England with her father. Her mother will be here in Tomoeda helping out with the festival preparations."

Her eyes blinked and began to wince. "R-really? I had no idea it'll be next week! I mean she did tell me a few times that she'll be going to England for a vacation with her dad, but I had no idea it's already next week."

"That's why Shulai will be hanging with you. He'll bring you to the library, he'll pick you up from the library, he'll have lunch with you and Kuroda during your volunteering. It'll be the same on the second week when the entire village starts setting up for the festival by the time we return. Don't worry, it's not like I'm saying that you have to get along with him, but give him a chance to back you up when needed."

She crossed her arms and dropped her head. "I can't believe you have that foul-mouthed player as my bodyguard for the next two weeks. Why him, of all people? I can have the entire soccer team look out for me if you want. Kuze-kun and all of them."

"Come on, Sakura… I don't want you getting sick, worried, and depressed about me not being here in Tomoeda for the next two weeks. I know you kept saying that you can deal, but I know you. Many times your words doesn't exactly coincide with your actions. Besides, the entire town doesn't exactly know about Shulai just yet. Well, I can't say the same with Sakamoto but he still can't tell the difference between me and Shulai, so all the better."

"So… you want me to see Shulai as you?"

"Well… erm… I don't think that's a good idea. Shulai is pretty much a carbon copy of myself, but deep inside, he's not exactly Prince Charming."

She chuckled and patted him on the cheek. "You're not exactly Prince Charming either, but I'm way too head over heels in love with you to see you as someone you're not."

"I know that," he grinned. "But for the next two weeks, I really do want you to put your trust on Shulai. Besides, he's also under scrutiny by the family and also myself, so there's no way he'd do anything to mess around with you. It would take time, but this is the only way for me to know that you're alright."

"Hoe? Well, I'll try to call and text you everyday—"

"About that…" He halted her quickly before she continued. "This is the reason why I'm having Shulai be as your guardian for the next two weeks. I know how Hirashiki's mind works. She may be an airhead but she's not a completely moron either."

"What is it?"

"In the terms that Hirashiki and I made, she's expected for the two of us to have broken up already starting today…"

She tightened her fists in chagrin as he calmed her down by placing his hands on to her shoulders. "We have to cut contacts with each other for two weeks just so she doesn't suspect. As much as I want you to prioritize me over Chiirou I won't allow her to do anything to him. That's another reason why I'm urging you to give Shulai a chance while I'm gone."

She crossed her arms with a frown. "How do I know that he wouldn't do anything dangerous to me?"

"I've explained to you before. Because he's under scrutiny by the family, he's swore his utmost loyalty to me as his future clan leader. I'm going to have him as our messenger. I'll be relaying all my messages to him and he will pass them on to you. If you're going to contact me you'll have to let Shulai know also so he in turn will contact me in your place. I don't want to interrupt Yamazaki on his dates with Mihara and I don't want too many people getting in our business by choosing the entire soccer team to relay messages for us. Much as I find Shulai a womanizing slacker, blood is thicker than water, after all."

The only thing that she believed was the right thing to do in dealing with people who may have some hidden beef against her was to remain civil and treat that person like any other respectable human being. With all these restrictions piling up that would prevent her and her love from continuing to connect with each other somehow bore a seed of hatred against the bitter starlet who would seriously stoop so low as to stealing and holding a precious stuffed animal hostage.

"Alright," she sighed, giving in. "I'll look at Shulai as my confidant, messenger, and guardian then. Mou, I wish Wei would be my confidant, messenger, and guardian instead."

Syaoran gave a light chuckle. "Much as I wouldn't mind assigning Wei to be your guardian, he is also my manager, as well as Eriol's and Meiling's. We need him on the set, sadly."

"Yeah, I know."

Again, he reached for her hands and held them tightly to his. "Things will be back to normal once I return, Sakura. And I will have Chiirou back as well. Just leave it to me."

She nodded slowly and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "I trust you, Syaoran."

"Listen, Sakura. When we head back to civilization we'll have to break the Amber Emeralds' hearts if we see Hirashiki present or nearby by being apart from each other. No holding hands, no hugs, no kisses."

She sighed sadly, but nodded to acknowledge. "Hirashiki's going to pay for messing around with us like this… and she'll pay even more if she ever harms Chiirou!"

Right then, he gazed at the clock on his phone, then reminded Sakura. "Looks like our pair breaker session is over. I have to go and meet up with your dad. You go ahead and hang with Daidouji and all your other girlfriends…"

"Would it be alright if I tell Tomoyo about our plan?"

"Daidouji will be in England with her dad during these two weeks so she won't notice that there's something abnormal about us, so no."

"Alright. I'll keep my lip zipped."

He smiled and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Right then, they fixed and cleaned up their little chill station and hand in hand they made their way back through the forests and right at the beach where they had their luncheon earlier. They both reminded each other to let go of one another, just in case Mai Hirashiki is present.

#

The Amber Emerald luncheon was officially over some thirty minutes later. Some of the Amber Emeralds still had their summer jobs and volunteering to attend to while others have their own personal businesses from doctor and dentist appointments and the like. As for the former one-week slaves, they headed back to the Wolf's Lair to pack up their things. They learned from the adults at their neighborhoods that the kids would have to head back home starting tonight. Syaoran was no exception after he learned from Sakura's father upon their meeting that he was needed back home by his parents.

When Sakura broke the news to Tomoyo about her and Syaoran, her best friend gave a rather bewildered expression on her face. How could such a wholesome, romantic, and perfect couple such as her best friend and Japan's hottest teen idol be halted so quick? It's barely even a week and they're calling it quits?

"We're not breaking up, Tomoyo," Sakura clarified for her. "I don't know what Syaoran's planning, but we… we just had to do what we had to do in order to get Chiirou back."

"That conniving bitch! I knew she was up to no good all this time!" Tomoyo tightened her fist in frustration. "It was just right in front of my nose all this time! I should've confirmed my suspicions myself while I was doing their makeup! Ugh, Mom was right about the celebrity types looking down on us commoners like we're inhuman!"

"What can we do? We don't even know a single thing about Mai Hirashiki and where she likes to hang out and all that while she's here in Tomoeda. Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling, especially Syaoran, are the only ones we're close to who has closer access to her. I thought our talk earlier was just frustrating that I panicked inside that he may want to break up with me so soon but after he explained everything, I felt both anger and relief at the same time."

Tomoyo sat down at the edge of Syaoran's bed as she continued to pack her things in her duffel bag. "How are you and Syaoran be able to keep in touch with each other if Mai-chan would be hanging around him every second once they travel and head out to Kagamineshi tomorrow?"

Sakura sighed at the statement. "Shulai will be my guardian for the time being."

"Eh? Shulai? But he's hard to trust concerning his… ways… with girls… plus you and he aren't actually buddy-buddy or anything like that."

"I know… but Syaoran assigned him to be his link to me. It feels so weird having him this close to me if you know what I mean…"

"What he's doing is really risky, Sakura. I'm sure Shulai right now is gradually getting used to being in Tomoeda, but with the romance and hook-ups department, that's still questionable."

Sakura gave a chuckle. "Well, he's getting along with the soccer guys and with Mio-chan and the other Amber Emeralds girls earlier at the luncheon. While I was observing him a bit he hasn't made a move on any of them. I've heard from Syaoran that he has this very unique charm that can easily lure girls in to his clutches, which was why he became so notorious with the girls, however, I didn't feel anything with him at all."

"Maybe it's because of the fact that he doesn't exactly fancy you, Sakura," Tomoyo returned the chuckle.

"Well, I guess I'll have to learn how to trust him for the next two weeks then… oh god, this is so embarrassing. If I were going to send love messages to Syaoran I have to pass it on to Shulai first?" Sakura frowned and crossed her arms, imagining the negativity of that obvious scenario.

"Well make sure they're wholesome, innocent, and heartfelt love notes, Sakura. Don't send him anything that would provoke Shulai in to taking advantage of you."

"I know that, Tomoyo!" The two best friends broke in to laughter. Sakura finally finished packing up her backpack. She sat at the edge of the bed adjacent from Tomoyo.

"Ne, Tomoyo," Sakura changed the subject. "I heard from Syaoran that you'll be going to England for two weeks with your father earlier today."

Tomoyo nodded. "It was at the last minute, Sakura. My father called on my phone and we talked about it earlier in the morning while I was still lying down on my bunk bed. We're not just there to have a vacation and meet up with the British Daidoujis. We're also there to visit schools as well."

"Wow, really? You're considering going to a university in England?"

Her best friend nodded. "My parents and I made a promise that I would spend a good amount of time with each parent. I spent my childhood and teenage years with Mom here in Japan, so for university, I get to stay with Dad. I actually forgot about it in a bit because I was so excited to finally graduate high school and then consider going to college and pursue designing, but when Dad mentioned about it, I thought, 'whoa! I forgot that there's Dad waiting for me in England!'"

"Wow, if that's the case then we'd be far away from each other," Sakura winced.

"But with the latest technology we can always make sure that we're just a few inches next to each other instead of several thousands of kilometers away!"

"Haha, you're right about that!"

"My parents aren't divorced or anything, but you know their careers are pretty much global. Dad works in the film industry, Mom works in the fashion industry, we're a family of globe-trotting artists!"

"Yeah, with Japan and England," Sakura laughed while Tomoyo joined the laughter at the same time.

"Dad wants me to check out BRIT School and possibly enroll there for the fall of next year, so at least I get to graduate high school here with you guys," Tomoyo grinned. "Dad said that I'm too young to enter a British university at age seventeen so I have to attend a few more years of secondary school over there before I get in to a university. Because of my fashion design and artistic background, as well as internship-type retail experience with the side of documentary filming, Dad thinks that the BRIT School would be perfect for me to enhance and advance the current skills and talent that I have."

"Wow, that's a lot of stuff to consider! British school system sounds confusing…"

"I know," Tomoyo giggled. "That's what Eriol and I have been talking about all this time during our pair breakers earlier."

"Hoe?"

"And it was perfect timing too. Eriol was a part-time student at the BRIT School during summer when he was younger and he highly recommended it. Now I see where he got all his acting and performing arts skills from."

"That's really cool! And I thought he only stuck in one of those elite private schools or something.

"Because the BRIT School is state funded, it's tuition-free too! Although my parents are wealthy enough to afford sending me to a more prestigious private school, Dad preferred having a more well-rounded environment with the common people to build up my social skills, you know?"

"I bet," Sakura grinned. "So, do you think you can survive England though, Tomoyo? I mean, how's your English?"

"I know the basics," Tomoyo shrugged. "But if I really am going to pursue my post-high school life in England then obviously I have to brush up with my English. Dad and Eriol already got me started earlier today. He spoke to me in English on the phone earlier and Eriol did the same when we hung out at our pair breakers."

"Mm-hmm."

Sakura slipped her arms through the straps of her backpack, ready to go. When she stood from the bed, Tomoyo dropped herself on to the bed with a rather dazing smile on her face. She grinned and crossed her arms to watch her friend.

"Eriol…"

She sat back down on the same spot, now gazing at her best friend. "What's with the airy voice, Tomoyo?"

"I was wrong about him…"

"Hoe? But I thought you liked him before?"

"Well, I do… but you know, I had doubts. I didn't want to end up like the same girl I was when I had a relationship before. I thought he was another one of those high-maintenance players who looked down on everyone else except for a few. Turns out that he just… well, when I asked about England, let's just say, the natural English gentleman side of him just came out."

Although Sakura didn't understand what she meant by that, bottom line, she knew that her best friend may have found happiness just from that meeting earlier. "And so…? You've got yourself your English gentleman, just like in those British historical movies, right?"

"Sakura!" She gently slapped her best friend on her shoulder. "I'm saying that he's not pretentious. He lights up whenever someone asks him about his home country. But then it'll be hard to keep in touch with him for these past two weeks knowing I'll be in his country while he'll be stuck in Kagamineshi finishing up the movie."

"There's always the latest technology, you know. You can always convert thousands of miles in to a few inches."

Tomoyo laughed. "How can I forget?"

The girls embraced each other when they hear knocking on the door. Sakura called out: "It's open!"

Syaoran and Eriol entered the room to meet with the girls. Sakura noticed Syaoran's rather bothered expression on his face and wondered if this must be right after he had his meeting with her father. She hoped that there weren't anything wrong prior to him traveling for Kagamineshi tomorrow.

"Oh, you're back!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Yup," Syaoran said. He approached inside and right at his closet, where he began to unload his clothes and folded them neatly. "All of us are going home."

"So sad," Tomoyo sighed sadly while Eriol approached and sat at the space next to her. "We had so much fun being cramped in this powerful Wolf's Lair motorhome of yours, Li!"

"Well, glad you enjoyed, Daidouji," Syaoran answered in a rather low tone.

With that voice alone, Sakura already knew something was definitely wrong. "Are you alright, Syaoran? You seem down all of a sudden."

Eriol sighed and gazed straight at Sakura. "Uncle Xiaojin is ill."

"Hoe? But… how? I mean he was doing well the last time I saw him… that was just last Sunday!"

"He had a stroke last night… midnight… even…" Syaoran murmured. "He's in the hospital right now with Mom and my sisters. That's why your father came over this morning to bring me the news, Sakura."

Right then, he stopped dealing with his clothes, sat back down and lied down on to his bed. "I can't believe I prioritized you and Chiirou when Dad just…"

Sakura scooted to him and gently caressed him on the shoulder. "It's not your fault. Maybe your parents and my dad didn't want us to worry so much about what's going on… and…" She lifted him up by pulling gently on his hands, then embraced him. "How's your father now? I mean, I know he's in the hospital, but what did my dad say?"

"He's not dead, that's a good sign," Syaoran whispered. "But still… a stroke… that can only mean that another portion of his body would be paralyzed."

"Oh no… poor Uncle Xiaojin…" The two lovers held each other tightly, comforting each other, with their best friends looking on.

"So, what's going to happen about tomorrow, Li?" Tomoyo asked curiously. "Anything, Eriol?"

"Well, Auntie Yelan will be at home soon and we'll talk about it. For sure we'll be visiting Uncle Xiaojin at the hospital later as well," Eriol answered. "He's at the CRU Medical Center right now, just across the street from CRU. One of your dad's friends from the university is overseeing him right now."

"I see…" Tomoyo sighed. "Now I see why all of us will have to go back home. Our one-week slavery fun is over."

Right then, they hera another door knock, even though the door was wide open. The four looked over to see who appeared at the doorstep. The third Li, Shulai Li, appeared right before them with his usual bothered expression.

"Sorry I'm late, yo," Shulai said with a slight callous tone. "What's the emergency meeting?"

Syaoran and Eriol stood up, with Syaoran standing right in front of Eriol. "Come on in, Shulai. We'll inform you."

"I had to bring Kuroda back home after sitting down at the park benches looking bored but talked. That bastard of a boyfriend of hers was a complete no-show!" Shulai complained while he got closer to his two cousins.

"At least she's home safe, Shulai," Eriol said. "Now come, cousin. We've got family issues to talk about."

Sakura and Tomoyo, who got up with their bags, were ready to exit. "We'll just be at the dining area," Sakura said. "I think it's best if the three of you talk amongst yourselves regarding Uncle Xiaojin."

"Thank you, Sakura, Daidouji." Syaoran nodded. The two girls exit his room, as he closed the door from behind.

#

Night came and the Li Boys, Eriol included, came by Clow Reed University Medical Center, where the current leader of the Li Clan, Xiaojin Li, was currently in the intensive care unit. Yelan felt deeply relieved after she quickly called 119 and the next-door neighbor, Fujitaka Kinomoto, seeking help past midnight. She already warned her husband Xiaojin that it was already late and that he needed his rest. Stubborn of a businessman and clan leader that he was, he was hardheaded enough not to heed to his wife's concerns and continued on with the usual business sitting up on the bed tapping away on his laptop. Possibly, Xiaojin's high blood pressure must have caused the stroke from too much stress on his business.

Currently sleeping at the intensive care unit, Xiaojin was breathing slowly and his vital signs were currently normal. While the sisters continued to fight against their falling tears, Yelan, on the other hand, remained in her usual calm and collected self, showing very little to no emotion to her husband's condition. For Syaoran, that only meant one thing. His mother was confident enough that he would survive this stroke. After all, it wasn't until Dr. Chen, with the help of another resident neurosurgeon present, came by to advice the family that Xiaojin's stroke was mild. With that, the resident neurosurgeon called for Yelan for a short meeting regarding Xiaojin at his office, leaving Dr. Chen with the rest of the Li Family.

Sitting at one of the empty seats, Dr. Chen began speaking to the heir to the clan in their native Cantonese. "Your father will be alright. Just a mild stroke. However, he will have to change his habits if he wants to live a little longer."

"My mother will take over my father's place as acting CEO of the company, Dr. Chen," Syaoran answered sternly, also in Cantonese. "Besides, she had been doing more than half of my father's tasks in the company anyway."

"You still have to travel for Kagamineshi tomorrow, Xiaolang."

"I know," Syaoran sighed. "But with father looking like this, I'm having second thoughts."

"You're in a high-budget movie shooting that's about to finish, Xiaolang. I do not think your parents would let you allow skipping away from that project."

Syaoran quickly turned his head towards the neurosurgeon. "Dr. Chen, even though my father would eventually wake up and be well again, I already know that his days are being numbered. As his only son and the heir I feel like I need to snap out of my own personal reality and go back to live as a respectable future clan leader. Plus I got other problems that I need to deal with…"

_Such as getting Chiirou back to Sakura from that bitch_, his voice spoke in his head.

"Your father will be very well taken care of. I already volunteered to take on the task on watching over your father from time to time while I continue to work with Dr. Kinomoto regarding those Mongolian scrolls and books. After all, I'm only next door to you, correct?"

The future heir gave out a sigh of relief. "Sorry for reacting this way. Ever since the car accident I've been living this inner guilt that the car accident severely damaged half of his body and all I got was a concussion and amnesia. I wish that I could do way more than just a son waiting for his father's time to end and then take over the entire clan and the family business. Ever since I entered showbiz I've spent lesser time with my father. I was glad that my entire family arrived here in Tomoeda, but then… all of this crap started to happen just before my father suffered his stroke."

Dr. Chen patted Syaoran on the shoulder. "Speaking of amnesia, I will say this again. There's nothing wrong with you. There is no virus whatsoever. The x-rays that was delivered to me regarding your latest scan was a fabrication. I don't know if your last doctor was behind it or if there was someone of a higher authority, but speaking from a highly-certified neurosurgeon— you're fine."

"Thank you for informing me again, Dr. Chen," Syaoran answered sarcastically. "Another problem has piled up on me again."

"Your mother will be taking care of that small problem, Xiaolang. She wants you to go ahead and proceed with finishing your shooting, but I'm sure you want to talk to your mother about all this."

Syaoran took a deep breath, while Shulai and Eriol, who just had their chats with the sisters, joined the two. Shulai interrupted them in Japanese so Eriol would not have to deal with the internal language barrier.

"Xiaolang, with you looking all worried like that, your attitude is telling me that you got no faith with your dad surviving and your family taking extra good care of him."

Syaoran lifted his head and faced Shulai at eye level. "You got no clue on how it feels to be in my position right now. I don't like being way too confident with things right now."

"I gotta agree with Shulai with this one, cousin," Eriol said, patting Syaoran on the shoulder. "If you were an ordinary human being, of course the choice is obvious. But you're a teen idol on demand and are about to finish a movie shooting after almost a month of being here in Tomoeda— and the future heir to the clan leadership on top of that— you're going to have to rely on the people closest to you and the family to handle things while you are out there finishing what you have started."

Dr. Chen stood up from his seat, giving Eriol and Shulai pats on the shoulder. "Well, I better check on your mother and Dr. Tsukimura. I'll leave you boys alone for your talks."

The three boys bowed to him. "Thanks for being here for my father, Dr. Chen." They exchanged their byes as the neurosurgeon exited the ICU room.

Meanwhile, the three boys turn back to their discussion. "Xiao, listen," Eriol continued. "As of today, you are now the leader of the Li Clan, so even though you're still stuck as a prolific teen idol about to finish his possibly last movie of his career, act like the leader."

Shulai nodded in agreement. "In short, Xiaolang, once you start something, you have to finish it. With your father on the brink of losing his life right now, you can't afford to just sit around and worry for his life when you've got the movie project and this whole deal with Kinomoto's stuffed animal to deal with."

"He's right, you know," Eriol seconded.

Syaoran took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I know… and you're right… but still…"

Shulai sat right next to his look-alike cousin. "How about this, Xiaolang? Why not proceed with that second part of your risky plan?" He then turned quickly towards Eriol. "What the hell is the second part of the plan about anyway?" Eriol shook his head, shrugging his arms.

"Shulai—"

"Xiaolang, the first part of your risky plan is already done. Oh and Yanagisawa already contributed along. Pretty sure this should be reaching that dumbass chick Hirashiki by now and probably celebrating by herself in her motorhome."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow of uncertainty. "Are you sure about that, Shulai? Hirashiki may have some loose screws in her head but we can't underestimate her."

"Relax, dear leader, we've taken care of that. Don't you worry about a thing!" Shulai grinned, patting his leader on the back with confidence.

"Well then," Eriol broke his silence, "about the second phase of your plan, Xiao? You haven't exactly told us what you've got in mind."

Syaoran raised his eyes, gazing right towards his sisters, who were now chatting by themselves. With the four minding their own business in silence, he stood up and approached the bed, where he found his father connected through a very sophisticated respiratory system. He stood there in silence, gazing right at his completely unconscious father, then gave out a worried sigh.

He shut his eyes and prayed on his own, and then his own thoughts came to his mind. _Forgive me, Father, for what I'm about to do…_

Moments later, he headed back to the boys and then nodded. "Alright. The second part is actually a lot riskier than the first part."

"Well," Eriol began. "What exactly is it that makes this second portion of your plan… risky?"

Syaoran sat down, with both his cousins sitting at their seats with him. "Why I think this is riskier? Well… let's just say that… I… I can't bear leaving Sakura alone in Tomoeda even though she promised to be strong and patient for me. And now with my father lying down unconscious and in danger of dying… I'm just having second thoughts right now… therefore…"

Eriol and Shulai then turned to each other, then moments later, turned their gazes towards Syaoran.

"You… you can't be serious, Xiaolang!" Shulai exclaimed in shock, but making sure he did not disturb his uncle's sleep and his female cousins across the room. "Are you insane?"

"I know, Shulai… besides… Hirashiki is messing with the wrong person. Two can play that game and I'll make sure she doesn't make another movie or any other project in showbiz ever again."

"Xiao," Eriol murmured softly. "You really are… insane…"

#

**Saturday Morning**

When Sakura woke up this morning, she woke up feeling like a brand-new person. Filled with faith and confidence, she greeted her father and brother at the dining area and kitchen with her usual everyday attire. Yesterday, she was filled with so much woe regarding the situation with Syaoran, Mai Hirashiki, and her stuffed animal Chiirou. Knowing that her boyfriend's father is in a temporary coma in the hospital, she knew that she had to drop all her hopes of spending one more night together with Syaoran before he leaves for Kagamineshi this morning. She even had trouble sleeping last night for she wasn't used to sleeping without Chiirou or Syaoran next to her and vice versa. Luckily for her, Syaoran did send her text messages to have a short chat until she felt drowsy enough to go to sleep. Unfortunately, for security reasons, he did not crawl over her window through the cherry tree between their windows like he would normally do in the past.

Still, what they talked about on the text last night was the reason why she had to wake up being strong, calm, collected, patient. She wanted to prove her love for Syaoran to be stronger than what many of them think and no elite-leveled girl, especially if she was a celebrity idol girl named Mai Hirashiki, would ever succeed in taking Syaoran away from her. The only thing was that she had no solid plan to continue maintaining her romantic relationship with him, but what she had now is her trust for him and his trust for her.

_Trust Shulai_, her mind spoke inside. Good lord, she thought. She was still in disbelief that her boyfriend would put his philandering, promiscuous player like Shulai Li to be her bridge of contact. Mai Hirashiki, for sure, would be tailing Syaoran from clinging on to his arm to forcing him to show her his phone to ensure that he wasn't making any contacts with his supposed ex-girlfriend. Syaoran had that problem covered as well.

_On Saturday morning, you and I will begin our first day of being apart as new people,_ one of Syaoran's text messages stated. This only meant that they would have to keep a good distance from each other. This also meant that there wouldn't be any sweet talk, any holding hands or any form of intimate touching, and most of all, no kissing. Even with those restrictions for the next two weeks, Syaoran broke his own rules a bit by playing a text message game that resembled those popular dating sim games. Sadly, he left it with a cliffhanger that made her feel a little disappointed. Still, she couldn't help but re-read those texts and rekindle them in her head including the cliffhanger ending.

_SYAORAN: Syaoran deepened her kiss, and the last thing they knew, they were already in Sakura's bedroom. Knowing what may about to happen, Sakura: a) prolongs the kiss, b) does nothing, c) invites Syaoran further in to her bedroom._

_SAKURA: Hoe?! Really? Those are the only choices I have?_

_SYAORAN: LOL Why? You got something else in mind?_

_SAKURA: d) sleep._

_SYAORAN: Sleep? Syaoran Li doesn't sleep in the middle of an intimate romantic moment!_

_SAKURA: Alright, alright. Umm… I'll go with C._

_SYAORAN: Hoe?! Really?_

_SAKURA: Stop making fun of me, Syaoran!_

_SYAORAN: Well, C it is!_

_SAKURA: Yeah. C._

_SYAORAN: So… Sakura breaks apart from Syaoran slowly, then she takes his hand and brings him in further in to her room. With the back of her knees already touching the edge of her bed, they gaze deeply in to each other's eyes. Syaoran tried to read what that gaze meant, and taking his own risks, he gently pulls her in to his arms and began to kiss her tenderly, slowly, deeply, once again. Before she knew it, she felt hands caressing her, with one hand slowly slipping underneath her shirt…_

_SAKURA: Oh my… I should've chosen B…_

_SYAORAN: LOL earlier today you begged me to make love to you tonight but I ignored it._

_SAKURA: You're teasing me. I was serious about that since the whole Chiirou and Mai Hirashiki thing and…_

_SYAORAN: What the— you were serious about that?! Gee… I'm sorry…_

_SAKURA: Well, one way or the other, we wouldn't have done it anyway. After all, you did vow that we wouldn't go to the next level until I turn eighteen— which is next year— and that you're completely done with your showbiz career and all that…. And second, your father had a stroke and I don't think it's appropriate for us to do it on the day your father fell extremely ill._

_SYAORAN: You have a point there…_

_SAKURA: But your game is making up for it LOL. So, what's next?_

_SYAORAN: What's next after that? Hmm…_

_SAKURA: Well? What happens after Syaoran slips one hand underneath Sakura's shirt?_

_SYAORAN: Hmm… maybe next year._

_SAKURA: What?! Next year?! So mean… so unfair…_

_SYAORAN: It's almost 2 in the morning, hun. You need to get to bed. I don't want your father or brother walking in on you when they notice that your lights are still on._

_SAKURA: Hoe?! You can see my lights on?_

_SYAORAN: Looking through my window and right through the cherry tree? Oh yeah, very bright and clear!_

_SAKURA: Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and turn off the lights now…_

Recalling their text messages exchanged last night, she couldn't help but grin while she ate her O's cereal with her non-fat milk. Maybe during nighttime while they're apart from each other that they would continue on with their text message storytelling games. Regardless of today, she had a wonderful sleep, dreaming her happy dreams with Syaoran by her side.

After she finished her breakfast, she spotted her father and Touya packing up a portable thermal case with Chinese-influenced dishes and a batch of Whisperjay Stew. Sakura pitched in by putting in a large tupperware case of her fruit salad she made last night. All of these are for the Lis so they may have something to eat during their travels and enough for at least one week. This was a request from their next-door neighbor, Yelan, who did not even have time to prepare or even have her cooks prepare for the travel meals for Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling due to Xiaojin's time at the hospital. As good neighbors, Fujitaka granted his late wife's good friend's favor.

The Wolf's Lair motorhome was parked outside the Li Residence and Wei and the servants of the Li Household were already packing their things. Fujitaka was informed by Yelan also that two of Xiaojin's relatives: a brother, Shulai's father, and a cousin, Meiling's father will be flying in later this afternoon from Hong Kong to help her continue conducting business for their company as if nothing drastic happened. When the Kinomotos walked by next door, Yukito and his grandfather were already there, as well as the Diadoujis. Shulai and Yamazaki were also outside, with Shulai overhearing Yelan and Fujitaka talking about the aid she will be receiving from her husband's brothers and cousin.

Shulai wasn't particularly happy with the news, but then again, this was all for the family. He would really have to behave himself and get things right from now on in order to appease his father and the rest of the family.

When Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling arrived outside, Sakura greeted them and she and Touya handed their thermal case filled with their favorite local Tomoeda dishes to them. The three thanked them, with Syaoran opening the case to see what was inside.

"Fruit salad… and Whisperjay Stew?" Syaoran gasped. "Man, thanks so much!"

"We cooked some of your favorites, Syaoran. They should be enough for all five of you— Wei-san and Yun included, of course," Sakura smiled. "It should last for at least a week."

"Aww, thanks so much!" Meiling cheered happily. "Now that I can eat local Tomoeda dishes and then think of Kuze-kun at the same time! So happy!"

Tomoyo giggled and nudged Meiling. "So I take that you and Kuze-kun had a wonderful time during the pair breaker yesterday?"

"He's like… I mean, sure he's not exactly aristocratic, but I don't care. He's a whole lot more of a gentleman than majority of the boys in the elite class I've known of. Well Syaoran is an exception, but now that I think about it, plus the fact that we're second cousins, that felt all weird now."

"Aww, I'm so happy for you, Meiling!" Sakura cheered, embracing her.

While embracing, Meiling moved her lips towards Sakura's ear and whispered to her. "Eriol, Yun, and I will take care of Syaoran while we're at Kagamineshi. We won't let that bitch Hirashiki do any more damages on both of you. I promise."

Sakura smiled and embraced her tighter. "Thank you so much, Meiling. I also promise to be calm and confident that I'll get Chiirou back successfully."

The two girls release each other as Meiling gently patted Sakura on the shoulder. "True love always prevails, Sakura. Remember that."

"Always."

Moments later, the Wolf's Lair was ready to go and Meiling was the first to get inside. Yun and Naoko also arrived just in time for Yun to hitch a ride with them as well. Naoko stood along with Sakura and Tomoyo after Yun kissed her goodbye.

"Well, for two weeks, Tomoeda is back to normal again," Naoko made her statement. "Well, family is always priority after all."

"Yeah," Tomoyo nodded. "My flight to England with my father is tonight. Even though we have a private jet, Dad and Mom have a few things to take care of. At least I'll be spending time with you guys before I leave."

"That's awesome, Tomoyo!" Sakura cheered.

In the meantime, Yamazaki and Shulai approached the girls and stood with them. "Ne, guys, I guess the two of you will be busy today as well, ne?" Sakura turned to the boys.

"I promised Chi-chan I'd have lunch with her and her family today," Yamazaki said.

Shulai shrugged his shoulders. "My dad is flying over so I got no choice but to stay home with Xiaolang's family."

"We can hang out later, maybe, Shulai," Sakura nervously mentioned her words.

"That'd be cool," Shulai shrugged again. "Let's call out the soccer dudes too. The more peeps, more fun, right?"

Sakura chuckled. "Yeah!"

"I hope Syao-chan knows what he's doing," Yamazaki sighed, turning towards Shulai.

"You're doubting the clan leader, Yamazaki?" Shulai shifted his eyes right at him.

"Not doubting Syao-chan at all, Shulai. It's just that… what he's doing… or what he's about to do… is seriously… insane, that's all."

"Relax, Yamazaki," Shulai grinned. "Xiaolang's got his ways and I got my own too You'll see. When it comes to little things such as manipulating the manipulator, the Lis are masters!"

"I hope you're right about that, Shulai." Just as the two remaining boys were about to continue their conversation, Eriol, who was hanging by the door of the motorhome, called out to them.

"Shulai, Yamazaki. Can I talk to you guys in here really quick?"

Shulai's eyes widened. "Right now?"

"Well of course, cousin, we're leaving soon!"

Shulai shook his head as he and Yamazaki entered the motorhome. Eriol followed, with Syaoran finished speaking with his mother somewhere at the back. Syaoran approached Sakura with sad eyes, making Sakura's gaze at him become weary as well.

"Hirashiki's not here, so I get to take your hands in mine for a few seconds," Syaoran grinned.

Sakura bit her lip to prevent herself from letting a few tears fall. "I… I just can't help but shake off the feeling that things will change by the time you return to Tomoeda."

"Change? Maybe. The only change I'm confident at is that our love for each other will get stronger."

"And I'm not worried anymore also, Syaoran. If you're unable to get Chiirou back from Mai-chan, it'll be my turn to get him back."

Syaoran nodded. "Alright. But for now…" He leaned and gently kissed her on her soft lips. "Wait for me."

"I will." The two lovers embraced each other for a few moments. Then, Syaoran separated himself from her and waved to the others as he headed inside his Wolf's Lair.

At this point, Wei was making his last minute inventory checking on his notepad, with Yelan and her daughters already excusing themselves to head back to their own affairs involving Xiaojin at the hospital. Fujitaka, Touya, and the Tsukishiros also bid their byes and also excused themselves to head back to today's tasks. Tomoyo's parents also did the same, which now leaves her, Sakura, and Naoko present.

Moments later, Wei finally entered Wolf's Lair, ready to take on the driver's seat. But once he turned on the ignition, both Yamazaki and Shulai exited after their brief meeting with Eriol. When the two boys came down, Shulai stood right next to Sakura. Syaoran looked out at the back window, gazing his somewhat nervous eyes right at them.

"I'll always think of you, Syaoran…" Sakura murmured her words. Syaoran somehow read her lips and also made his silent response with the words "Same with you."

Right then, Syaoran waved at the Tomoeda locals. Sakura, Tomoyo, Naoko, Yamazaki, and Shulai also waved directly at him in return, as the Wolf's Lair drove their way from the neighborhood.

"Syaoran…" Sakura's voice suddenly trembled, with Shulai turning his head towards her.

"He knows what he's doing, Kinomoto," the uncanny look-alike cousin reminded her. "When he knows what he's doing, he never fails."

When Sakura turned her yes right at Shulai, somehow her conscience inside detected something a little different about this somewhat foul-mouthed cousin. "Do… do you really think so, Shulai?"

"Think?" Shulai somehow broke in to laughter that all of a sudden, the look-alike's laughter suddenly reminded her of her boyfriend. "Psh, I _know_, Kinomoto!"

"Well, you _are _his cousin after all. I'm sure you have stronger faith in him than I do."

"Oh believe me, Kinomoto. Your faith for him is strong enough."

Sakura grinned. "So, um, I suppose Syaoran already gave you my phone number, right? Or you can always visit next door and all that. I mean to say, when you want to hang out later today, just call me."

"Sure thing. Thanks." Shulai then gently scratched his head. Once again, Sakura's conscience was getting a different vibe with the way he scratched his head, also reminded her of Syaoran. On the other hand, it's not as if she's actually seen Shulai scratched his head and then noticing it in her mind anyway. Maybe she was already missing Syaoran so much that everything Shulai is doing screams "Syaoran" right within her.

"Well, anyway," Shulai shrugged his shoulders. "I gotta head back in. Gotta go to the airport to pick up my dad and Meiling's dad with Xiaolang's sisters. Peace out."

"See ya later, man," Yamazaki said, as he and Shulai hi-fived each other. Tomoyo and Naoko did the same.

As they split up back to their own ways, Tomoyo decided to walk Sakura back to her door. Once they reached the porch, Sakura faced her best friend.

"Tomoyo… I don't know… but… maybe I'm already missing Syaoran so much…"

"Aww… it's only natural, Sakura. After all, you are in love…"

"Wanna know how much?" Sakura frowned. "So much, Tomoyo, that every single little thing Shulai was doing just now is making me see him as Syaoran!"

"Well, Shulai is pretty much Syaoran's evil twin brother and all… well, maybe not evil… just flawed!"

"I'm going insane, Tomoyo!"

Tomoyo gave her a quick embrace. "Don't worry, Sakura. I'm sure that during their drive, Syaoran would be so bored that he's going to start texting his messages to you and tell you how much he misses you!"

"Hoe… but then because of Mai Hirashiki, we can't even make contact with each other because Syaoran feels that she's going to be acting nosy regarding who he's been contacting with, so he will have to relay his messages to Shulai and then Shulai will have to forward them to me."

"Oh, well that sucks," Tomoyo frowned. "Then again, if I were Syaoran and sending text messages to Shulai, I'm sure he would send his messages to him in Chinese. And then Shulai will have to translate them in to Japanese and then forward them to you. In that way, Hirashiki won't be suspicious. She's gonna be thinking 'Why would Li Xiaolang be sending text messages in Japanese to his cousin Shulai when they can always talk using their native language?' That kinda thing."

"Hm, you're right about that, Tomoyo. Maybe Syaoran might do just that!"

"Yep!" Tomoyo nodded. "Anyway, I better head back to my house. For sure Mom would be looking for me. Call me when you and Shulai decide to go and hang out, alright?"

"I will."

The two girls embrace each other, as Tomoyo made her way across the street and right back to her residence.

* * *

**A/N:** Long time no see, everyone! I seriously have to apologize to all you readers for a very, very, very late update. I haven't been online as much as I used to, to be honest, simply because of offline life. Been having a few job interviews here and there (and sadly don't even get those jobs so I'm still unemployed until now), my mother fractured her right foot so I had to be her nurse because no one else in the family would be available (everyone else would be at work), and of course, more job training, online training, and job hunting. In fact, my portfolio website (adrimarie_dot_us) was wiped out due to a cache bug and it took me about two weeks to complete it

In addition to that, I have run in to occasional writer's block as well. With that, I started writing my new CCS fanfic (the one I posted a preview about before) with a new title: **The Astral Towers**. It only had a few chapters (2? 3?) uploaded, so if you haven't read that yet, now's a good time. ^_^

One small note regarding this chapter. "119" is the emergency phone number in Japan and Korea (and a few parts of the world I think), as in oppose to the North American 911 (U.S., Canada, Mexico, and I read a few South American countries also use 911). I think that's about it.

I know, I'm gonna have a long reply to all you reviewers out there, so bare with me. I know many of you probably started school already, so if you're any one of those students, welcome back to school LOL. ^_^

**dancingfingers –** I know who you're referring to. ^_^ Sorry this update isn't as fast as the previous one. -_-

**Narquissa –** I set up my phone that way as well as I read other CCS fics as well. Unfortunately, most of the ones I follow haven't been updated for a couple of months or longer. Hmm...

**sakura 42002 –** Arigatou gozaimasu. ^_^

**DualStarduster –** I took Japanese class when I started college years ago because I was always interested in Japanese culture. Apparently, my love for anime was reborn from the classmates there, so techincally I started learning Japanese first before I started watching anime again. When I used to live in the Philippines as a kid, they showed a lot of '70s "super robot" genre of anime there, but they were all dubbed in (Filipino) English then, so no Japanese learning there. When we moved to America, anime had disappeared in my life for about 8 years until college. And yeah, Mai is a conniving (insert applicable word here). I have a weakness in writing fics though- I really can't capture antagonists in writing, so I don't know if I'm doing a good job with Mai or not LOL. Speaking of nice towns, there was this really old British mystery/horror film called _The Wicker Man_. I'm not referring to the 2000s version with Nicolas Cage (I read that was horrible remake so I won't even bother), but the entire film takes place in a secluded island town with their own traditions that differe from the rest of the UK. Everything seems so innocent to our eyes from their town to the lovely folks to their beliefs and their rituals until the end when the masks have been removed to see the reality of that world. Something like that. Check it out one day. It's just too damn creepy LOL.

**Bolamut –** As I mentioned to DualStarduster, I studied Japanese for 4 years in college, but I'm not exactly fluent, so to speak. I can read Kana (Hiragana and Katakana) and some Kanji, but my vocabulary and my verb conjugations are very rusty. I do know the basic synthax, such as pronunciation, as you mentioned. Japanese and Chinese are very different from each other from vocabulary to pronunciation. The Japanese only adapted about 2000 Kanji (Chinese characters) and even simplified a few of them for easier recognition and writing, the same way that the Chinese simplify a lot of their own ancient writing system, so technically, some Chinese can't read the characters the Japanese "borrowed"/adapted and some Japanese can't read majority of the characters the Chinese use. In addition, the Japanese have different readings of these 2000 Kanji from the way the Chinese read their own writing system. For instance, let's use Syaoran's first name in Kanji/Chinese: 小狼. The Japanese would read that as "chiirou" (chii = small/little, rou = wolf). The Chinese would read that as "xiaolang" (xiao = small/little, lang = wolf). Because Syaoran is Chinese, the Japanese are not going to use the equivalent Japanese reading of his name to call him because that would be rude and impolite, not just to the Japanese themselves, but also to Syaoran himself (it's like they're changing his name to make it more "Japanese" by calling him "Chiirou" instead). In the Japanese language, there is no separate "L" sound and that the "R" sound is interchangeable with "L," plus there is no "ng" sound in Japanese as well. Therefore, "Syaoran" is simply the Japanese pronunciation of "Xiaolang." Just to be realistic here in the fic, I had the Japanese characters pronounce his name as "Syaoran," while the Chinese simply call him by his original Chinese name "Xiaolang." Hope this clarifies things for you.

**Icefrosties** – Syaoran just did. We just don't know what that plan is... yet. ^_-

**ria –** Oh believe me, I've been there LOL. I was a major J-Pop fan and I have real-life friends who are (young) celebrities in Filipino showbiz. As a J-Pop fan, I have read several articles (in Japanese) where they have several cases of fan harassment towards their favorite stars/idols (which includes fans stalking their idols, fighting other fans (and non-fans) just to get their idols' attention, etc.). And with my friends in Filipino showbiz, I've dealt with plenty of tards (they're not even fans anymore, seriously... they're so obsessed that they start "competing" with other fans just so they get to be recognized- some of them just pretend to be fans and use their "idols" so they can elevate themselves and be in showbiz too. =T). No kidding.

**RachelRR –** Take your time reviewing. This story's not gonna disappear anytime soon. ^_-

**Reader277 –** To be honest with you... I have no idea. LOL XD

**kaylaanime1492901** – You need to shorten your username so I don't have to forget it LOL. Sorry for the super-late update. XD

**SakuSyaoLvr –** Hello there! Miss seeing you here, but that's all my fault for not updating sonner LOL.

**Littlepuppylost ** - Actually, I was going to make Shulai as the main antagonist first when I first drafted him, but then I decided to have him as a comic relief as well. Yes, he's had plenty of "quickies" in his life. XDDD

**Just a reader –** I'm still new in to crafting antagonists/bad guys in stories, so I don't know if I'm doing well or not. Hope Mai Hirashiki doesn't disappoint you LOL.

**Chidori-chan** – Sorry for the late update waaaaah LOL XD

**NollasBlack ** - Hello again! If you have any more questions, just ask away! Or, if they're super-rush questions, you can simply send me a PM on my FFnet profile. ^_^

**A Certain Unfortunate Guy –** How unfortunate. :( Please review some more later! ^_^

**Shadow74196** – LOL I don't get it. So, they call you a tomboy because you're not a K-Pop fan? So, K-Pop is for "girly girls"? /gasp/ My real name is Adrianne Marie (last name withheld LOL), so that should give you the idea where "Adri Mars" came from. ^_^ Oh, and K-Pop (and J-Pop) have strange band/artist names, but a lot of them actually make sense. I guess SHINee is Korean, which is probably why it sounds weird to you? (Yeah, I've heard of SHINee before)

**Guest** – use a name next time because there's so many guests reviewing my fic who don't use their names. :( Anyway, thanks for reading!

**Sakura3li** – sorry for the late update :(

**sangetsuninichi** – Yup, I have been back since January 2013 LOL. Glad you're able to find me again. ^_^

That's it for now. Remember to eat your fruits and vegetables. Ja~! XD


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